By Nyasha Mandiveyi
The idea of sharing the same room with someone you’ve never met is a huge risk for any one to take. Having a roommate comes with the promise of either lifelong friendship or rivalry. You are obligated to get along with that person for as long as you have to live together.
Not only are roommates forced to communicate, there is little privacy and sometimes you just can’t avoid each other. For some, it’s the first time they are sharing personal space with anyone.
Although there is no formula to getting the perfect roommate, there are ways to help alleviate some of the pressure of being assigned a college “roomie.”
SCAD Atlanta uses a software program called Adirondack to help match people’s preferences to a person with similar inclinations. Adirondack considers things like ideal room temperature, whether or not a person smokes and sleep and study habits. Still, some students don’t believe a computer-generated perfect match will guarantee a hassle-free living space. Some students take matters into their own hands.
“To break the ice, I contacted my roommate before we came, to get to know him a little,” said Chioke Shyaam, first-year animation student. “He does bring his girlfriend over sometimes, which can be distracting, but other than that we get along pretty well.”
A rising trend among incoming freshmen is finding roommates on the SCAD Atlanta Facebook page. The page allows you to find out more about potential roommates. The request to become “roomies” is made by the students as opposed to being assigned one.
While some hit the jackpot, others walk away from the experience resentful. “One of my roommates was very two-faced, manipulative and liked to talk down to me,” said Travalia Thurston, third-year fashion design student. “I don’t like people that talk behind my back, but if you mess with me, God help you.”
When conflict arises Student Life (SL) mediates through resident assistants. “We try to work with the students to come to common ground where students can get along.” said Marcus Mister, director of SL. “If that doesn’t work we just switch the students to another room.”
Before sharing a room with anyone, SL advises that students go over the roommate agreement and decide on how to handle issues that may arise.
“When I first met my roommate, I had to pray,” said Kadesh Wyche, second-year fashion marketing student. Although having a roommate comes with its ups and downs, good communication and tolerance are qualities that can make difficult situations end on a positive note. “We don’t have anything in common, so we sat down and talked. Now we are good and I’m still getting to know her.”
