Getting locked out of your dorm, your apartment, your building, even getting locked out of your phone is very frustrating. You either have to wait for a long time or hunt down someone who can let you in. You can force your roommate to pack up all of his or her stuff and come back from Lau, or you can call the RHO and pay for them to let you back in. As you can see, there are no benefits to getting locked out.
I recently had a wonderful experience getting locked out (sarcasm -__-). I went out with friends for the night, excited to be back at Georgetown, and was lucky enough to leave my key in my room on the very first night I arrived. I did not realize this until around 3 a.m., when I returned home and found a keychain with no key. I had forgotten to put my new key on. I figured that someone had to be home and I knocked for a little while, but no answer. I then figured that my roommate would return sometime in the near future, but that did not go according to plan. I had the brilliant idea to go crash on someone’s couch in their apartment! The issue with that was it was the first night and I had no idea where any of my friends lived yet. I knew what building they lived in, but not which number and at 3 am no one was answering their phone. So there I was, knocking away on my own door as I got more and more exhausted. I ended up falling asleep sitting up against my door for almost an hour. When I awoke, I was incredibly angry as I am sure you can imagine and began pounding the door. Finally, my roommate opens the door and I was so incredibly happy. My roommate opened the door because she was WAKING UP TO GO TO PRACTICE. I was locked out for that long! It was a terrible experience that I hope never to repeat again.
I also learned a couple things about being locked out. Keep calling your friends! They will wake up eventually. I had the wonderful fate of having my phone die while I was bonding with the empty hallway of my building. Also, plan what to do if you get locked out with your roommate. A game plan is always helpful. This a personal piece of advice, but try your hardest not to fall asleep sitting up against your door. That is actually so weird. That awkward moment when you get locked out, sleep in the hallway, and make all your new roommates think you’re actually insane.