5 Roommates to Avoid and How to Deal With Them Jen Davies,
MySacramento.me columnist
So... you are a first time freshman, ready to embark on your
first year away from home by living in one of the six dorms at
Sac State. But do not forget that unless you got a single room,
someone else will be sharing that experience with you. While
some roommate combinations work out quite well because you were
accurately matched by the information you submitted during the
summer, there are times where the Housing Department is crunched
for space and just stick complete opposites together. So if you
are the latter case, consider this advice for living with
someone you thought you could never live with and to make your
roommate experience more enjoyable. Remember, they are probably
thinking the same thing about you.
1) The
Party Animal
The Description:
Add this equation: One 18 year old student + freedom + alcohol +
lots of other people = one large headache if you are the type of
person that does not like to go out and party till 3 am and
actually wants to study once in a while. The Party Animal can
have pretty spontaneous behavior. If there is word of a party
going around, you can bet that your roomie will be there, and
will not be home until the wee hours of the morning. And if The
Animal had too much to drink that night, there could be some
serious problems.
How to Deal: How can you avoid sitting with your roommate
at 3 am while she/he prays to the porcelain god? Whatever you
do, do not hold in your feelings or concerns. Keeping your
anger pent up can lead to some pretty messy fights later on in
the semester. So if your roommate starts showing signs as a
partygoer, talk it out before things get out of control. If you
have a Friday morning class and the roomie has a Thursday
evening get together, make sure you say that you really need
your sleep and not to be too loud upon entry.
2)
The MIA
The Description:
So you see your roommate on the first day of move in… and then
never see him or her again. You start to wonder why he or she
got a dorm room in the first place and since his or her return
patterns are so random, you don't want to rearrange the room
without the MIA there.
How to Deal: Don't worry about it too much. Maybe the
MIA has a significant other in the area and wants privacy 24/7,
has a job/class schedule with strange hours, or his or her
parents live nearby. Take it as a positive. At least you are
getting that single room you probably wanted but for half
price. If you do happen to catch your MIA, ask when you can
expect him or her back. But if you are too lonely, make some
friends from down the hall.
3) The Borrower
The Description:
Your roommate may just have a problem with remembering things or
really likes your taste in clothes or music. But when things
from your side of the room suddenly disappear and your roommate
suddenly starts asking for things like shampoo, toothpaste, or
even your shower sandals, you may have a Borrower.
How to Deal: If you notice your favorite sweater is gone
from your closet, ask your roommate if he/she knows where it
is. As for CDs and other items, make sure to mark things with a
Sharpie or get labels for them. Common things like shampoo and
stuff, if your roomie uses more than ¼ of the bottle, tell him
or her to pick some up at the grocery store. And borrowing each
other's shower sandals is just gross. I would just let him or
her keep them and get another 99-cent pair at Walgreen's.
4) Your New Best
Friend
The Description:
He or she is the nicest person in the world and would do
anything for you… and you have only known her/him for one day.
These "friends" are either doormats with very little
self-confidence or just really crave attention. And so much
smothering can leave you screaming that you need your space but
have nowhere to go.
How to Deal: Like the Party Animal, do not hold your
feelings in. It will hurt your roomie when you say that you
don't want to hang out with her/him tonight, but hopefully
he/she will find something else to do and will get over it. Be
nice about it: screaming at someone who is insecure will only
make it worse. However, if the "friend" seems to be having more
problems than just lack of attention, seek the help of your RA
or counselor.
5) The Skunk
The Description:
It's pretty obvious when your new roomie has personal hygiene
problems. And it could really bother you that there is a stench
emitting from your dorm room and your roommate probably hasn't
done laundry in weeks, has left over food on the floor, and
hasn't showered in days. How to Deal: Talk to your roommate about the room
cleanliness, especially if you are a neat freak. Offer to do a
load of laundry and hopefully he or she will get the hint. When
it comes to the personal hygiene part, don't make fun of The
Skunk or bad mouth about him or her to your friends. It's a
sensitive subject to some people and if it really bothers you,
just say, "Hey, I was just curious why you haven't taken a
shower in a few days." Maybe there is a really good reason.
These are only five types of roommates. I am sure there are
plenty of others out there. The main thing about getting along
with your new roommate is compromise. There are bound to be
things that your roomie won't like about you. Always keep
communication open. And if that doesn't work, ask to move into
another dorm or switch rooms at the semester break.
1) The
Party Animal
2)
The MIA
3) The Borrower![[ist2_265076_loser_web_hand.jpg]](images/ist2_265076_loser_web_hand.jpg)
