The Dark Side of Roommates and How to Put Up With It
By: Maddie McDonald 2/6/2022
College roommates, foreshadowed in all our lives but who would have imagined that the time really would come. At the University of New England, students have a few words to say about what it’s like to live with someone.
Let’s get one thing straight. You know that idea of being best friends with your roommate? Where you guys get along perfectly, have the same friends and eventually attend each other’s weddings… well not to scare you or anything but it isn’t always like that. Speaking from experience, you don’t always hit the jackpot on the first try. Upon talking to other students around campus, it’s evident that there are definitely mixed reviews when it comes to having to share a room with someone.
Now having a bad roommate doesn’t necessarily mean having a terrible relationship, “we are two very different people. We don’t fight, we’re just not BFF’s,” said freshman Colleen Bisson.
Colleen’s words correlated similarly with those of Nick Yohn. Nick is also a freshman at UNE living with two randomly assigned roommates and when asked the same question he said “I get along with them because we are all very polite and respect each other. We are not best friends but I don’t let the annoying little things get to me.”
These two students may not be living with their roommates in upcoming years, but by being able to hold respect for the people they live with, they can handle the situations they have right now.
On the topic of respect, a lot of the students who go to college have never shared a room before. There’s nothing wrong with that, there are simply some things you can do at home that you may not be able to do while living with someone else, “I don’t sleep naked anymore and I wear my airpods when I’m watching Tik Toks or movies” said freshman Connor Norton.
Sleeping naked could leave quite the scarring impression on a roommate if they get up in the middle of the night and see something they don’t want to, so it’s definitely best to leave that habit behind.
On a more serious note, living with someone is not always easy, especially when you’re not used to it. A great thing to do is keep an open mind and not judge too quickly.
Bisson’s advice to new college students is that “you can’t always expect people to be like you, so be ready to go with the flow. If there are serious problems, talk about it even though it may be hard.”
You’ll find out pretty quickly that in most relationships, whether it be a roommate, a friend or a partner, communication is key. Although it can be beneficial, it’s also not always easy to speak up for yourself or hold your ground against someone else. If you find yourself in a ugly situation with your roommate it’s important to remember that it is your room just as much as it is theirs.
CJ Welch is a senior RA in the dorm Assisi, and his advice to students was, “Communicate, there are healthy ways to talk about clashing living styles. Chat it up.” Moral of the story is use your words, it’ll help you both in the long run.
Don’t let the students mentioned in this article discourage you too much because who knows, maybe you’ll end up with your future child’s godparent after all! Although if you do find yourself in an unlucky situation, it’s not the end of the world. It’s either a good roommate or an interesting story, so roll with the punches because only time will tell.
