Moving into a tiny house during your college years is a great way to save money and reduce your stress. You’ll probably pay less rent, should have lower utility bills, and don’t have to spend your time vacuuming and cleaning a larger space.
Splitting your bills with roommates can boost your savings and make the small space come to life. There’s plenty of room for two in even the smallest of tiny homes and tiny living spaces foster a tight friendship between you and your roommates.
You will, however, need to be more respectful of one another when living in a tiny home. You’re never more than a few feet from your roommate, meaning you want to stay on good terms at all times.
Living With Roommates
Most people automatically assume that life with roommates will be stressful. In reality, bringing in a roommate doesn’t mean that your tiny home suddenly becomes the party house. Most college roommates who want to live in tiny homes are also looking for a relaxing, quiet place to focus on their studies and make the most out of their time in college.
You can learn how to live with roommates by working with your new co-habitant to establish clear ground rules. Managing a tiny home can be a big job, so you need to establish rules about tasks like vacuuming and window washing. This may seem banal at first but can lead to serious tension if you don’t establish a firm foundation before the move-in day.
Work with your new roommates to make the move-in day a success. Make sure everyone has their own private area and try to split the bills fairly when picking up shared household items like TVs, cleaning supplies, and kitchen items. This creates a sense of equality and gives you a great base to build on when trying to create a calming environment at home.
Creating a Calming Environment
As a busy college student, you need to feel safe and secure when you return home. This same principle applies to your roommates, who likely have a similar semester schedule to you. Do your best to create a calming, harmonious living environment that makes the most of your shared living space.
Start by bringing in storage that saves space. You don’t want to further limit your floorplan by bringing in a large sideboard or a heavy display case. Instead, make the most of innovative storage solutions like hanger chains, track shelves, and compression bags. Try to utilize wall space as much as possible and consider some hanging shelves.
Remember to invest in your room, too. If you’re lucky enough to have your own living area, make it your own by bringing in items that bring you joy. This may mean that you choose to bring in aromatic diffusers or candles that help you relax. If you do bring in scented items, just be sure that the smell doesn’t travel throughout the whole house and disturb your roommates.
Consider altering the lighting in your room, too. You’ll use communal areas to study, so you can equip your room with soft lighting that helps you drift off at night. This is key when you’re in college, as you need a good night’s rest if you want to perform your best on midterms and finals.
Shared Furniture Ideas
Furniture is always a point of contention amongst college roommates. Some folks want top-of-the-range couches while others will happily lounge on a chair they found on the street.
When designing the space, try to advocate for space-saving tiny house furniture items. Space-saving furniture can usually be converted to serve multiple different needs and usually packs away neatly when not in use. This is key if you want to host friends for dinner but don’t want to plonk a six-seater table in the middle of your living room.
Add some flair to your furniture items by picking up house plants. House plants require minimal maintenance and usually suck moisture from the air. This can be helpful in the winter when you want to keep the windows closed but don’t want condensation to form on your windows.
Addressing Your Needs
Creating a harmonious, calming shared space requires compromise on everyone’s part. You need to work together if you want to live in a tiny shared space with college roommates for an extended period. However, it is okay to ask for certain accommodations as long as you extend the same courtesy to others.
Work with your roommates to understand one another’s needs. Making simple accommodations, like ensuring that one of your roommates gets a little longer in the shower, means that you’ll all feel rested, secure, and welcome in your tiny home.
Creating a sense of togetherness can alleviate some symptoms of anxiety and reduce your desire to isolate in your room when at home. Creating a welcoming, friendly environment that meets your needs is key, as isolation can intensify anxiety. If you don’t feel at home and start to self-isolate, you may experience some symptoms of social anxiety disorder when you’re around people, such as tense, rigid posture, rapid heart rate, and avoidance behaviors.
By addressing your needs, you can break the cycle of social anxiety and isolation and enjoy your college years with roommates. A welcoming, calming space can help you come out of your shell and take part in shared tiny house hobbies like board games, video games, and playing music together.
Conclusion
Navigating tiny shared spaces when living with college roommates can be tricky. Alleviate tensions by setting firm ground rules that everyone agrees to follow. This serves as a solid foundation to start building a calming, harmonious space that serves everyone’s needs and ensures you can focus on studying when you get home from class.