Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Dealing With a Suspicious College Roommate

You've moved into a new college dorm with a new roommate, and at first everything seems fine. She respects you, picks up her laundry and lets you know when you've missed a phone call. But then you start to notice that things are a little strange.

What do you do? Here are some suggestions for dealing with a suspicious college roommate.

Get to know each other. One of the best ways to avoid mistrust or suspecting each other of wrongdoing is to get to know each other early in the school year. If you are from different backgrounds or social circles, some of your habits may seem a bit odd, but understanding each other will help to eliminate this awkwardness.

Set ground rules. There is nothing wrong with setting rules at the beginning of your school year establishing places in the room that are private or items that are not community property. Setting these boundaries ahead of time is a good way to protect yourself in case your roommate should prove to be less than trustworthy.

Don't jump to conclusions. If something that your roommate does seems out of the ordinary or weird, remember that you just met him recently and that there may be a reasonable explanation for his behavior. If whatever he's doing concerns you enough, casually bring it up in conversation. Ask him how things have been going, or ask him if anything is wrong. Give him an opportunity to open up to you.

Keep track of suspicious activities. If you begin to notice patterns of suspicious behavior that you feel might be cause for concern, pay attention to how often they happen and other details. Note any strange people that keep showing up at the room or write down occasions when your roommate receives strange phone calls or comes home much later than usual. Once you have kept track of these details for a while, determine if there is any pattern that could mean that something is going on.

Know your rights. If you suspect your roommate of committing a crime, such as stealing or being involved with drugs, know what your rights are as a roommate. Most colleges include information on campus security and crime prevention in their new student orientation materials. If this information does not tell you what you need to know, contact campus police or the housing office to find out how to handle a roommate that you suspect of a crime.

Protect yourself. If your roommate's suspicious behavior threatens you or makes you feel genuinely unsafe, take action. If you feel you have legitimate concern for your safety and well-being, consult your resident adviser about what you should do. Your resident adviser may be able to offer suggestions about relocating or finding a different roommate and can advise you on how to report your roommate's suspicious activity to the proper authorities.

Finding a good roommate is not that an easy task. But looking for a roommate at Roommate.ph website will surely help you to find the right one.

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Dealing With An Annoying Roommate In College

If you draw poorly at the roommate game, don't get discouraged. There are steps you can take to surviving with him/her.

If your roommate spends a lot of time in your room alone, try including him/her in some of your activities. Most of the time, people will stay in their room if they don't know anyone or haven't made many friends. Give them a chance.

If your roommate has annoying habits, there are steps for that too. The first and probably best step is to talk with them about the problem. Explain your side of the issue and why it bothers you. Most of the time, they will understand where you're coming from.

If you really can't stand your roommate anymore, ask your RA if there is something you can do about it. Perhaps he could do a switch or get something worked out with your residence hall director. Just keep trying!

Finding a good roommate is not that an easy task. But looking for a roommate at Roommate.ph website will surely help you to find the right one.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Dealing With a Loud Roommate

Maybe you're still in college and/or already working, it is really a time of new experiences, including living with a new roommate. Habits and ways of life that you may not share with your roommate (like volume tolerance) can cause tension.

So how do you cope? Here are some tips for dealing with a loud roommate.

Get to know each other. You and your roommate may seem vastly different from one another, but one of the best ways to attempt to overcome these differences is to simply talk to each other and find out where each of you is coming from. Discuss families, friends, majors and courses of study, reactions to college life and likes and dislikes. Knowing basic facts about each other will allow you to relate to each other.

Set ground rules together. Discuss important boundaries with your roommate so that you both know what things are important to each of you. In regards to noise, decide how late is too late to play music or watch the television and what times are will be designated for study, during which the room should be noise-free.

Voice your concerns. The first few times that your roommate gets a little loud, tell them. Explain why the noise was excessive and how you found it intrusive, but be nice about it. It may be that your ideas of what is and isn't loud are simply not the same.

Offer alternatives. If your roommate likes to play video games with the volume turned up, suggest buying headphones for the computer that will allow them to have the sound they need without intruding on your quiet. If they continuously have the stereo playing at all hours, ask if they would agree to a time of night when the stereo could be turned off to avoid disturbing your sleep and the rest of the dorm.

Be firm. If your roommate continues to be loud at all hours of the day and still does not respect your boundaries after several requests, do not give up. You have as much right to your quiet as they do to their noise, and as roommates, you must have a mutual respect for one another.

Enlist help. If you feel that the noise situation between you and your loud roommate cannot be resolved between the two of you, ask your resident adviser to help you out. Set up a meeting with your roommate and adviser when both you and your roommate can voice your opinions and be heard by an objective third party. Your resident adviser will be able to offer suggestions about sharing space and respecting each other's boundaries and preferences.

Finding a good roommate is not that an easy task. But looking for a roommate at Roommate.ph website will surely help you to find the right one.