by Bobby Coles

Created on: July 27, 2009   Last Updated: May 07, 2012

Living with another person is never an easy thing to do, especially when that person happens to be irritating or pesky. A roommate can be a blessing at times, but they can also be a heavy burden to tote around.

If you find yourself saddled with a pesky roommate while in college or university, you have a few options on how to deal with the problem.

What do you do about a pesky roommate, without putting a damper on your school year? This is a common problem, and one that has no clear cut solutions. There are, however, some tried and true methods of compromise that you can engage in to better help the situation run a little more smoothly.

The key negotiating strategy is compromise. A pesky roommate may have many endearing qualities that you enjoy and encourage, but there just may be a few things that are far too irksome to allow.

The pesky roommate may also have some qualms about your proclivities, so there needs to be a dialogue to figure out where to go next.

A pesky roommate can dour even the most carefree and optimistic people. When you go away to college, and you are taking your first breaths of maturity and responsibility, the last thing you want is a roommate that is invasive, horning in on your newfound freedom. Even if you have choice in the matter of roommate selection, it often goes awry at some point early on in the school year.

Together, sit down and set some boundaries. Do this together, in a positive manner, and with a certain level of maturity. Be open and honest, and speak from the heart. Begin sentences with things such as I like ..., or I prefer ... , as these will emit your true emotions more clearly. When setting boundaries, be realistic.

Pick your battles appropriately by figuring out what you can live with, as opposed to those things that you cannot possible tolerate. There has to be a give and take in these boundaries. If any boundaries are broken, then you should have set forth a consequence of some sort, so as to try and eliminate any breaking of the boundaries.

Your whole scholastic year does not have to be a waste, nor does it have to impact on you at all, unless you allow it to do as such. Our lives are in our utter control, and a pesky roommate will only bother you as much as you give them permission to do. Taking away the power of the pesky roommate is simply done.

It is easiest to avoid your pesky roommate, but this is not the most practical solution. In college, timetables are unpredictable, and many people come and go without

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