By Kathleen Langan Pusecker, Executive Director of Enrollment for Student Support
Office of Student Success Services (OS3)
Congratulations, you have a roommate! Experian, the credit reporting company, reported in 2021 that at least 30% of recent college grads move back home after graduating from college. Many recent graduates don’t know what they will do after graduation and during this transition period, there are some tips to help you and your new roommate cohabitate better.
Set Clear Expectations
Your relationship with your own parents is likely quite different from your relationship with your student. If you are going to live together, treat them like an adult and have open discussions.
Here is a list of expectations to talk about with potential scripts you can use:
Clarify the goal of why they are living back home.
We are happy to have you home so that you can work on getting a job and saving money to move out.
Timeline for living at home.
We are glad to have you stay with us for one year. After one year, we expect you to have your own place.
Friends visiting. Overnights?
We are happy to have your friends stay over. However, we aren’t comfortable with you sharing a bed under our roof.
Curfews
We know that you did not have a curfew when you were at school. As an adult, you won’t have a curfew here. However, in this day and age, we know that sometimes things happen. At what point should we start to worry and call the police?
Hours for awake and sleep.
I know that you are working the night shift, so we will try to keep noise to a minimum while you sleep. We ask that you do the same for us.
Noise expectations.
Your choice of music isn’t mine, please wear your headphones when listening to music.
Household chores.
The expectation is that if you make the mess, you clean that mess. You do your laundry like you did at college. However, since we all live here, what day of the week would you like to be responsible for making dinner?
Could you please be responsible for trash on Tuesday? That means taking the can out the night before and bringing it back.
Dining expectations.
I know that you don’t always wish to eat with us, but if you want to dine with us, what nights should we expect you? If you will not be joining us on that night, please let us know at least 24 hours in advance unless there is an emergency (for example, you are ill).
Cleanliness of common areas and their rooms.
The bathroom you use should be cleaned weekly. That means the floor vacuumed, the shower wiped down with Scrubbing Bubbles and you should use the toilet bowl cleaner provided.
Whether or not to charge rent?
If you are trying to save money for a down payment, why don’t you pay me and I will place it in a savings account for you. If you are going to be our roommate, we will divide the utilities three ways. If you are prioritizing paying off student loans, let’s figure out the best amount to help you get that accomplished.
Utilities charges? Cable/streaming services, electric, water, etc.
Because you take really long showers, we are going to ask you to pay ⅓ of this bill.
Respect for privacy. (Knocking on doors and never just opening them)
We see you as an adult and we are adults, please never enter our room without knocking first and we will do the same for you.
Job Search expectations.
I know that SMCM will still work with you to find a job. You can use Handshake and you should be using Indeed. What help would you like from us?
What expectations do you want to discuss?
This should be a two-way conversation for you to share your expectations too.