Talk it out before deciding to walk out

Roommates can be a college student’s worst enemy.

With the exception of single dorm housing, most undergraduate students are bunked with someone they have never met, bound to spend 36 weeks with their habits, behaviors and smells.

Unless a student requests a specific roommate or gets a lucky match, roommate experiences can seem like uncharted waters.

And who is to blame? As hundreds of first-time college students flock on to university campuses every year, being paired with someone ideally suited to their personality is a near impossibility.

Whether they live severely polar lifestyles or merely don’t pick up after themselves, the probability of being landed ill-fitting roommates is a danger all students face when selecting random housing.

So, when it becomes too much to bear, or is putting ones academic and emotional wellbeing in jeopardy what can they do about it?

The most effective way to handle this is to break it down into specific occurrences, there really are only so many incidents roommates can find themselves in, so below will be a list of common roommate situations and how to most effective handle them.

Dirty, unorganized roommates are not hard to find, and even if one roommate is this way and the other is not, everybody has their limits.

So when a roommate’s dirty laundry, unwashed dishes or cluttered desk space begins to spill over onto your side of the room, taking a stance and voicing your concerns is your right.

Just be careful, and try not to offend the roommate’s habits. Just express that you would appreciate if he or she chooses to not clean up after him or herself to keep it to their area of the room, and also keep it away from neutral sites like futons.

And if that roommate resides in the area closest to the door, ask if they would not mind switching to the farthest side so no one has to step around their mess when entering or leaving.

Not everyone has the same sleeping schedule, and being paired with someone with opposite sleeping habits is possible. To fix this, make sure each party is aware of each other’s class schedule and sleeping habits, that way you can set boundaries and rules before running into any potential problems.

If a roommate happens to be a night owl — watching TV late into the night, cooking food, keeping lights on —   know that you have the right to your eight hours. Telling them to keep lights off and activity to a minimum is not an outrageous request.

Try saving serious confrontation until it becomes an ongoing issue, and if it does, community advisers and hall directors can get involved in sorting these issues out.

The biggest disaster roommate situation anyone could run into is that of the party animal.

Roommates coming home intoxicated, not always alone, and being loud and obnoxious or even throwing parties in the room or apartment is not unheard of. These types of problems usually are not solved by a simple request to stop, sometimes dealing with these matters through democracy can work, but in the cases where it won’t, it is important to tread carefully.

Because of the University of South Dakota roommate laws and rights, even if a roommate is not present at the time of a drug or alcohol violation, that roommate is held equally accountable.

So the key is to stop this before it ever happens.

Just like before, voice any request to ban alcohol or partying in the room upon move-in. Let he or she know if bringing someone back to the room without your consent is off limits. Setting these boundaries beforehand could save some grief later.

Get it in writing that you agree to these boundaries, and if that is not possible or they refuse to abide by them, see advice from CAs or hall directors.

Just know that this is the real world, and in the real world everyone is held accountable for their, and sometimes other peoples, actions.

While not always fair, there are always other ways to handle disaster roommate situations than going straight to the top. It is as much your room as it is theirs, make your options heard and demand respect.

Don’t be afraid to get stern and demanding when matters get out of hand. Take control. Don’t let someone else ruin what is supposed to be a great college experience.

Above all, give respect back, without doing that you won’t get any back.

Also, don’t forget, random housing can create some of the strongest bonds of friendships that last a lifetime. So, keep an open mind, be friendly, be respectful, and the rest will come.