Every college student ever has heard all the horror stories of bad roommates. You have the ones who either don’t shower or ones that turn the lights off at 9 p.m. on the dot every night. I always just laughed these stories off and felt bad for the students who didn’t beat the odds of becoming best friends with their roomie.
I can’t stress to you enough how important it is to know your roommate before the year starts. There have been countless times where I’d rather sleep out on a sofa in the lounge than have to deal with my roommate’s shenanigans.
(Photo courtesy of the odyesseyonline.com)
I originally had a girl, whom I loved, picked out to room with. Our pick date was literally one of the last ones so the only things left were mods. No offense against mods, or people who cherish their mods, but they just weren’t for me.
So, I stalked the housing website about new open rooms after my orientation in June waiting, waiting and waiting for a room that caught my eye to pop up. Starting off, I really wanted West Green but ended up settling into a dorm in the front four on South Green.Everything started off fine, we made good conversations, did things together and were respectful toward one another.
I ended up in a triple and the two girls, who I didn’t know prior to making the four hour move to Athens, were already the best of buds from high school. A few weeks in, they starting to not include me in anything or even talk to me. They’d go and get food or smoothies and when they’d come back to the room, I’d think in my head “Damn…I wasn’t hungry or anything it’s fine.”
I brushed it off figuring that it was probably just my homesick-self sheltering myself from them. Oh no, that definitely was not the case. They constantly have conversations in the room and whenever I say something or add something, I feel like I’m completely interrupting their lives and all I get in response is a short “yeah’ or fake laugh. I’m a real nonchalant person so again, I just let it go. It wasn’t until the next couple of things happened that slowly but surely made my blood boil.
1. I came home class to find my one roommates trash all. Over. My. Desk.
I honestly wish I was kidding but I was appalled. I glanced over at the trash can and it was full so she decided to put her used mashed potato cup, tissues and Twizzler wrappers on my desk. Can you say disgusting?
2. My other roommate was constantly losing her key.
Now I know how Zoey’s roommates from Zoey 101 felt. She misplaced her key once, we got the locks replaced and new keys and then lost it the following day.
Having to leave the door open whenever we leave for class was an annoyance and made me feel like my room was on display for everyone and people roaming the hall to see.
3. They let other people sleep in my bed. Without my permission.
I went home for the weekend while they both had friends from back home staying in our room for the weekend. I should have clearly stated that I didn’t want anyone in my bed. Silly me thought it would just be common courtesy to not violate the one and only place I have all to myself on campus.
(Gif courtesy of speakgif.com)
4. The miscellaneous items that drift down from my roommate’s top bunk down onto mine.
I’ve found anything from empty Cheetos bags to empty pistachio shells varying to things such as half eaten candy bars, cough drop wrappers and the best one yet– a Band-Aid.
If you thought those four were bad, just you wait. I saved the best two for last.
5. They hid my TV from me.
Once again, I came home from a weekend spent in my hometown. When I got back neither of my roomies were in the room but I noticed something was oddly off. I figured they just moved about the things on my desk (again, may I mention) but then it hit me. I turned around and realized my TV was gone. I’m talking a 32” flat screen was MIA. I looked in all the obvious places and later found it under my bed behind my bins. Whatever possessed them to unplug my entire TV and place it under my bed is beyond me. I took it as them not appreciating or wanting the TV so now I carry the remote in my backpack with me all the time. Joke’s on them.
6. My one roommate is half alpaca.
I’m just messing around, I’m pretty sure she’s pure human. Long story short, she came home drunk the one night and we helped her up into her top bunk. My other roommate flicked the lights off and all went silent. A little bit later you heard SPLAT. The one was giggling as she was trying to figure out what the intoxicated one has just done so she turned on the lights. Piles of spit not only decorate our dorm room floor, but also my blankets. Like I mentioned earlier, I’m pretty chill, but this one set me off. PO’d me decided to leave it for her to clean up. I woke up the next morning and went to the bathroom to wash my face, brush my teeth, etc. Still grossed out and annoyed, I came back to the room to find my roommate apologizing nonstop. What was I supposed to say?! “It’s totally fine that you were full on spitting on my bed sheets all night”. Turns out she washed my sheets and blanket so I guess that was her way of an olive branch.
(Photo courtesy of giphy.com)
I honestly hope that you never have to experience these weird roommate interactions, especially your freshman year. I know for a fact that not being friends with the people you live with takes a toll on your college experience starting out. They have gotten a slight bit better after I politely said something to both of them. I just think that the way things worked out was all wrong. The two girls I room with are complete and polar opposites from me and we don’t click on anything.
However, I’m so excited for next year to live with my best friend who I met this year and our two other friends. I always say how I can’t wait to actually go back to a dorm where I walk in and can say “hi” to my roommates and have them be like sisters to me. I envy all of you who are best friends with your roommate and you should really cherish how lucky you got! If you’re like me and are counting down the days until next year with new roomies, just hangout in other people’s rooms or try to find common ground with your roomies! I wish you the best of luck.