Whether you live in the residence halls, an apartment or a house, chances are you have at least one roommate. Sharing a living space with other people can be difficult, especially when it comes to splitting responsibilities, but it doesn’t have to be.

For junior business economics major Abby Flanery and her five roommates, it’s as simple as cleaning up after themselves.

“Taking care of our own messes keeps tension away. No one likes to clean up after each other, so we make sure to clean up after ourselves and our guests’ messes in a timely manner,” Flanery said.

In general, they like to keep the house clean, so when people have time they will vacuum, clean the bathroom and take out the garbages, Flanery said.

They also take turns buying items such as toilet paper, condiments and paper towels so everyone can use what is on hand and pitch in when supplies run low.

Anya Mattison, junior speech communication and public relations double major, said she and her roommates have a similar system set up in their off-campus apartment.

“We share costs on the basics and take turns buying things we all use. If someone is cooking something we usually offer to share too,” Mattison said.

Both Flanery and Mattison feel as though sharing responsibilities has been successful and would encourage other groups of roommates to do the same.

“Splitting responsibilities is very effective and rarely do we have disputes in relation to house responsibilities, or at all,” Flanery said.

With everyone dealing with work and class schedules, Mattison said divvying up the tasks makes it so no one is overworked and everything is fair.

However, living with a roommate on campus is a little different.

“When you live in the dorms there are few problems you should have to worry about. There’s no rent, utilities, internet bill and you almost never have to clean anything up. So, as long as you can learn to share the same room with someone you should have a great experience,” said sophomore medical laboratory science major Austin Venard.

Venard and his roommates have meal plans and don’t split grocery costs, the university employees clean the bathrooms and there is not a kitchen on their floor — so cleaning is minimal, but he said they still take care of their messes and belongings.

“College is so different from high school and you need to remember that your roommates are not your parents and they are not responsible for you. So, you need to learn to take care of yourself,” Venard said.

Communication and responsibility are key when living with roommates, no matter where it is, and if everyone works together and does their part it can be a fun experience.

“Everyone has to learn to get along with contrasting personalities and the best way to start is by living with other people,” Flanery said