We have all been there at one point of our lives: having a roommate we assumed to be nice and drama-free, then BAM! Nope, he or she is actually all sorts of crazy and lives a drama-ridden life. People get duped on the daily, especially during the time us students have to apply for lottery to get housing the following semester.
Once students are stuck with a roommate they don’t like, there are a couple options on the table to resolve this problem:
1. Set boundaries for the supposedly “crazy” roommate
Let your roommate know that there are some things that you guys should discuss and advise that particular person there are some things that happen to bother you. It can range from having friends over without letting other roommates know to throwing a party to clogging the tub with their hair (the equivalent for men is for those who don’t clean up their hair after they shave). These are instances that could get you agitated because the house is unclean and rowdy at the same time.
Setting boundaries will help with the other roommate realize what bothers you and those boundaries can (hopefully) make them stop doing things that agitate you.
2. Ignore him/her
This is not the preferred option, but some will choose to do it anyway because they probably don’t like confrontation. If ignoring them is the option you pick, do not be surprised if something happens to escalate and blows up in your face. Ignoring a roommate might be easy to do, but consequences can surely arise out of it.
3. Swap Roommates
This option is risky because both roommates have to agree to it. If both roommates do not agree upon one leaving and one staying in the apartment or dorm, then more problems can arise since you are now stuck together for 2 semesters. If you and your roommate do agree on one of you leaving, then hopefully the problems with them will be over.
The lesson to be learned is picking a roommate is on the same level as what to pick for your major at Rutgers University. It can make or break you sadly. So choose your roommate wisely and vet them like you are running for president and they are your V.P., no one wants to be stuck with a Sarah Palin.
Sources:
http://dailytrojan.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Roommate111.jpg