It has been said that college is the place where you will find your spouse for the rest of your life in addition to that college is the time when you go through many mazes as if you were a lab rat searching for the end of the obstacle course. For those who have shared a bedroom or had a roommate, it is safe to say that stressful episodes can and will occur.
It is tough enough leaving that home where family and friends reside when you go off to college. That place where you are comfortable and familiar with how things are organized is left behind in exchange for a new environment that consists of diverse people, beliefs and any other baggage that they bring along.
Usually, a student is stuck in a room with a person he or she does not know, have not met or spoken to throughout his or her entire life. In some cases students have the opportunity to choose who they want to room with; nine out of ten times they choose a friend they already associate with.
“Me and my roommate are cool, we get along with each other and occasionally we might chill together but I do not consider him one of my friends he is more of an associate,” an unanimous source said while at lunch in the Dillard’s Blue Devil Cafe. He added that he and his roommate talk to each other on a regular basis whenever they are in the room together but they are not that close because his roommate at times can be sneaky. The two have gotten into a verbal dispute over the theft of a cell phone of one of the source’s female friends.
Moreover, thanks to Hurricane Katrina many students, particularly at Dillard, lost all or some of their personal property including: clothes, shoes, computers, printers, televisions, radios, memorable pictures, and the list goes on. The disastrous hurricane wiped out a large portion of Dillard’s campus at 2601 Gentilly Blvd., forcing the students to temporarily adapt to the up-and €”running Hilton Riverside Hotel as their campus.
According to Dorean Hall, a sophomore psychology major, the stay at the Hilton has been an experience he can no longer take. Although the living conditions are beyond up to par, he said he does not think that roommate issues sprout from the actual living conditions there but they evolve because of the actions of individuals. “Life is not perfect and it’s full of surprises, problems occur all day everyday unexpectedly,” said Hall.
Hall and his roommate get along just fine; in fact they are actually friends. The two decided to room together as soon as Dillard declared its re-opening. During the past six months they have been living together they only got into one minor confrontation over something small, Hall said. He added that he and his roommate argued about the TV, something friends rarely argue over, but he said that it was nothing to end a friendship over and they got past their differences. Also, Hall’s roommate who chose to be unanimous added that he would again choose Hall as a roommate without a doubt if the chance presented itself.
Having a roommate can be very difficult to cope with, especially if you do not know the person nor have anything in common with that person.
Dominique Sperling is a sophomore psychology major, which at one point had her own room because her first roommate did not return second session. According to her she was living peacefully and comfortably until they stuck her with a girl she did not even know who brought along extremely bad habits and excess baggage.
Sperling said her roommate’s actions were disrespectful and inconsiderate making her uncomfortable and led to both a physical and verbal dispute between the two.
Enthusiastically, she said that her roommate is always in and out so they do not talk at all. More important, $200 was missing one afternoon when she went to class. The money was visibly placed on the bed because Sperling was rushing to class she said when she got back her money was gone and her roommate was missing in action (M.I.A).
“I am not a confrontational person but this is not the first time I had roommate issues and I am sure it won’t be the last because people take my kindness for weakness,” Sperling said. She added when she was living in an off campus apartment with two of her friends last year she did not run into any problems but whenever she was stuck in a room with a stranger problems occurred. More often than not situations in which people’s personal belongings come up missing are one of the most acknowledged reasons for physical and verbal conflicts between roommates.
Justin Davis, a sophomore mass communications major said he also has experienced the feeling of being stolen from. His brand new green and yellow Oakland Athletics hat was missing from his baseball hat collection. Of course his roommate was the lead suspect simply because he had asked Davis numerous of questions about the hat and one of his friends even complemented Davis on the hat.
“The brim (hat) is hot (slang for cool), Ray Charles could see that my roommate and his friend wanted it,” said Davis. According to Davis once he realized that his hat was missing he off top questioned his roommate who acted guilty and denied the fact of stealing it. He said he would look for it but Davis new it was not in the room because he tore the room apart looking for that easily spotted green and yellow hat.
Later that night his roommate strolled through the door with the brim in his hand explaining that one of his other friends thought the hat belonged to him and wanted to borrow it so he took it not knowing it was Davis’s.
Moreover, it does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that people need privacy as well as piece and quiet every once in a while, another reason leading to conflict. On a college campus those three conditions can be hard to attain. One solution is simply getting your own room therefore you do not have to worry about anything or anyone but yourself.
”You can be comfortable and do as you please at your own discretion,” explained Saul Faal, a political science major. Faal pointed out that after going to classes all day or working a part time job combined with mingling with friends with the short time students do have during their busy days they are often tired and they want to go to their room take a fresh shower and chill for the rest of the night.
Usually, when you are sharing a room with a person your privacy is already limited because you have to go to your room expecting at least one other person (your roommate) but at times they have company so your relaxation time is really at a minimum.
“It is irritating and frustrating enough balancing work and school, but it is even more upsetting when you cannot go to your room, hit the pillow and catch some Zzzzz’s because there are people in your room,” said Sunni Jones, a freshman education major.
