So I am going into my third year of college, wow, time flies. And in that time, I have had two living situations where I had roommates. Those times include my freshman year and the summer between my sophomore and junior year. This is a list that I have compiled of things that I encountered when living with roommates.
In three, two, one...
1. Loud music
I am going to start off with an easy and expected thing when it comes to roommates. This includes them playing loud music in all parts of the day and sometimes night. When this happens you have two options, you ask them to turn it down or you silently jam in your room. The second option is always easier if the song that is being blared is one that you actually like.
2. Banging at all hours of the day/night
Now, this can be annoying. Especially when it is the day that you don't have class and can finally sleep in. But when your roommates are awake and banging their doors, the drawers in the bathroom, cabinets in the kitchen, the front door, etc. it gets a little difficult to sleep. It is at these points in time when I wish I have earplugs or something so that I can sleep. Sadly, that has never been the case.
3. Waking up to alarms that aren't yours
I can't tell you how many times I have been woken up at 5:30 in the morning this past month because one of my roommates sets her alarm so freaking early in the morning. The worst part is that she sleeps through the alarm! You want to know how she wakes up? I get out of my nice, warm, comfy bed and go bang on her door until she turns the alarm off. Then I am safe to sleep until the banging starts.
4. Passive aggressive actions
OK. This is a long one. So my freshman year, I had two roommates. Everything was awesome, we talked before we moved in about who would bring what and what the rules would be about food and stuff. Everything was going great. But then I went home for the weekend, and damn did s*** go down. So I get back after my weekend home and I am confronted by one of my roommates and she is blaming me for using one of her wet wipes because, and I quote: "the package feels lighter." OK, no. I wasn't even here, how could I have used your wet wipes? Plus I hate wet wipes, they make me feel disgusting. So even if I was there, I wouldn't have used them. But after that incident, that roommate decided to put her name on EVERYTHING that she owned. This included the broom... so now I wasn't allowed to sweep? Fine with me, I hate cleaning anyway. That was the start of the passive-aggressive stuff that I had to deal with for the rest of that year.
5. Finding contraband in the freezer
As everybody knows, it is illegal for someone under the age of twenty-one to have alcohol in their possession and consume it. So imagine my surprise when I go into the kitchen to look and see if I have any more ice cream sandwiches (I didn't) and instead find two bottles of wine in the communal freezer. I am the oldest person in this room, and I am only twenty. So what the hell, guys?! I left a note in the kitchen that said to get rid of that s*** and looked the next morning and it was gone. No clue where it is at now but until I see them drinking it there is nothing I can do. I informed the RA on call that it was there but they can't do anything until it is opened, out in the open, and/or being consumed because they don't have the authority to check the fridge/freezer.
6. Smoking
So, FGCU is a smoke-free campus. So why is it that I can smell cigarettes, cigars, and on occasion weed (which is illegal anyway) coming from someone's room when I enter the hallway? Just, come on guys. And again, the RAs can't do anything unless they can smell it from outside the main door. So it is another thing that I have to deal with. Just two more days!
7. Guests that technically aren't supposed to be here
A lot of people may not have read the Azul's Rules handbook, but I did because of my job as an RA. And let me tell you two fun facts. Fun fact one, you aren't allowed to have people spend the night on a weeknight. It is only allowed on Friday and Saturday nights and they can only stay over a certain number of nights. They can't keep coming back. Fun fact number two, guests can't be in your space without you. You must be with your guest at all times. Let's just say that not everyone follows those rules and leave it at that. But it is very annoying and frustrating, let me tell you that.
8. Friends
Having roommates isn't all bad. You may even become great friends with your roommates. Of the five roommates that I have had so far at college, two have become my friends. One has become one of my best friends. You just have to keep an open mind and don't hide away. College is a new beginning for a lot of people, make the best of it. I know I did.
