Make Connections
Make Connections
Living on campus means plenty of opportunities to connect with other UD students and support your personal development. Learn through campus partner workshops, community programs and meeting with your Resident Assistant (RA) or Apartment Assistant (AA).
Living with a Roommate
Living with a roommate is an iconic part of the college experience. For many students, living in a residence hall is the first time they have shared a space with individuals outside of their family of origin. This is an exceptional opportunity for personal growth and learning, but it can also pose some challenges. Read through the resources below to help navigate communal living.
Building a Healthy Roommate Relationship
Understand that this is a new experience and time of transition for everyone involved, so patience and communication is key!
Your new roommate is getting to know you just as much as you are getting to know them. The first few conversations that you and your roommate(s) have can set everyone up for success if you all are able to be open with each other about what each of you bring to the space. Share your excitement and energy to make your roommate feel welcomed.
Share what matters to you when it comes to cleaning, guests and your study/sleep schedule! It is okay if this changes over time, just keep your roommate(s) informed and be respectful of their requests, too.
Use our programming and staff to help get to know your roommate(s). There are many ways to get involved in the halls! Consider attending a community social or planning a program with them!
When Conflict Arises
Conflict is a normal part of interpersonal relationships when people have differing opinions about an issue they care about.
Roommate conflicts often involve
- Cleanliness
- Room arrangement
- Sleep/study schedule
- Noise
- Guests
These usually arise when people are living with each other for the first time and are navigating the new environment. Knowing these before meeting your roommate can guide your conversation to proactively minimize conflict!
- Start with yourself: What is your ideal solution? What do you or the other person need to do to move forward?
- Get a sense of the other side: Try to understand why the other person sees the situation in the way that they do and why they feel the way that they feel. They may have additional information that you do not know yet. It is okay if they are not ready to talk about it yet; you can schedule a better time in the future to do so.
- Explain your perspective: Be direct about your concerns so they know exactly what you would like to talk about. Use “I Statements” where you explain how you perceive the situation and the emotions that it entails. Take your time to explain your thoughts - it can be stressful to have these kinds of conversations so be patient with yourself and the other person while you each get your thoughts across.
- Talk through options: Share what your ideal solution is and allow the other person to do so as well. Talk about what is feasible and realistic and what is not. Be honest about what feels right for you!
- Write out next steps: Find a common space to write out the outcome of your conversation. When you come to an agreement, write out the guidelines and the timeline for upholding these guidelines. Make a plan to check in with each other moving forward to ensure that the plan still works for everyone.
Your RA/AA is a great resource for you as you navigate through a conflict. RAs/AAs are trained extensively on conflict and strategies for resolution so do not hesitate to ask them for assistance if you need it.
Questions to Ask Your Roommate
Everyone has different expectations about how close they will be with their roommate. Some students want to be close friends and some students just want to share a living space. Be upfront with your roommate(s) about what you are looking for from them.
Some students welcome news friends in the room, others prefer to keep the space more private. For many students, their feelings on daytime guests do not extend to the overnight hours. Make sure you and your current or potential roommate discuss how guests will be handled and approved.
Every student comes to UD excited for their college experience. College is a great time to meet new people and explore different activities. With that in mind, everyone's social life looks different and it is important to be honest with your roommate about your habits and expectations.
For example, are you an all-night gamer? Have early sports practice? A late night rehearsal? Be sure to chat with your roommate about how these impact your shared space.
Some room supplies might make sense to share, others may be off limits. Some things to discuss with your roommate:
- Splitting the microfridge fee
- Sharing a TV versus each bringing your own
- Rugs
- Food shared or not shared
- Fans
- Cleaning supplies
- Sharing toiletries like soap and shampoo
Roommate Agreements
You and your room/suitemate(s) can complete roommate agreements to discuss shared living expectations. Connect with your Resident Assistant or Apartment Assistant to learn more about this great tool to use within your first few weeks of living on campus.
Hen Chats
Hen Chats are casual conversations that support consistent touchpoints with all residents throughout the semester. As a part of their role, RAs engage with their residents in-person on a regular basis.
4-in-4 Programming & Community Programs
During the first 4 weeks of fall semester, each community will host a program for residents to get to know each other in their new home. Throughout the rest of the year, our in-hall team hosts larger, community wide programs to bring residents together. Additionally, RAs will host programs for residents on their floor throughout the semester so students can connect with their neighbors.
Reserve Space in Our Halls
Students may request to reserve available spaces in any of our Residence Halls for events, study groups or meetings. Residence Life & Housing does not provide setup, technology support or AV equipment. Students reserving the space are responsible for all cleanup, trash removal and resetting the space to its original setup. If you would like to request space in one of our Residence Halls, fill out the reservation form linked below.