Roommates from Hell

So, have you ever heard of the expression ‘buyer beware’? Well, I think we need to invent a new one: “Roommate Beware.” Having roommates is an essential part of the college experience, true, but everyone knows someone with a roommate horror story. I am certainly no exception. As a matter of fact, I could write a book on the subject, but instead I’m going to write this column.
When people first move into the residence halls, they are more than likely going to be stuck with someone they don’t know. This is not necessarily a bad thing; it forces you to learn to compromise and to meet new people. However, it is always a good idea to ensure that you have an adequate back up plan should things go wrong. For example, when I first came to this school (so many years ago) I had elected to live at Bobcat Village. Because I was new to the town and didn’t know anyone prior to my stay, I was put in a room with three girls I didn’t know. I ended up with a roommate who got a dog without asking us, stole from me, and had a window broken in the apartment when an angry ‘friend’ of one of my roommates came to visit. Unfortunately, I had no way out of the apartment until the end of my lease, despite my many complaints to the officials.
Just because you know someone does not mean you should live with him or her. After escaping the horrors of my first apartment, I soon found I’d jumped from the frying pan into the fire. I moved into a house with two friends. I’m not going to name any names or point any fingers, but some situations come with hidden costs. For those of you considering sharing off-campus housing, it is a good idea to establish a set of rules and responsibilities in writing. I know this might sound extreme, but my wallet is several hundred dollars lighter thanks to the fact that past roommates ended up not paying their part of the utilities. Also, I had to put up with strange, naked men passed out on my couch, roommates coming in an out at all hours, the smell of cigarette smoke (and worse) inside the apartment, filthy dishes and other disgusting habits. You never really know someone until you live with him or her, but do you really want to find out the hard way? Before I lived with them, I never would have guessed that collectively my past roommates would be: a stripper, an obsessive-compulsive person, a drug addict, a liar, a thief and a pig.
As a graduating senior, I feel it is my duty to share some of the knowledge I have learned while at this great institution, and that is ‘roommate beware’. Certainly, having roommates can be a very rewarding experience, but before you sign that lease, be sure you are adequately prepared.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Mar 16 2007. Filed under Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry