The secret to living with roommates is getting to know them.

That’s the advice from a handful of dorm residents who find they actually get along with their roomies.

“My roommates and I didn’t know each other when we moved into the dorms, but getting to know each other was easy,” said Gianna Almanza, a freshman majoring in Elementary Education. “Oddly, we all bonded well on the first day we moved in. It felt like we’ve known each other for years.

“My advice to people who are living in the dorms is to get close with your roommates,” she said. “I didn’t know anything about mine at first, but we took time to learn things about each other, such as our dislikes and likes about living in the same room. Therefore, getting to know your roommates will make living together easier.

“My roommates and I talk every day about random things, like how our day is going or about life,” said Almanza. “We also have hangout sessions and game night on Thursdays, and it’s so much fun when we are all together.” 

PNW’s University Village residence halls, Peregrine and Griffin, have reached their capacity to house 750 students in four-person suites. Last semester’s demand for university housing was so high, PNW placed some students at Home2Suites and extended stays at hotels near the Hammond campus. PNW is working with a consultant to plan for future dormitory expansion.

While many dorm residents at other schools often experience conflict with their roommates, many PNW dorm dwellers say they enjoy living with their roomies.

“My roommates and I talk every so often because we all have different schedules,” said Jillian Almanza, Gianna’s older sister and a senior majoring in Elementary Education and Special Needs. She also lives in the dorms, but not with her sister.

“We’re pretty busy the whole day until the evenings, so there are times [my roommates and I] don’t see each other much, and other times we get to sit and chat for a while,” said Almanza.

She said that one thing that is important for keeping the peace among roommates is making sure everyone takes responsibility for maintaining their shared space. 

“PNW Housing provides an agreement form where everyone agrees to who is responsible for which chore, such as who keeps up with cleaning the kitchen, who takes out the trash each day and making sure we’re taking turns cleaning the bathroom,” Jillian said. “I think this is helpful to avoid conflict, and if or when conflict arises, the RAs and the housing staff are helpful with resolving issues.”

Khalil Hudson, a sophomore majoring in Mechatronics Engineering Technology, thinks it also helps to have roommates who are busy. 

“I’ve been living in housing for three semesters, and fortunately, I haven’t had any major problems with my roommates and my living space standards have not differed much from theirs either,” said Hudson. “I’ve had roommates who have all been athletes … so I rarely saw them and they kept their things orderly.” 

But he acknowledges that things are not always perfect.

“One issue I’ve experienced with my roommates who cooked for themselves is that they would let dishes pile up or not clean up after cooking,” Hudson said. “I enjoy the convenience of being on campus, but I … am looking to live off campus or with friends in the future.”   

The universities’ dormitories work to foster harmony among students residing on campus as they pursue their educational endeavors. Many students who live in a dorm room enjoy this living opportunity and get along well with their roommates that the housing faculty has paired them with. 

Gianna shares advice with everyone living in the dorms, hoping they can experience what she does with her roommates.