First year student survival guide

It’s back to school time, and for most kids, it’s a return to routine and seeing the friends and surroundings they’re used to. But for those just entering university for the first time, there’s a lot that has changed in their lives.

The biggest thing that changes for most students is getting a roommate.

“That’s one of the newest experiences for people, is learning how to navigate a roommate relationship,” said Sarah Sotvedt, residence manager at the University of Saskatchewan.

There are skills that are needed to live comfortably with a roommate, such as learning to compromise.

“There are some important life skills that are necessary but also some that you can learn from that,” she said.

Sotvedt said that it’s important to establish a relationship with your roommate. You may not necessarily want to be best friends, but it’s important to understand a little about the person that you’re living with. This could include things like their values and what your own needs are to live comfortably.

“If roommates don’t talk about that at the outset, it might be more difficult to figure those things out as they go,” she said.

She advised establishing guidelines about how you’re going to live comfortably, which can include talking about the expectations of each other in terms of noise, cleanliness, guests, safety, and respect of property.

In residence on campus at U. of S., staff has general meetings with the residents, as well as individual meetings with roommates and helps them come up with a formal roommate agreement.

Still, even with all the correct preparation, roommate conflicts still happen. In that case, if you’re living in residence, there are resources in place. At U. of S., if safety isn’t an issue, the residence staff will encourage the roommates to work through the situation and coach them through the conflict resolution.

“We think that’s important because the students haven’t had an opportunity to talk through conflict before,” Sotvedt said.

If that doesn’t work, staff will talk to the roommates individually and then together, helping them come up with a compromise.

“Typically, that will solve at least that particular problem,” Sotvedt said.

If that doesn’t work, staff will facilitate a room change.

But there are more life changes than simply having a roommate for the first time. First year students have to learn to take care of an apartment, cook, and manage their money, usually for the first time.

Sotvedt said that being on your own can be overwhelming, and the first year experience is the person’s first time being independent and dealing with friends and classes, and can sometimes forget to take care of themselves as well.

“There’s a lot going on and it’s important they know that cleanliness and hygiene is still going to be on top of the list of things they have to focus on,” she said.

Most students at least know the basics of cooking, but she said she would love to see students come in with a better knowledge of  cooking safety, such as not leaving food unattended and to clean up after.

Another skill students need to think about is simply how to build and maintain relationships. Often they’ve lived in the same place all their lives and haven’t had much practice working to begin relationships in the first place.

“You’re suddenly surrounded by new people and you’ve got roommates and floormates and hallmates, so knowing a little bit about how to reach out to somebody … I think that’s something that’s very important,” Sotvedt said.

Money management is also important, and Sotvedt recommends that students talk to their parents about budgeting – how to make a budget, how much they’ll be spending in a month, etc. Residence staff doesn’t typically help a student directly if they’re having financial troubles, but they can help connect students with financial literacy programs and help them figure out who to talk to about money management.

There’s no magic formula to make your university experience the best it can be – the important thing is that students are willing to get help when they need it.

“I think students come to us with a variety of skills sets and the important thing is they come willing to reach out for help,” Sotvedt said.