Students ponder roommate selection

When choosing who to live with, students cited pros, cons of living with strangers, friends.

To live with friends or not to live with friends is one question many students ask themselves when deciding where to live during the next academic year.

The consensus among some University students is that living with random people is better.

Because random roommates tend not to have the same friends, they also see each other less and respect each other more, said Heather Steinbacher (sophomore-environmental resource management).

"You tend to be more considerate about what they need," Steinbacher said. "I've always had better experience with random roommates."

Living with a random roommate does present some disadvantages, such as the time it takes to really get to know each other.

"You never know who you're going to get stuck with," said Jen Dorfman (freshman-kinesiology).

Living with friends is another choice that many students make, and it definitely has its advantages.

"She knew my little quirks and I knew hers," said Jen Klaus (sophomore-sociology).

"You know you can get along with these people," agreed Brian Gibbs (senior-insurance).

Living with friends is not always a piece of cake, though. A disadvantage of living with friends is that conflict may occur more easily.

"She always had to study with music and I liked silence," Steinbacher said. "It got to the point where we didn't respect each other because neither was worried about what the other thought."

When living with a friend and problems get out of hand, roommates could lose a friendship, Gibbs said.

On the other hand, conflicts may be easier to resolve.

"If there's a problem it probably makes it easier to work it out; you can work it out to keep the friendship, whereas with a random roommate, they may get the 'I'll just get a new roommate' attitude," Gibbs said.

Kari Bugiski, a resident assistant in McElwain Hall, said roommates in the building always have problems.

"If there's a problem, they don't talk about it and it just blows up," Bugiski said. "I suggest sitting down at the beginning of the semester to set rules and discuss habits, like what time you go to bed or when you like to do your homework."

Normally, when a conflict situation arises, one roommate goes to the RA just to talk it out. RAs encourage them to talk to their roommate first, Bugiski said.

If that doesn't work, a mediation session is scheduled between the RA and both roommates. There they brainstorm for solutions, but the roommates are in control of the solutions they think will work for them, she said.

If the problem is not resolved, some solutions are a direct-room switch or an open-room exchange, Bugiski said.

"There are also spots designated on campus for emergency situations," she said.

The Assignment Office in Shields Building, receives 60 to 70 transfer requests a semester, said Lynn DuBois, assistant director of housing.

Living in a dorm or living in an apartment also makes a difference with roommate conflicts.

"If you can live with someone in the dorm, you can live with someone in an apartment," Gibbs said. "I don't know if it's the same the other way around."

Roommates don't constantly have to be in the same room with the other person in an apartment, he said.

"With an apartment," Klaus agreed, "I'd have my own room to get away."