MENU

Living Together as Roommates

Your Guide to Roommates and Shared Living

Living with other people is an important part of the residential experience at Colby. Whether you are sharing a room with one person or living in a suite or apartment with several people, it takes communication, flexibility, and a little patience to figure out how to live well together.

You and your roommate(s) do not need to be best friends or have everything in common. You may have different schedules, habits, backgrounds, preferences, and ideas about what makes a space feel like home. What matters is getting to know one another, talking openly about what you need, and working together when something is not going well.

This page includes resources to help you get started and support you throughout the year.

Completing Your Roommate Agreement

Your Roommate Agreement is a chance to get to know your roommate(s), talk about how you want to share your space, and set some expectations for living together.

INSTRUCTIONS:

  • STEP 1:  Start by choosing the agreement that matches the number of students living in your space.
  • STEP 2:  Make a copy of this document (you currently have viewer access), save it to your Google Drive, and complete all sections with your roommates.
  • STEP 3:  Designate one roommate to make a copy and share it with all roommates.
  • STEP 4:  Each roommate should complete the individual sections first.
  • STEP 5:  Once everyone has done that, come together as a group to talk through your responses and complete the shared sections.
  • STEP 6:  Take your time with the conversation. Talk honestly about things like sleep, studying, guests, noise, belongings, cleaning, communication, and how you want to handle concerns when they come up.
  • STEP 7:  Complete your Roommate Agreement by the end of September.
  • STEP 8:  Once you’ve completed your Roommate Agreement, email a copy to your CA/ACL for their records. The information provided in this document will be kept confidential and used solely by the Office of Residential Experience to support a positive living environment and assist with resolving any conflicts.

Select Your Roommate Agreement

Your agreement does not have to be set in stone. Schedules and routines change throughout the year, and sometimes something that seemed fine in September does not work as well a few months later. You can always return to your agreement, discuss what has changed, and make adjustments together.

Living in an Apartment, House, or Suite

Living in an apartment, house, or suite comes with more independence and more shared responsibility. In addition to bedrooms, you may be sharing living rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, hallways, and other common spaces.

Everyone who lives in the apartment, house, or suite plays a role in keeping these spaces clean, comfortable, and usable.

Early in the semester, take some time as a group to talk about:

  • Cleaning bathrooms, kitchens, and common spaces
  • Taking out the trash and recycling
  • Washing dishes and cleaning up after cooking
  • Sharing refrigerator, cabinet, and storage space
  • Purchasing and sharing household supplies
  • Guests and use of common spaces
  • Noise, sleep, study, and social schedules
  • How you’ll communicate when something isn’t working

Create a Shared Space Plan

Apartment, house, and suite residents should complete a Shared Space Plan together. The plan gives your group a chance to decide who will take on different responsibilities, how often things should be done, and what you expect from one another regarding your shared spaces.


INSTRUCTIONS:

  • STEP 1:  Make a copy of this document (you currently have viewer access) and save it to your Google Drive, complete all sections with your roommates, and share/email the finished plan to your CA or ACL.
  • STEP 2:  Complete the plan together as an apartment, house, or suite.
  • STEP 3:  Divide up the shared responsibilities and initial the tasks you will complete each week
  • STEP 4:  Choose a day for your Monthly Reset and spend 20-30 minutes refreshing your shared space together.
  • STEP 5:  Revisit the plan each month and make changes as needed.


It is much easier to make a plan before the trash is overflowing or dishes have been sitting in the sink for three days. Talk about these things early, check in with one another, and revisit your plan when something needs to change.

Managing Roommate Conflicts

Even roommates who get along well will not agree on everything. Sharing a space can take some adjustment, especially at the beginning of the year when everyone is settling into new routines. If something is bothering you, try not to let it build. Most roommate concerns are easier to work through when they are addressed early and through consistent, respectful communication.

STEP 1: Talk with Your Roommate

  • Start by talking directly with your roommate(s). Choose a time when everyone can actually have a conversation, rather than bringing up an issue in the middle of an argument or sending a frustrated text.
  • Be clear about what is bothering you and what you would like to see change. Give your roommate a chance to share their perspective too.
  • If you have not yet completed your Roommate Agreement, now is a good time to do so. If you already have one, pull it back out and revisit what you agreed to.
  • It can also take some time to adjust to living with someone new. After having the conversation, give one another a reasonable opportunity to follow through on what you discussed.

STEP 2: Talk with Your CA or ACL

  • If you have talked with your roommate and things still are not working, connect with your Community Advisor (CA) or Apartment Community Leader (ACL).
  • Your CA or ACL can talk through what has been happening, help you consider the situation from different perspectives, and offer ideas for approaching another conversation. They can also help you revisit your Roommate Agreement and identify possible next steps.
  • You do not need to wait until a situation feels serious to reach out. Sometimes it is helpful just to talk something through with someone else.

STEP 3: Connect with a Residential Experience staff member

  • If the concern continues after you have worked with your roommate and hall staff, a professional staff member in the Office of Residential Experience can provide additional support.
  • We can help you talk through what has already been tried, consider other ways to address the concern, and determine what next steps might be helpful.
  • In some situations, the next step may be a roommate mediation facilitated by a hall staff member or a professional staff member.

Roommate Mediations​

A roommate mediation is a facilitated conversation that gives everyone involved a chance to talk about what has been happening and work toward a way forward.

The person facilitating the conversation is not there to decide who is right or wrong. Their role is to ensure everyone has an opportunity to speak and be heard, help identify issues that need to be addressed, and guide the group toward clear, realistic agreements.

During a mediation, you will typically:

  • Share your perspective on what has been happening
  • Listen to your roommate’s perspective
  • Identify the specific concerns that need to be addressed
  • Talk through possible goals, solutions, and compromises
  • Agree on what each person will do moving forward
  • Update your Roommate Agreement when appropriate

The goal is to leave the conversation with a clearer understanding of one another and a plan for what living together will look like moving forward.

Colby's Room Change Process

Sometimes your housing needs or preferences may change during the year. Colby’s Open Room Change Process allows students to request a different housing assignment when space is available.

The Open Room Change Process begins after the second full week classes for the semester. Students may participate by requesting a new room assignment, arranging a one-for-one room swap with another student, or requesting to fill an identified vacancy.

How to Request a Room Change

  • Complete the Open Room Change Process Student Request Form. Share your housing preferences and the type of change you are requesting.
  • Watch your Colby email. Requests are reviewed in the order received and based on available spaces and the preferences you provide.
  • Wait for written approval before moving. Students may not change rooms or exchange spaces without approval from the Office of Residential Experience.
  • Respond to an offer within 48 hours. If a space that matches your request becomes available, you will receive an offer by email and have 48 hours to accept or decline it.
  • Follow the move and key-return instructions in your offer. Once a room change is approved and accepted, you will receive instructions and a timeline for completing your move and returning the key(s) from your previous assignment.

A Few Things to Know
Submitting a request does not guarantee that a room change will be possible. Housing availability changes throughout the semester, and some room types may have few or no vacancies. Because availability is difficult to predict, the Office of Residential Experience cannot provide an anticipated timeline for when a request may be fulfilled or a student’s position in the request process.

Need Help? We're Here!

You do not have to wait until there is a major roommate conflict to reach out. Our team is happy to answer questions, talk through what’s bothering you, provide coaching, or help you figure out where to start.

You can connect with us about roommates, your living environment, housing, or other questions about living on campus.

Kyle Arthenayake
Associate Director of Residential Education
Email: [email protected] 

Kady Shea
Assistant Director of Residential Education
Email: [email protected] 

Shikha Shrestha
Assistant Director of Residential Education
Email: [email protected]

Sheila Copperthite
Assistant Dean and Director of Housing Administration
Email: [email protected] 

Not sure who to contact? Reach out to any member of our team, and we can help connect you with the right person.