<p>So I was talking to my mom, and I insisted that, when at Middlesex, I absolutely MUST obtain a double. She postulated this: What if your roomate sucks? She had to share a room with her sister (two years younger) who was a slobbish clothes-stealer. Here are some bad-roomate-combating ideas that I came up with!</p>
<p>If you roomate is a slob:
Make your position known. Tell them that they need to pick up their crap. If nothing changes, tell you DA, “My roomate is a slob and refuses to pick up his/her crap. I think it might be a fire hazard. Can you please talk to them about it?”</p>
<p>If your roomate “borrows” your stuff:
Hello?!?!? Borrow THEIR stuff! See if they like it!
Either they will a) say nothing. This means that they have a give/take outlook. OR b) They will stop, OR c) they will make a fuss. In this case, say you though it was give/take and if they don’t like it they need to stop taking your things. </p>
<p>If your roomate has bad sleeping habits:
Change yours so that they are exactly opposite to theirs. </p>
<p>Obviously, compromization is better than any of my tactics. This is just if that doesn’t work. If absolutely nothing can be done and you are really suffering, ask for a room change.</p>
<p>Feel free to add anything that you think is relevant.</p>
<p>just thought it would be funny. Obviously, compromising is the best solution.</p>
<p>Haha. My sister thinks that if my roommate is really self-absorbed, I should decorate the room with glossy photographs of myself. 
I think I’m opting for a single though.</p>
<p>My parents keep telling to go for a double so I can meet people–
My sister has had bad roommate experiences though.</p>
<p>I want a single! Is it easy to get one as a sophomore? It’d be so much easier to get work done and to keep clean.</p>
<p>depends on where you go. Mx is 80% singles, but I really want a double.</p>
<p>Andover and Brooks… Do you know their situations?</p>
<p>can you just request a single at exeter?</p>
<p>I’ve had room mates for around 8 summers for around a month each… I didn’t stay with my parents over most summers(they went on vacations) and I spent alot of time at camps.(I met Exeter kids at one camp and that is why I applied) </p>
<p>The best thing that you can do when you first meet your room mate:
Extend the olive branch in a physical way and then in a social way. Lend them something or let them have a piece of cake? The hardest one is the social way… If they are a new kid and you are in a clique of new kids. Say, “Hey this is my room mate”. You could also try to arrange something in the future… I always ask my room mates if they want to get breakfast on saturday. This means that he can complain about school if we have nothing in common… It really works well =)</p>
<p>I have never had any long term problems with room mates. My worst experience was with a room mate with a reasonably “colorful” background. He came back drunk every other night and I wasn’t used to cleaning vomit off my clothes… It got bad once he started messing with my stuff and couldn’t control himself… We eventually set up a few ground rules and I would give him an 8/10 now. He was the most colorful character (besides another room mate who used to suck on ice almost every night… He had a cup by his bed.)</p>
<p>Realize that your room mate might be the opposite of a person that you would associate with normally… Maybe they are a liberal and you are a republican?</p>