I’m not sure whose idea it was to put three people in a dorm, but I can assure you it’s not a good one. Having a random roommate is bad enough in college – why punish someone with two? Maybe I’m being dramatic. Maybe there is some kind of logic behind this decision, and I can’t see it. There is one thing that I can assure you: being in a triple helps prepare you for the harder things in life in a seemingly never-ending, frustratingly annoying way. At the end of this article, I will give you three simple rules steps that you need to survive a triple in college. But first, I will tell you my story.
At Towson, freshmen who live in triples live in Glen Towers, Prettyman, and Scarborough. When I received my roommate information in the beginning of August and found out that I would be staying in a triple, I almost didn’t want to come… it didn’t help when I found out that we’d be living in Prettyman, one of the oldest dorms on campus that also doesn’t have air conditioning. I knew that most triples got de-tripled, but I didn’t want to wait around for that to happen the entire semester, especially if I ended up not liking my roommates. Imagine my horror when I was told that triples in Prettyman don’t get de-tripled because Prettyman and Scarborough are built to house more than two people to a room.
When we got here at the end of August, everything was smooth sailing. I got along with both of my roommates, Prettyman was bearable if we had all of the windows open and all of the fans on, and I was so in love with Towson to find anything wrong with it. How it fell apart so quickly, I still can’t believe.
One of my roommates that I will call Amber, started to tip-toe around my other roommate and me, stay in the dorm all day, and refuse to make friends. Amber had boyfriend troubles, problems with her parents, and she wasn’t motivated to do her homework, let alone go to class. When she began to be rude and inconsiderate to us and our friends, I’d had enough. We ended up having a discussion that ended with Amber agreeing to move out.
I’m the kind of person who cares about everyone and wants the best for them. That’s why my first rule is this: Don’t concern yourself with other people’s problems in college. Freshman year is a stressful transition period, and you will be too busy trying to find yourself to take on the burden of other people’s problems. If they’re having trouble adjusting, try and offer them ways to fix that and if they don’t take your advice, don’t take it personally like I did.
Rule number two: Do your own thing. If you get involved, make friends, and submerge yourself in everything Towson has to offer, freshman year will be smooth sailing. Go to all the special presentations and movie nights in the Union. Go to as many CAB events as possible. Try to do anything that will place you out of your comfort zone and force you to befriend people. Getting out of your dorm as often as possible is the best way not to tire of your roommates too quickly. Remember: Personal space is golden space.
And last but not least: Befriend people in other triples. Whether they’re in a triple in Prettyman, Scarborough, or The Towers, it feels good to talk to people who are living the same struggle you are. When you get a chance to vent and say what you need to say to someone just like you, it helps takes some of the pent up frustration you might have because when you tell your other friends what’s going on, they tell you that you’re overreacting, or that you’re being mean like some of my friends did.
I know that being in a triple seems impossible. If you’re one of the few lucky people who actually like being in a triple, I admire you and your patience. But if you honestly cannot stand to be in a triple any second longer, maybe it’s time that you look at somewhere else to live. Remember that you don’t owe an explanation to your roommates if you do decide to leave, and that you shouldn’t force yourself to live in a place you don’t have peace in. I wish you the best and I’d be happy to talk to you to help coach you through this – my contact information is listed on my Her Campus profile.
To talk to someone about moving out, contact Housing and Residence Life on the 3rd floor of West Village Commons, email them at housing@towson.edu, or call them at 410-704-2516.