Living with a roommate has its ups and downs. There’s the good: Who else would have an hour-long conversation with you about how to properly apply for that hard-to-get internship? There’s the bad: Did they seriously just eat your leftovers from Olive Garden?And there’s the ugly:Yes, it’s fine that they brought a romantic interest home, but did audible moaning have to be the only pre-walk in warning?
Face it, some of these situations are too awkward to debrief in person. So, if you ever want to be direct with your roomie without actually speaking to them, regular old text messages might not do the trick. Emojis, on the other hand, are proven to convey emotions and meaning better than a simple text. In fact, scientific studies actually suggest that people respond to emojis the same way they respond to facial expressions. They also save you the trouble of having to look your roomie in the eye when you tell them to stop setting five alarms every morning.
1. How to Politely Warn of Sexiled Territory
Let’s call a spade a spade. You may be enamored with your beloved roommate, but sometimes you’d prefer them to steer clear of your humble abode. Namely so you can get some much needed alone time with that cute guy in your first period. If you don’t want to delve into the dirty details via SMS, shoot a quick emoji string to help them get the hint. Your bestie will understand.
2. How to Say My Food Ain’t Free, so Stop Stealing It
You have leftovers in the fridge, which you have strategically planned to eat the morning after a crazy night out. Certain people think all fridge food is communal and that “accidentally” eating your two-day-old burger is alright. This isn’t permissible under any circumstances. Don’t write passive aggressive sticky notes on your food to show them how you feel. Instead, send them an emoji message like the one above. It’s direct, to the point and truly conveys your anger in a non-threatening (*ahem* virtual) environment.
3. How to tell your roomie you’re lonely and in need of a wine night
Who better than a house-mate to understand your existential crisis over not having a life-long partner at age 20? No one. After all, your roommate sees you at your best (i.e.,witty text exchanges that should have went viral) and your worst (crying during those Humane Society commercials featuring Sarah McLachlan). So, when a slew of college seniors start posting their engagement pictures on Facebook as part of a cruel plan to ruin your life, your roomie will be there to remind you that you are funky, fab and free. They also know the best way to do that: a night of unadulterated escapism. Come on girls, emoji your way to an emojito.
4. How to Beg for Dish Cleaning Assistance
See how easy that was? Cleaning is absolutely no one’s favorite task (okay, unless you’re Monica from Friends). Every now and then we need to push our roomies a little. Otherwise, they may never understand their slovenly food habits are actually causing the nasty fruit fly infestation. While emojis can’t completely remove the awkwardness of asking your roommate to clean up, they can soften the blow a little bit.
5. How to Request Fashion Advice
Who knows your closet better than you? Oh that’s right, your roomie does. When you need fashion advice, your roomie is more qualified than anyone else to tell you what to do. Emojis aren’t necessary for fashion solicitation, but they come off a bit more casual than a barrage of picture messages. For instance, if you’re trying to navigate the uncertain seas of Tinder dating, you’ll want an outfit to match your interest level. A good roomie will know this and, can help you decide if your outfit says “I want to be your Tinderella” or “I’m 110 percent desperate.”
