Live with a complete stranger? Welcome to dorm life! To help you adjust to life with your new roomies, Campus Life visited some students at Olivet Nazarene University in Kankakee, Illinois, to get some advice. Heidi Ankorsoras, senior "With my roommates, I've found that if I'm just honest about what's bothering me, they're very understanding. I think if you're honest from the beginning, you can eliminate a lot of problems."
Bill Swallow, freshman "Get involved. I play sports and through that I met so many new people. So even if you get along great with your roommate, there are still other people you can hang out with. You don't have to be with your roommate all the time."
Bianca Fowler, senior "My freshman year my roommate and I got along fairly well, despite some personality differences. I would wake up in the morning and be ready to talk, but she was definitely not a morning person. I would be getting ready, asking questions and she wouldn't answer me. I didn't understand what was wrong. Eventually she told me I shouldn't talk to her before the first class. After she told me, I finally understood her behavior. If you don't tell the person you're living with how you're feeling, they might not understand why you're upset and frustrated. You can be honest without being harsh."
Sara Stevenson, senior "My roommate experiences have taught me to be flexible. I've roomed with people who go to bed early and with ones who stay up late. I've found it's best to have another room I can go to. When I need to go to bed earlier, I'll sleep in a friend's room. If I need to stay up and study, I've learned to study in the hall or to use a study room."
Phil Dannewitz, junior "My first roommate was really into computers. He would have a bunch of his friends in our room playing computer games late at night. They were very loud, so I chose to be up front in taking care of the situation. Don't let things fester. If some thing is bothering you, always talk to your roommate about it."
Dan Schlorff, junior "My roommate and I had problems initially. One night when I was trying to sleep he had lights on and music playing. He wouldn't turn any of it off. It was probably one of the worst nights of my life because he was being so inconsiderate. So, my advice is to be considerate and flexible, even when your roommates aren't."
Copyright © 2001 by the author or Christianity Today International/Campus Life magazine.
Click here for reprint information on Campus Life. | 
Printer view
