I am insanely lucky with how well my roommate situation worked out. We were assigned based on the standard questionnaire. She’s kind, funny, and an interesting person - I ended up not only with a good living situation, but a friend for life. We’re going in to our third year as roommates, and I go home with her over short breaks. The funny thing is, I don’t think we would have been assigned together if she’d been entirely correct on her application - her general bedtime got a lot later over the summer between filling out the questionnaire and when school started. However, she’s quiet and considerate when I go to bed before her, and it doesn’t bother me when she laves her desk lamp on. Just goes to show you that while similar habits help, what really matters for a successful roommate relationship is a willingness to be flexible around the other person’s needs and to work out minor issues before they become major ones.
A nightmare. As an honors student, I was given a single. But the U forgot about some scholarship students.
- Her MO called every day at 7:00 a.m. To check on daughter, who was rarely there.
- When rm/met did sleep in, she brought her football players with her. I woke to a 200+ player in my twin bed. I got into the habit of sleeping on the floor of others'rooms
- All my jewelry and scarves stolen. My typewriter, my gift for college, was taken from its case and replaced with rocks. I had no luggage by T-day, so flew home with clothes in a trash bag.
- Although I had been complaining to RA since first week, when my checks were stolen and cashed, the police were called in by the bank.
- Roommate became pregnant and left school. I had a single second semester.
My parents, who did not get involved at all, did replace luggage and typewriter.
^^^oh sorry, that is bad, I bet the single was a great relief.
My student happily signed up and luckily got a single as a freshman. Best decision ever. Made tons of friends in a very social dorm and they were in the room when she wanted them. Fabulous year without the good, bad, and ugly of a room mate.
Roomed in a triple for freshman year. Roomate 1 became my best friend and we rushed, pledged, and were initiated into the same fraternity. The other has been a nightmare. Issues we had were elevated to the level of the attention of the Resident Director.
My son finished his first year and thankfully he had a great roommate. They’re also teammates so it helped they had same schedule and they had fun but kept it clean as they’re athletes. Unfortunately they won’t be rooming next year only because we wanted our S to continue in the dorms.
My freshmen experience was interesting. I ended up in a co-op for women only then I transferred into a women only dorm spring of freshmen year where I met my now best friend. That was about 20 something years ago. We still are best friends and see each other 2-3 times a year. I married and had kids much earlier than her so I’m almost an empty nester where she is still dealing with kindergarten stuff!
My freshman class was oversubscribed so my triple was temporarily made a quad. The room was originally a double and has now been turned back into one, so it was tight for 3 people and very tight for 4. After a week or so they told the fourth roommate they’d found a room for her, but by that time we all liked each other so much that we didn’t want the 4th roommate to move out so we just made due with crowded conditions. We had a great year and over 30 years later I’m still friends with that 4th roommate.
I just finished my freshman year and I had a good roommate experience. She and I had similar lifestyles and were in the same major. She went home most weekends (and was not in the room much to begin with), but besides that, we got along very well. We are rooming with different people next year, but I am very thankful that she and I got along because most of my friends’ roommates were big partiers and/or did not have the same sleep and living habits.
I met my freshman year roommate on our college facebook group. We were great friends and still are. Best possible rooming scenario I could’ve asked for. Unfortunately she transferred and my sophomore year roommate wasn’t as good.
She was tolerable but we had nothing in common and we knew it. We never had a conversation that lasted more than 2 minutes. I didn’t even tell her when I was leaving, I just moved out at one point during finals week when she wasn’t home. It wasn’t a favorable situation to say the least.
My worst roommate was a girl who was my ‘friend’ - it was the worst decision ever. I feel like she took advantage in a way she wouldn’t have to someone that wasn’t her ‘friend’. One issue is she came from a family where she was just given everything - spending cash, new things if she ruined or lost hers etc. I had to make my way with a job to get things and/or replace them.
She was sloppy, she slept all day and partied all night, she ‘borrowed’; my things without asking and at times ruined them, and worst of all she entertained boys in our room without asking - locking me out. She failed out - I wasn’t surprised or disappointed.
I always had random dorm roommates (dorms beat commuting, my other option). I was from a suburb.
First freshman roommate was from a middle sized city elsewhere instate. Her first comments were about how her winter coat was too good for the campus (true- this was the early 1970’s and jeans era) and she had put in for a hopeful transfer to her preferred dorm (lottery assignment even back then for getting first choice- I got mine). Next one was a sophomore transfer.
The next year I had chosen my favorite blue cored room (back then we could paint rooms with the U’s paint and palette) but agreed to change for a cream roommate wanted. I disappointed her because I liked the blue bedspread instead of the purple paisley one she offered to match. I also did not let myself be sexiled- tough luck, roomie… She was rich and I was on a shoestring budget. She was nice and learned from exposure to me about not affording things I’m sure (she had done Outward Bound the summer before while I worked at the local pool ticket booth).
Third year I didn’t get the top towel bar because my roommate (another transfer) was even a bit taller. I tolerated her filling as much wall surface on her “side” as possible with posters- including that Playgirl Burt Reynolds centerfold.
Never wanted the same dorms as my college friends. Having neutral roommates and visiting friends is best.
Senior year my roommate was a transfer from a farm. She changed her wakeup times to more typical college ones before the end of the first semester!
Son spent two years in the dorms (different generations meant different campus mores…). His first roommate left at the semester to do “semester abroad” at a school in Utah’s ski resort area. Next one had a girlfriend, gone most of the time. He couldn’t move to an apartment sophomore year (parents wouldn’t allow nor would landlords since he wasn’t yet 18) but chose his room and roommate- worked fine.
I lost track of any roommates after the year as did son I believe. So many learning experiences with roommates and kids down the hall. I highly recommend dorms whenever possible for new freshmen, even when local. My (son’s also) U had questionnaires back in my day but had abandoned them by son’s tenure. They found things worked as well without trying to match people. The campus has a wide diversity of dorm locations and types so ranking choices means something in common to begin with. btw- Greek life under 10% so not on the radar for most.
My daughter roomed with my friends daughter and they roomed together all four years. It worked out great us!
My first roommate was the roommate from hell. Her mother had filled out her questionnaire based on what she thought of as the perfect daughter. My roommate resembled nothing like the profile. Our school had a rule that you couldn’t change for any reason for 6 weeks. Back in the day smoking in the room was allowed. I was deathly allergic to smoke and she smoked like crazy. I ended up in the ER from a severe asthma attack and the school still would do nothing. I slept on the floor in other people’s room. Finally she decided that she needed a single room and at the end of the 6 weeks moved out! I had a single for a bit and then got another girl that was tolerable. We were never really friends but a lot better than the first.
Dh’s first roommate tried to commit suicide and just disappeared from campus one night. His parents came and got his stuff a couple weeks later and dh ended up with a private the rest of the year.
I have a feeling that my son’s will be tolerable. They met for the first time at orientation two days ago and got along ok. The roommate will be a sophomore. He transferred in second semester of his freshman year.
Freshman S#1 was placed in a suite with 3 sophomores. They got along ok, though S was a gamer and others were into music/theater. When S returned from Xmas break, they asked him to move out because another more compatible soph friend had returned to the school. S was sort of hurt/insulted, and felt he had no choice but to move to the single room that the other kid had been offered in another dorm. S still kept in touch and remained friends with original roommate, who, now 11 years later, was just in S’s wedding party.
D met her freshman roommate when both were stranded for several extra days when a blizzard hit during a college visit when they were HS seniors. They lived together 2 years. Still keep in touch 8 years later.
I was the roommate from hell some 30 years ago. I was into my own activities from day 1 and didn’t see any reason to talk to my roommate…like ever. I was civil but utterly disinterested. Horrid and rather embarassing now. This lasted about 6 weeks and my roomie was really dejected about her awful roommate. Then about Halloween, we both dressed up in costumes for the dorm party and we got to talking finally. That was the beginning of a life-long friendship. We lived together the next 2 years and spent a summer travelling together. 30 years later she is still one of my closest friends.
My D had a bad roommate experience. Her roommate activitely disliked her and sextiled her quite a bit. After about week 8, they stopped talking and then didn’t speak to each other for the rest of the year. I think it was hard for my D because she wanted to have a roommate who she became friends with. On the plus side, she made a good friends in her dorm and is rooming with one of her friends next year.
My roommate and I were matched by the college and have gotten along great since day 1 due to lots of communication and her being the most considerate person ever. She’s neater than I am, but tolerates my clutter. I stay up later than she does and am careful to tiptoe when coming back to the room. And we always share chocolate whenever either of us obtains any (most important rule).
We have our own social circles but are still very close; we’ll be rooming together for the fourth year, come fall. And I’ll be her maid of honor next June 