Wanted: a nice, clean roommate. One who doesn’t play the radio too loud, doesn’t smoke, doesn’t steal and pays the bills on time.
This ad may sound drastic, but these are just a few problems that students run into with their roommates.
Coming to college requires most students to share living space with someone else.
Whether it’s required for dormitory occupants or for personal reasons, like splitting the bills in half, many students end up staying with a roommate. In some cases, the person could be a complete stranger.
These types of living arrangements are capable of stirring up a lot of unwanted conflict.
Kaya Lawrence, 22, a sociology student from Tampa remembers her experiences her sophomore year at Palmetto Phase III when she had to share the apartment with five other girls.
“Two of my roommates smoked (weed). When me and the other roommates reported them to the office, they put stuff in my Listerine that made it change colors.”
Eventually Lawrence’s parents had requested that she be removed from the room.
On-campus housing situations like Lawrence’s are usually handled by campus housing.
Housing interim director, Oscar Crumity said that most roommate conflicts come from personality differences.
“We (housing) encounter situations where one person enjoys quiet times versus the roommates likes to stay up late,” Crumity said.
Crumity mentioned other reasons for roommate’s frustration.
“Lack of respect of other people’s property by borrowing things without permission.”
Students living off campus, however, don’t have the luxury of calling campus housing to solve their problems.
LaQuanda Dace, 22, a fourth-year pharmacy student from Jacksonville is barely talking to her former roommates these days.
“We started off being really good friends, but by the time the lease was up the three of us were no longer speaking,” Dace said. “We communicated by leaving messages on a board by the door.”
Dace said a number of things created the silent atmosphere.
“We had differences with money, privacy, and who we hung with.”
On the other hand, some students have not had to live in unfavorable conditions.
“Me and my roommate have never had to argue,” said Chris Grate, 21, a senior civil engineering student from Charlotte, NC.
“We were from different places, but we just became friends”, he said.
Lawrence, who is currently living with friends said that’s she’s put the past behind her.
“My situation is much better now,” she said.
Grate offered a word of advice for students that are having problems with their roommates.
“Whenever a situation is put in front of you, you just got to deal with it.”