You’re hopping the frat lounges, partying with your hall mates, and having a well-deserved night out after a long week, slaving over your English 111 paper in the ZSR. You spot your roomie across the room dancing with that cutie from the second floor that she’s had her eye on since orientation. You smile and give her a nod of approval as they grind a little closer to the beat of “All Night Longer”. You see them leave together and your initial reaction is “Damn girl, get some!” But you immediately realize that means they are headed to a more private place… your bedroom. It hits you: you’re homeless for the night, with no place to sleep.
Sexiled.
Weird right? At high school parties, people just went upstairs for twenty minutes (tops) to hook up, and then came back to the rest of the party. But now that we’re in college and have the freedom to be wherever, whenever, with whomever, boys and girls alike are being kicked out of their bedrooms for the night so that their roomies can get it on.
Luckily for me, in my short time at Wake Forest, I’ve already become an expert at sexile survival, so collegiates, don’t fret! I’m here to give you tips to get you through the night.
Lay down the law and communicate:
The other night, I was enjoying my Wake Wednesday when I got a text from my roomie asking if she could bring a guy back. Even though our Roommate Agreement states that we both are okay with that, it was just one of those nights when I just wanted to sleep in the comfort of my own bed. So I told her it wasn’t a good night, and all was fine.
Communication is key to avoiding conflict. Always make it clear with your roomie whether or not you are okay with her bringing someone back, because hey, it’s your room too! And for ideal communication, ask your roommate to notify you beforehand if she plans on having a guy spend the night.
Have a sign or symbol:
Sometimes, in the heat of the moment, asking your roomie if she cares if a guy comes back to the room is not the first thing to pop into your mind. Set precautionary agreements with your roomie for just such situations. That way, you can both be saved from an awkward situation. Try putting some sort of warning symbol outside the room. Case in point: if I walk back to my room and see a sock on the door handle, or a quick note on the whiteboard, I know I’ve been sexiled, and need to find a place to spend the night.
Have an alternative place to sleep:
You don’t want to be that girl that wakes up on the dorm lounge couch surrounded by people taking embarrassing pics of you. Find a friend that will take you in for the night! By chance, two of my friends happen to have an extra bed in their rooms, so I know I can always crash there. See what friend in the hall won’t mind if you curl up on their carpet, futon, or even snuggle up next to them in our luxurious twin beds (hey, it beats a lounge couch!) If you know ahead of time that it’s likely you’ll be sexiled, throw your pj’s and toiletries in your friend’s room so you can be prepared.
Being sexiled isn’t ideal, we know, but it’s part of the college experience. If you follow these tips, your night out can end ready for bed, and satisfied knowing that tomorrow morning will involve catching up on your roommate’s big score, not a frustrating roomies-tiff.