The school year is starting up again soon, and living situations are about to get preeeeetty awkward if you’re going to be living with a new roommate. If you’re heading into dorm life, your roomie was probably assigned to you (and you stalked her relentlessly via Facebook ever since you learned her name). Or maybe you’re heading into a new apartment where, as a last resort, you chose that one dude from some Housing page who swore he’s totally normal, chill and going to be an awesome roommate (you don’t really believe him, though). Whatever the situation is, you’re looking at a year either with a great roommate you click with or a roommate you want to personally punch and watch crumble to the ground as you cackle over his or her curled up body while shouting obscenities into the air …

So the Clog’s going to give you basic tips on how to make things easy on you and your roommate. If you’re going to be in a triple dorm room or co-op, etc., then the same tips apply, just to more people. Most of these revolve around common sense, but reading them helps. Reminders never hurt anyone! And if even by the end of reading these tips, applying them to your roommate doesn’t work, then just link it to her via Facebook chat and point out the numbers that she seriously needs to pay attention to. That’s what we call “being indirectly direct.”

1. Be clear about room arrangements before stuff is put into place. Look, if you’re going to claim all the space YOU want and expect your roommate to deal with the remaining space, things will get tense. Trust us. It’s easy to clarify who gets what bunk/table/side of the room/closet, etc., early on. So chat before moving in to make a compromise that suits both. There won’t be any surprises, so everyone will move in happy.
2. Respect your roommate’s shit. I mean, that’s the most basic of common sense right? Seriously though, don’t go nabbing your roommate’s tight, frat-party-worthy skirt one wild Friday evening without her approval. Or don’t steal your roommate’s soccer ball so you can kick it around at Underhill while he’s out studying at Cafe Strada. Chances are when you return with their things — or even worse, if an entire cup of beer spilled over the skirt or the soccer ball that was pristine got grassy and battered — your roommate will be pissed off and never trust you again. Or never like you again. Don’t start off like that.
3. Don’t be so possessive about your shit off-the-bat. We say give your roommates the benefit of the doubt and trust that they aren’t going to go about stealing your frozen pasta from Bear Market or that one tomato from the fridge — unless it actually happens. Then you go and politely ask if they know where it went and proceed calmly from there. Otherwise, chill. Being overly protective about your stuff can make things awkward. Label things with a Sharpie if you and your roommate have the exact same thing. Or just remember what’s yours. We also suggest you don’t use duct tape to flawlessly divide the refrigerator up equally or something else extreme like that.
4. Keep your mess on your side of the room. It’d be better if you consciously tried to be clean, period. However, if your lifelong habit is tossing your clothes on the floor or letting the paper ball you tried to toss into the waste bin and missed just lie there, then make sure the clothes are on YOUR side and that the paper ball is on YOUR side (but we advise you just get up and throw it away). Your neat-freak roommate can’t say anything if your glorious messiness is spawning on your side of the room, unless your month-old dirty laundry or week-long unwashed dishes are stinking up the whole room.
5. Take the first step in taking out the trash or vacuuming the carpet. Or even washing your roommate’s dishes, for God’s sake. “What? Impossible to think about … never … ridiculous … won’t think of it.”  Yeah, just try it. This can melt your cynical, suspicious roommate about you not being willing to do your part and get rolling general KINDNESS. Also, you can’t be accused of never contributing. If you end up doing all the work, though, establish a schedule (although we know that might make you worry about seeming obsessive, but do it anyway) and everyone will be responsible for doing his or her part in keeping the place clean.
6. Ask what the sleeping schedule looks like. Nocturnal and sleeps in late? Or early sleeper, early riser? Go into specifics if necessary: sensitive to noise, sleeps like the dead, prefers all lights off when going to bed (but come on, don’t be picky about desk lights because one person might be a late-night worker). This will ensure no one wakes up cranky like a demon from hell and that everyone hopefully gets his or her expected amount of sleep. Then again, be flexible.
7. TALK TO THE PERSON. Invite to stuff and get to know him or her. Things may be awkward at first, but letting the other person know you don’t immediately hate him or her by hanging out will probably be beneficial to your relationship.
8. But, realistically, don’t expect you two will become best friends either.
9. Watch who you bring into the room and when. No one likes having to come home at 11 p.m. after hours of studying, only to realize loud moans and a creaking bed frame are emanating from the room. Sexiling is frowned upon, everyone. Likewise, it might be irritating if you and a close friend are talking loudly about this or that while your roommate is trying to study for a midterm. Consider where you are, and think of other options, like going to the dorm lounge or to a nearby cafe or maybe the other person’s place that is less … occupied.
10. Finally, chores. Someone’s got to do them. You can establish a routine with roommates if they’re willing to compromise. If nothing is set, however, and the trash bin starts overfilling yet no one’s taking it out, or there’s no more toilet paper but no one’s buying, or the hand soap has run out, then address it and get it over and done with. It’s very likely your roommate will respond positively and you two can work things out.

Good luck, and above all, be flexible and willing to compromise. College is one of the times when you have to live with someone else (maybe a complete stranger at the start) in the same room as well as have the chance to make a potentially great friendship happen. Make the most of it.

With this, here’s an early “Welcome Back to School” from the Clog!

Image Source: Matt Radrick under Creative Commons

Contact Eunice Choi at echoi@dailycal.org.

The post 10 useful tips for living with a new roommate appeared first on The Daily Californian.

Melanie Chan/Staff

Right now, the city of Berkeley is considering an increase in its minimum wage. A higher minimum wage would help thousands of residents afford the city’s high costs of basic living necessities, like food and rent. It would also give our university’s students a fighting chance to pay for college.

I am fortunate enough not to be in a situation where I need to depend on a minimum-wage job to support myself during school. But as a Cal student and a former restaurant worker, I know how difficult it is to maintain such a job while taking a full course load. Living on those wages while paying for tuition would be nearly impossible. Unfortunately, for many of my classmates, surviving on low-wage jobs is a reality.

A lot of people don’t realize that putting yourself through college is much more difficult now than it was 20 years ago. Today, tuition prices are higher than ever, and students are struggling to survive on a severely outdated minimum wage.

A couple decades ago, the total amount of fees due for the 1994-95 academic year at UC Berkeley was $4,346.50 for an in-state student, as reported in the fee schedule archive on UC Berkeley’s Office of the Registrar website. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI inflation calculator, that amount of money has the same buying power as $6,848.35 in 2013. That’s half of the $12,864 an in-state UC Berkeley student is going to have to pay this year. This hefty price tag doesn’t even include textbooks or housing.

In 1994, California’s minimum wage was $4.25 an hour, according to the California Department of Industrial Relations website. That would be would be worth $6.70 today, as measured by the CPI inflation calculator. If the 1994 minimum wage worth $6.70 doubled in constant dollars like UC Berkeley’s tuition costs, students today would be paid more than $12 an hour. It’s absurd that the minimum wage has only increased from what would be worth $6.70 today to just $8 — or $1.30 in constant dollars over the last two decades.

In an ideal world, a full-time student would be able to work 25 hours a week, every week, earning $10,400 for the entire year. However, a more realistic picture would take into consideration all of a student’s responsibilities outside of class: doing homework, studying for midterms and finals, writing research papers and participating in extracurricular activities and internships. These overwhelming priorities are vital for a successful career after graduation, but they often make sleeping, eating and sometimes even maintaining personal hygiene difficult to attain for most college kids.

Furthermore, anyone who has ever worked a minimum-wage job knows it isn’t easy, especially in a restaurant. Contrary to popular belief, this type of job can be incredibly fast-paced, intense and exhausting. Customers don’t often realize that their server has been running around like crazy, constantly rushing to get the next order out for the last five hours. They don’t know their server’s friendly smile could be masking the aching of tired feet as well as anxiety about an upcoming midterm.

That smile is bright and cheerful because getting decent tips could mean the ability to afford groceries that week. Still, there’s never any real certainty or stability in tips, especially for servers at casual restaurants. Tipped workers depend on the noncompulsory generosity of strangers, which can vary greatly among restaurants. At least tipped workers in California can rely on the guarantee of the minimum wage; tipped workers in some other states are paid as little as $2.13 an hour.

However, here in Berkeley, we have an opportunity to do better. Adding a couple of dollars to the minimum wage isn’t a lofty or outrageous goal; it is a small but vital change that would better the lives of our poorest workers.

Raising the minimum wage for everyone isn’t an attempt to run beloved local businesses out of town either. A higher minimum wage would increase the spending power of tens of thousands of people, including Berkeley’s students — one of the city’s largest consumer demographics. It’s a hard fact that operating costs are getting higher and harder for business owners to maintain. But that also means rent and food costs are increasing for their employees as well.

Our college students and minimum-wage workers need higher wages, especially here in Berkeley. We desperately need a higher city minimum wage for everybody, including tipped workers. The cost of living in Berkeley is much higher than it is in the rest of California. It is far too much to ask of anyone to survive on $8 an hour. It’s completely unrealistic to expect a stagnant wage to adequately provide for the constantly rising costs of going to college and living a decent life.

Shannon Lin is a second year student at UC Berkeley.

Contact the opinion desk at opinion@dailycal.org.

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shellEProductions under Creative Commons/File

Eating with your parents will be a special experience, as you are up and coming into the world of work, freedom and independence. And while you can make it all the more memorable by bringing them to your favorite restaurant, that’s only the beginning. Here are some tips for having a great dining experience with family:

View from the bar at Ippuku. Image by shellEProductions under Creative Commons

1. Book dinner somewhere nice. Take your parents to Top Dog — but not every night that they visit. Your parents’ visit is your chance to eat at the places that you can’t afford as a starving college student. Book a dinner at one of Berkeley’s astoundingly great restaurants. In the summer, be sure to book dinner seven to 10 days in advance; otherwise, it’s hard to get a reservation at the time and place that you want. Here’s a list of some places (by no means authoritative) to take your parents for dinner.

Chez Panisse — The legendary restaurant whose founder, Alice Waters, recently dined with Michelle Obama when she was in town. Book far in advance for the restaurant or upstairs diner.

Angeline’s Louisiana Kitchen — This place is for the omnivores, with big, hearty portions and delicious sides, complete with a lively atmosphere.

Belli Osteria — This place offers delicious homemade pastas and boasts a Saucier like no other. Order multiple courses and wine to get the full experience of this delicious, impressive new restaurant.

Ippuku — This place has the most unique atmosphere and rarest style, described as Japanese soul food. Like other restaurants on this list, it is somewhere to eat before graduation multiple times. Be sure to book at least a week in advance.

Zachary’s Chicago Pizza — This restaurant is nice in a different sense. It has some of the greatest pizza ever conceived and is bustling all night. It’s definitely a family place.

Eating at Zachary’s should be a graduation requirement. Image by da5ide under Creative Commons

2. Bring your friend(s). When your parents visit, introduce them to your friends. The dinner table at a nice restaurant will spur interesting conversations and bring out new things in you and your buddies. Let your parents know ahead of time so that you don’t surprise them. Bring one or two friends to a nice restaurant, but bring as many as you want if you eat somewhere like the Cheese Board, which has a great laid-back atmosphere. If dinner with parents and friends doesn’t strike your fancy, entertain the idea of going out for drinks at Freehouse, which is impressive, or Pappy’s, which is a throwback.

3. Encourage your parents to choose their favorite place. No one doesn’t like good food. Bring out your parents’ inner foodie. Send them links to some of the restaurants in Berkeley to get them stoked about dinner. Plus, it gives your parents the chance to eat some of their favorite cuisines.

The Legendary Breakfast at Brown Sugar Kitchen. Image by swnktstic under Creative Commons

4. Know where you want to eat in San Francisco and Oakland. Plan lunch and dinner into your trips to San Francisco to avoid eating at the lame eateries that swarm many of the tourist sites in San Francisco and Oakland. It’s also a good way to make sure that you don’t miss out on every possible opportunity to eat the best meal of your life while your parents are visiting. For breakfast in Oakland, we recommend getting the chicken and waffles at Brown Sugar Kitchen. For lunch in San Francisco, we recommend the open-face sandwiches at Tartine (which are big enough to split) in the Mission District. Reservations not needed or taken at either establishment.

5. Get dessert; order a drink. When you’re eating in Berkeley with your parents, don’t hold back. Take no prisoners. Go to Babette’s at the Berkeley Art Museum for desserts baked daily by the head chef Joan Ellis herself. Grab a house-crafted brew at Jupiter after dinner. Wherever you are, grab a drink — beer, coffee, or boba tea. Order the homemade lemon scones or triple-chocolate, gooey apricot upside-down cake with vanilla ice cream. YOLO.

What are your favorite places to take your parents out to? Let us know in the comments!

Contact Josh Escobar at jescobar@dailycal.org

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