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Step 1
Sharing a room with another person will be a new experience for many college freshmen. Usually, students are required to live in an on-campus dorm for their freshman year to help them adjust to college life. There is a Resident Assistant (RA) assigned to each dorm to enforce quiet time, give residents someone to go to with problems, and to keep the peace in the dorm. Most colleges and universities will send out a questionnaire to incoming students asking about study habits, work hours, smoking, major, etc. They will try to match up roommates using these preference, but there are no guarantees.
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Step 2
Hopefully you can get in touch with your new roommate during the Summer to coordinate who will bring major items like a refrigerator, TV, microwave, fan etc. This way you can get to know each other a little better, and you won't both buy and transport duplicate items to school, then end up having to send half of it back with your parents. If the school provides your roommates' name, look them up on Facebook or Myspace and get in touch. If not, ask the Admissions department if they can tell you who your roommate is.
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Step 3
A person on paper can be very different from the real thing. If you each have different hours, or one is just there to party, or uses the room to constantly hang out with a boyfriend/girlfriend, it can be very frustrating. The first thing to do is have a frank discussion about what you need as far as study time or privacy. Don't accuse or get into a shouting match, just let the other person understand that you are here to work on your education and just want a fair agreement on use of the room.
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Step 4
If that doesn't work, don't feel bad about talking to the RA. You are not ratting your roommate out, you are just taking the problem to the next level, since things weren't able to be resolved between you. That's what the RA is there for, and he or she probably has dealt with the same issue before. He will act as a mediator, and help both sides reach an agreement on making compromises to live together in peace.
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Step 5
If the problems continue, and the RA has already been involved, he may be able to get you switched to another room. This depends on whether there are openings, such as if someone has dropped out. In dorms with a suite arrangement, where each person has his own bedroom, and common areas are shared, this may not be as much or a problem since bedrooms are private. It may also be easier to switch into a vacancy in a suite. Work with the RA. If he cannot resolve the problem, ask him to involve the Dean of Students. That should either force the RA to take action, or it will get you reassigned if an opening can be arranged.
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Step 6
During your freshman year, chances are your roommate assignment is not going to be perfect. You will make many new friends during the year. Think about who you get along with and talk to them about rooming together as Sophomores. Schools usually always honor shared roommates requests, it makes the job much easier for the Housing office. In your Junior and Senior years, many students link up with a group of friends and get an apartment off campus to get away from the unpredictability of dorm living.
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Step 7
The bottom line is that you need privacy and study time to do well in your classes. It's not fair that you can't study in the dorm, and always have to go to the library or elsewhere. Working out the issue is better than letting it become a bigger frustration for you.
Good luck, and hopefully you won't need this advice!
Comments
NatalieJ said
on 8/14/2009 These are great tips for college freshmen. 5*