It’s an exciting time getting ready to head off to college and having the opportunity to live with another person. It’s a common thought that you expect to become best friends with your roommate when you come to college, but this isn’t necessarily true. Knowing that you have to live with a roommate can be stressful, especially if you have never had to share a room with someone else before. Before my freshman year of college, I constantly questioned what my roommate would be like: Are they organized? Clean? A Partier? Loud? Roommates can be a lot of fun, but it’s never guaranteed that they are a match made from heaven. Most students find themselves having conflicts with their roommate(s) due to having completely different interests, attitudes, lifestyle – the list is endless. Now, don’t get me wrong, many people become good friends with their roommates and can create a lasting friendship from it, but don’t be disappointed if this isn’t the case for you. It’s completely normal to have disagreements with who you live with but it’s key to be able to work past the troubles. There is a 50/50 chance that this living situation will be something great or will be a nightmare that has come to life. Below are ten roommate horror stories that came from current college students from different universities. Anyone who chose to submit their bad experiences with their roommates, did so as anonymous. Get ready to learn the horrific situations that students have been forced to go through with their roommates but be aware: this can happen to anyone.
The Slob
Living with someone that is a messy, chaotic mess is a disaster – literally. Not only does their untidiness affect them but it also affects you and how you go about your day. This type of roommate has no shame in the clutter that they spread and will always try to blame the mess on someone else. This type of roommate would make me go crazy because of my OCD, everything has to be perfectly clean and in its correct place at all times.
- “My roommate had the house to herself all summer and by the time the rest of us moved in in august there were fruit flies everywhere, multiple overflowing trash bags, and a sink full of dishes that I bought. The bathroom we share was disgusting, and she had all of her clothes (including bras and underwear) all over the shared living room. Two months later it’s still like that. She left my metal pan in the sink so long it rusted. She played dumb when I asked her about it.”
- “My sophomore year I lived with 4 other girls and they NEVER cleaned up after themselves. I was constantly cleaning their messes and the worst was my roommate with whom I shared a room. Her side was covered in clothes. She had food bags and containers all over her desk. She even slept with an empty popcorn bag in her bed for like 3 days straight.”
The Crazy
If your roommate is obsessed with you and is tracking your every move or asking to raise a family in your shared space – run. This isn’t normal. However, if you do get stuck with the “crazy” roommate, don’t freak out, well… freak out a little bit but just know that you will most likely be able to switch rooms at some point during the semester.
- “My junior year roommate, we lived in a traditional dorm, thought she got pregnant and asked if her boyfriend could move into the dorm with us so he could help take care of her (my roommate). I didn’t even know this girl for 2 weeks. She wanted me to move my things in the room so we could fit a crib next to her bed once the baby was born. When I told her that her boyfriend couldn’t move in, she got upset with me and threatened to tell the RA that I wasn’t being fair… but she would’ve been the one in the wrong.”
- “My old roommate and I were friends and moved in together. Slowly she became more obsessed with me. She wouldn’t like me hanging out with other people and would track my every movement. Where I went and who I went with at what time for how long. She would stare at me weird and would always eye me up. She would throw temper tantrums and act crazy. She would throw things across the room and scream and tell and slam doors no matter the time.”
The Not-So-Bright
Some people obviously missed out on some important and basic life lessons. It’s tough to deal with this kind of situation because they genuinely don’t know what they are doing, but it’s also funny because they don’t know what they are doing. People do dumb stuff all of the time but it’s terrible if your roommate repeatedly does dumb things constantly. Just a tip to everyone: Google is your friend. Use it to your advantage and search up things that you aren’t sure of what to do.
- “My one current roommate is a sophomore (we are all seniors) who were randomly put in our apartment and she doesn’t know how to do anything! She called her mom to ask how to microwave popcorn! She also almost blew up the entire building microwaving a pizza because she tried to do it in a metal brownie tin!!!”
The Drunk
This type of roommate can be entertaining, life scarring, or both. If you and your roommate get drunk together, it’s mostly fun because the two of you can enjoy yourselves and let loose. If your roommate is always the one getting drunk, it can get annoying pretty quickly. They get themselves into crazy situations and do dumb things, but even if they bother you, please make sure they are safe.
- “My roommate and I were at this frat one night, and we left the party around 2:30 am (frat was literally 1 block away from the dorm). Somehow, someway…my roommate wandered off with god knows who. An hour later she calls us, but her phone died. We go out looking for her until 5:30 am but had no luck in finding her. So, one thing led to the other and we had 2 police departments looking for her. It’s going on 6-6:30 am now, as I’m on the phone with her mom, she decides to magically appear back in the dorm looking like absolute sh*t; covered head to toe in mud/thorns/dirt. So, it turns out, she was taking a stroll on 202, making friends with a deer named Bambi, and took a little dip in a creek while she was at it. Let’s not forget, she hitched-hiked back to the dorm with two old men. It’s safe to say, she is banned from ever going out again.”
- “Earlier this year my roommate got drunk and decided to come out of this room to complain to me. The only issue was that he sleeps naked. So, he walked out with everything showing. Then he started texting me from this room asking to play dodgeball in the hallway, naked. Then he said he wanted to see my “pee-pee” because I saw his “pee-pee”. Probably one of those things that will now scar me for life every time I see him.”
The One That Doesn’t Live Here
It’s already unfortunate that you need to share a room, but if there is a third person that added to the mix, things get even more hectic. It’s not fair if you’re paying for housing but then this person, who isn’t a resident, is getting free housing. If this type of situation occurs, make sure you talk to your roommate, and if that doesn’t help, go directly to your RA and notify them because there is usually a limit as to how long a guest can stay in the room.
- “My roommate’s boyfriend moved in with no warning for like weeks, he brought his TV, his gaming systems, a bunch of his clothes, and just moved right in. It was awful coming back after a rough day of classes to find my roommate’s annoying boyfriend playing video games in the bedroom area. Not even in the living room where we already had a TV! Before he did that, he would randomly come into our suite with her room key. One time I got out of the shower and he was just sitting on the bed and I didn’t know! It’s a good thing I was wearing a robe. Needless to say, she eventually got sick of him living in our room and kicked him out after about a week. We’re still not friends to this day.”
The Sex Obsessed
No one wants a roommate that fools around with someone while they are in the room. This is hands down the most disgusting and awkward situation that one can put their roommate through. Do everyone a favor and wait until you are alone. Be respectful of items that aren’t yours in the room because quite frankly, they aren’t yours to touch.
- “My roommate had sex in my room while I was gone (mind you, we hadn’t been on speaking terms in 2 months) and when I came home, I found the used condom on my desk. One thing led to another and we physically fought. She then ran to the DA and cops about it and proceeded to get herself in trouble.”
The Loner
It’s sad when your roommate seems to have no friends at school because you can’t do much to help them but set aside some time to do things together. It’s an amazing thing to have a separate group of friends from your roommate because you don’t feel obligated to be with them 24/7, which helps when you need to escape their presence and take a break. If your roommate doesn’t get out of their room a lot and doesn’t seem to talk to other people but you, encourage them to join clubs and go out to parties, do anything to get them out of your hair.
- My roommate has no friends. They would sit in their bed all day and play on their phone or play video games but whenever I got ready to go out with my friend, they would invite themselves to join. It was annoying because my friend and my roommate never got along with each other, it was complete hell. I eventually had to start lying about where I was going when I left the room so they couldn’t come with me. One time, she met my best friend and said maybe 10 words to her then claimed that she’s her best friend too now. It’s crazy, she was so desperate for friends that I bet she would’ve considered a rock a friend if it breathed. I distanced myself from her because everything she did pissed me off immediately. As a result of this, she started to go through my things when I was wasn’t around and use my stuff without telling me. I never liked her, and I still don’t.”
I’ve had instances where my roommates and I didn’t get along and could relate to some of these roommate horror stories. If you get stuck with a roommate that you don’t get along with or aren’t happy with, don’t stay with them. Request a room change and get the hell out of there while you can. College is an exciting time to live with someone you like and make memories… not nightmares. Don’t tell yourself that you will get through it, you may get through it, but you would be wasting precious time in your life being unhappy. Find people that make you smile and feel warm inside, not ones that make you go crazy.