HO

W TOBE A

DECENTHUMANBEING(in a college setting)

Congratulations! You have just started college and moved into student housing.

roommates. Moving in with strangers can

CULTURE SHOCK

Follow Dish Etiquettedirty dishes can prevent your roommates from following through with their own dish etiquette, and then you’ve got this whole snowball effect as dishes build up, just fermenting in the kitchen. After a certain point, your basic dish soap becomes useless and those dishes might as well to be torched to prevent further contamination. As a common courtesy, do your dishes in a timely manner, and certainly don’t leave for a weekend with food-encrusted plates rotting in the sink or on the counter. You will be surprised what is living in your kitchen when you return.

FOOD

FOOD

Shop Responsiblyyour weekly trek to the grocery store to stock up on microwavable meals and junk food, take into consideration your allotted space in the freezer. Do you really need that Texas-sized box of chicken tenders? Or that giant jug of fruit punch that takes up half the bottom shelf? Pick reasonably-sized containers so that your roommates have space for their own food. If you do happen to buy too much or too bulky, eat that food. Don’t let it hog space for the next six months. It’s not fun to open the freezer and have half the contents smack you in the head on

Accept that you don’t live aloneWhether you like it or not, you live with other people. You don’t have to become bestest buddies with them, you don’t even really have to be friends. But acknowledging that they exist will, at the very least, facilitate the matter. Greet them when you walk by; talk to them like an equal. Being friendly will make it easier to address problems that might arise. Pretending they’re not there can go both ways, and then nothing gets solved. If you’re not mortal enemies with your roommates, then you’re probably doing well.

Don’t be obnoxious at nightWhat time is it? After midnight? Do you really think you should invite those loud people over? Should you be blaring that music? It’s a fact of life: Some people are night owls, and others are not. However, talented night owls know you can be a night owl and not be obnoxious at the same time. Use discretion when carrying out nightly activities, and understand that people might be try-ing to sleep. Not everyone is going to be on the same sleep schedule, but being considerate will go a long way to being considered.

Night owls, keep in mind, especially if you share a room, that your roommates should not have to put a stop to their day just so they can tiptoe around you.

This is not the jungleYou are not a monkey. Here in civilization, we are less tolerant of offensive odors. One of the biggest rules is four simple words: Don’t be a slob. Consider the poor soul who must use the bathroom after you, and thus will be forced to see the hair all over the sink. Do your laundry on a regular basis, and take turns taking out the trash to stop those foul odors in their tracks. Even if you are not a neat person, you can be messy without being dirty. Do your part in keeping the residence clean and inoffensive. Don’t let the responsibility fall to the other person.

Be a decent human being.Be open-minded. Be accepting. In college, you meet all kinds of people from all different backgrounds and circumstances. You will encounter views and opinions vastly different from your own. Personalities will clash. The best thing you can do is to remain tolerant and open-minded, and treat these people with respect. By treating others as you would like to be treated, you will earn their respect and your time spent in student housing will be easier and more pleasant.

That is, as long as those other people are decent human beings.

Production NotesDESIGN/ILLUSTRATIONRenee Johns

TYPECover: Optima BoldText/Header: Gill Sans Regular; BoldNumbering: Optima

IMAGESFour color processBack Cover: Pantone 485 CVC

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