*quietly panics*

[splinteredstar]

Well.

When I put in my housing application  for college, I requested a private room because I am a twitchy turtle who likes a lot of alone time. I have also never had to share my room ever, and thus did not want to have to start with a complete stranger in a situation that I was already insanely nervous about.

Guess what? 

I have a roommate.

...oh no.

It shouldn't be a big deal and I know it. But I'm naturally and naturally antisocial and the idea of having to share my room with someone is terrifying. Just the idea of Living with someone other than my family is terrifying. I can only tolerate face-to-face contact with my best friends for about an hour or so before I want to hide. How the hell am I going to handle sharing my room with someone? What if she hates me? What if I hate her?  What if she snoops through my stuff or mucks with my computer? What if she's loud and I don't have anywhere to hide? 

This will not end well...

If there's anyone reading this that has had to deal with roomates...advice plz? How do I keep it from getting all miserable? 


S 

Comments

Reposted because my text came out all funny.

[diluted-thought.livejournal.com]

It has occurred to me that I could have probably just told you this through Yahoo. Oh well. -Hugs.-

Just the idea of Living with someone other than my family is terrifying. I know what you mean. This is precisely why I am still living at home...though my commute is pretty extensive, and I may have to start living close to campus (if not on campus) soon enough. The idea does not thrill me either, and it is pretty terrifying, but just try to subdue that Voice of Impending Doom™ the best you can.

How the hell am I going to handle sharing my room with someone? → Maybe you could be like William T. Spears and make a THOU SHALL NOT CROSS THIS LINE™ line. No, that would only work if your roommate happened to be Sebastian Michaelis. If your roommate does turn out to be Sebastian, I will be moving in. If something they do serves to annoy you, just let them know as politely as possible. I’m sure that your roommate is as nervous as you are. Try to compromise.

What if she hates me? What if I hate her? → A good university would make sure that you are placed with someone who is compatible with you. Of course, all universities make mistakes. If it comes down to that, you could try talking to her, and if things still don’t work out, I’m sure you could contact the Student Affairs office and ask for another roommate; maybe they’ll be nice and give you a room of your own. You never know!

What if she snoops through my stuff or mucks with my computer? → If she tries to use her l337, nonexistent h4ax0rz skills to hijack your computer, put a password on it. Actually, I recommend putting a password on it before starting school. Remember to back things up to your lovely flash drive; it will be your best friend. Hopefully she will understand that snooping through your roommate’s stuff is a dreadful faux pas and clearly an invasion of your privacy.

What if she's loud and I don't have anywhere to hide? → The library will always be your best friend. Hide there when you can. Again, you should have the option of dropping your roommate if your interests and personalities conflict, but always, always go to the library. It’s peaceful and soothing and the air just seems to smell fresher. Since you enjoy coffee, see if there is a coffee shop on campus, and maybe you could hang around there.

If you ever need to vent, you know where to contact me. Admittedly, we are talking right now so please don’t ever hesitate to ask! ♥

[nenya85.livejournal.com]

It can be awkward to share a room with someone you’ve never even met, but you’re both in the same boat. I would probably try discussing boundary kind of stuff first. Hopefully your university paid attention to those compatibility survey things so you have someone who’s a match in terms of quiet and bedtimes. (I really wish I had taken mine seriously instead of putting Druid under religion and then saying I wanted a roommate with the same religion.) If it really isn’t working you could probably go to your student affairs office. Also, a lot of people drop out the first semester, so rooms may open up.

In four years of college, I had one roommate who I got to request a transfer, one that I coexisted with, and one that I still keep in touch with – in fact she’s coming to visit this summer. So yeah, it can be a mixed bag. The main thing to remember is you're both in the same boat. Good luck!

[kari-izumi.livejournal.com]

Huh. I'm far from the best socializer, but the two experiences I had with my roommates only ended badly where money was concerned (One kicked me out to move their cousin in and the other was behind on rent for months and didn't tell me until a week before the eviction DX )

As the others have said, you two are probably in the same boat. As long as you all respct each other, it should all work out okay :)

Good luck to you in school. Where are you going to, if I can ask?

[saint-archie.livejournal.com]

Sometimes the complete strangers you have to live with are so unbelieveably nice that you can't quite believe it.

And sometimes they undergo genuinely terrifying mood-swings that have you and everyone around you afraid to approach them about anything.

Sometimes they point out to you all the good things about yourself you weren't aware of.

And sometimes they mistake you for a creepy sex maniac and try to have you evicted and/or beaten to a pulp.

It's been an interesting four years, it really has.

Not quite sure what happened to the point I had in mind, but I guess it was probably that they might be wonderful, and even if they aren't, you will probably be able to instigate a separation of some sort.

And if all else fails there's always your internet friends to angst at.

WE CAN TAKE IT.