Do you have what it takes to be a good roommate? Or are you still figuring out how to get along with other people? Take this quiz and find out if you're on the road to a good relationship with your roomie—or if you still need to learn to play well with others. 1. It's Sunday after church and your family wants to go out for lunch. Your little sister wants to go to the pizza place close to home, but it's your turn to decide where the family eats. You:
a. Figure you can go to the pizza place. You don't really have a preference.
b. Tell your sister that if she really wants to go to the pizza place today, that's OK—but you get to choose the next two times. Fair is fair.
c. Go anywhere but where your little sister wants to go. She always gets her way, but not today! 2. You're eating in the lunchroom with some friends when two people from your French class plunk their trays down at your table and start asking you study questions about tomorrow's test. You:
a. Tell your friends that you will have to talk to them later and focus all your attention on talking to your classmates about the French test.
b. Explain that you're relaxing right now, but you can spend a few minutes sharing your review notes during study hall.
c. Tell your French classmates that you don't discuss homework over lunch. You and your friends move to another table. 3. For your birthday, your favorite uncle plans to take you shopping for your gift. But he calls three hours before you're supposed to meet and says he can't make it, and he doesn't know when he'll be able to reschedule. You:
a. Tell him that's OK, and that you really didn't need anything new.
b. Feel upset, but you call your friends so you can go hang out. You know your uncle would come if he could.
c. Spend the rest of the day sulking and wondering why he would let you down like that. 4. You have 30 minutes to get ready for school every morning. When it's your turn to shower, you find your older brother in the bathroom shaving. He's really slow and says he'll need another 15 minutes. You:
a. Accept the fact that you'll be late for school again.
b. Remind him that when he takes too long, it makes you late. Since you never take as long as he does, ask him if you can have the bathroom first each morning.
c. Yell that he will be sorry if he doesn't come out right now. 5. Your mother's car is in the shop, so you've loaned her yours so she can go to a doctor's appointment. But you also promised your younger cousin you'd come over to help her with a science project. You:
a. Promise your cousin you'll rush over to help with the project as soon as your mom gets home.
b. Tell your cousin you'll come over the next day to help her put the finishing touches on her project. You don't want to pressure Mom to rush home early.
c. Beg your dad to come home early from work to take Mom, so you can have your car. You can't live without it! 6. You and a friend from youth group are planning the annual youth group retreat. But weeks before the retreat, he tells you he's too busy and can't help. You:
a. Smile and tell him it's OK. You'll end up doing hours and hours of extra work, but you don't want to make him feel bad.
b. Explain that if he backs out of his commitment now, you'll be buried under the workload. You show him a list of the tasks you need to accomplish then you ask him to choose a few that he can fit into his schedule within the next few days.
c. Guilt trip him into fulfilling his responsibility. 7. You've been saving for a couple of years to buy a used car. Fortunately, your aunt is selling one just around the time you get your license. She wants $5,000 for it, but your research says it's worth $4,250. You:
a. Pay the extra $750. You figure it's a good car, and you don't want to get into an argument with her.
b. Explain that your research shows that the value of the car is $4,250 and ask if there are extra features that make it worth another $750. You don't want to offend her, but it's important to you to spend your cash wisely.
c. Forget about it. If she wants to overcharge, she can find someone else to buy her old hunk of junk. 8. You are a stage crew member in the fall play. It has been your dream to do the lighting, but the stage crew manager wants you to design the set. You:
a. Agree to work on set design. Maybe you will get a chance to do lighting for the spring play.
b. Ask the stage crew manager if you can divide your time between designing the set and doing the lighting. That way, you both can be happy.
c. If he won't let you do the lighting, you threaten to quit crew. 9. You and the other leaders in your church's youth group are planning next Wednesday's youth worship service. Most of the youth leaders want to ask the senior pastor to give the sermon, but you want to find a speaker from another church. You:
a. Give in and agree to ask the senior pastor to speak. You sure don't want to make anybody mad.
b. Agree to ask the senior pastor to speak, but explain that you think it's important to hear speakers from other churches, too.
c. Tell them you're going to ask someone from another church and you don't care what they think. Results:
mostly A's: You are a person who really tries to put others before yourself. It sounds like you're compassionate, easy to get along with, and someone your family and friends enjoy being around. It's OK to be flexible and open to letting others have their way. But you have to be careful that you don't become a push-over or a doormat. Your wants
and needs are also important and
others should be willing to compromise for you. mostly B's: You'll probably make a good roommate. You know when to put others' needs before your own and when to remind them of your needs. It's likely that your friends and family know you as someone who's good at finding solutions that work well for everyone. Take those skills with you to school, and you may end up as roommate of the year. mostly C's: Compromise is very difficult for you. Those who know and love you probably think of you as someone who likes to have your way—all the time. Work on being more giving, and learn to see others' needs as important, too. If you do, you'll adjust more easily to dorm living. Copyright © 2006 by the author or Christianity Today International/Campus Life's Ignite Your Faith magazine.
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