“The biggest fights in my house growing up weren't about chores. They were about the shower.”

I shared a bathroom with my brothers when we were younger, and every morning felt like a competition to see who could get there first. Someone was always timing how long another person was taking, and yet somehow, we always emerged.

Looking back, it was chaotic, but it also taught me a lot about what it actually means to share a space with other people.

I'm Dania Mansoor, and I study Media Arts at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. I currently live at home with my parents and brothers. Living at home during university has its own kind of rhythm, and I've learned to appreciate it.

But even living at home, you still experience the reality of shared living.
One thing I genuinely enjoy about living with other people is the company. There's always someone around, and it makes the house feel alive.

At the same time, sharing a home can get frustrating when people don't pitch in. When one person feels like they're doing everything and others aren't — that can make things stressful pretty quickly.

“The biggest lesson I've learned is that communication matters more than people think.”

If people don't talk about things early, small problems can turn into bigger ones. A conversation about expectations at the beginning goes a long way. Everybody should know what they're responsible for and actually follow through.

If I could enforce one house rule, it would be simple: everyone sticks to their lane.

If I were moving to a new city tomorrow, my biggest concern about finding roommates would honestly be not knowing them well enough. You never really know someone until you live with them. That's why I'd tell anyone moving in with roommates for the first time — get to know the person before you sign anything. And if possible, do some kind of trial run before fully committing.

If I could change one thing about shared living today, it would probably be communication habits. A lot of people avoid the uncomfortable conversations and assume things will just work themselves out. But they usually don't.

At the end of the day, shared living works best when people communicate early, share responsibilities fairly, and deal with issues before they grow into bigger problems.