I’ve been working for ICAN for 10 years! And, I’ve been out of college for much longer than that. Class of 2003. One thing that I’ve noticed about younger people now-a-days is that they’ve never had to share a room…like, ever! I’ve always shared a room. First I was roomies with my brother and when we got too old for that I was roomies with my younger sister. Many young people now never had the “privilege” of fighting with their sibling over closet space or what they wanted to watch on TV. I think that not having roomies at an early age made things difficult for some when they went off to college and had to share a room with a total stranger.
When I was
in college, I loved being in the dorms. I loved the comradery, the activities,
the bonds you build, but it also had its negatives. Being roommates with
someone, even if it’s your best friend, can be tough. I remember a particular
night I got locked out of my room. Needless, to say my bf and I stopped talked
for a while after that, but it all worked out.
People will
have different personalities and different study habits and different sleeping
habits. You need to learn to accept people for who they are and be considerate,
but there are limits. If you have
roommate issues you need to address them right away. This was my problem,
because my roommate was my bf I didn’t say anything because she was my friend
and I didn’t want to ruin that. But you need to speak up, if you’re intimidated
to bring it up on your own, talk to your RA. They will give you advice on how
to deal with the problem or help you deal with the problem.
If the
problem persists and it’s a situation that you cannot stay in you can request
for a new roommate, but definitely try to talk to them first and deal with the
problem head on. Maybe they’re not aware that they’re being inconsiderate or
rude. They need to know that there’s a problem so they have the opportunity to
fix it.
Lupe - ICAN Coralville and Davenport Centers
