It’s great having personable roommates. I don’t have to try to talk to them; conversation comes pretty easily. They also share a lot of the same interests I do and major in something radically different from what I major in, making them interesting to learn about. The big problem I have is that their personable natures clash with my more reserved nature, something that the optional personality tests that my apartment complex administers couldn’t have predicted. According to the personality test results, we should have matched up perfectly in all the areas that matter: alcohol consumption, cleanliness, smoking, main interests and stance on sharing dishes.

I don’t resent my roommates by any means, they filled out the questionnaire as honestly as I did, but personality tests hardly cover the details of our personalities. No one has come up with one yet that can catalogue our differences completely. I can’t resent the people that administered the test either. They were doing what they had been told.

The point I want to make is that everyone should be aware of their roommates. I make sure to wash every dish I use, take responsibility for every kitchen mess I make, and keep my part of the apartment clean. This means that I rarely leave a mark in any part of the apartment I use, so my roommates will often let the fact that I exist slip into afterthought. I can hardly blame them for this, either, as I don’t occupy the apartment for the lion’s share of the daylight hours. When I am home I want to relax, preferably in a quiet environment. Very often I’ve come home to what could easily qualify as a party, and every time I end up in a friend’s living room, doing my best to unwind on their couch. Even when nothing big is going on, I’ll often be woken up by shouts from the living room at 3a.m.

I’m not saying that everyone needs to clear every activity they plan with their roommates or to plan your schedules around them, but be kind. If you want to have a party, see if all your roommates are ok with it. If not, find someone who has cool roommates. We all enjoy parties, but not all of us have the same tolerance for them.