Let’s face it, of all of the people paired to be campus roommates this year, some just won’t get along.
If students don’t like their rooms or their roommates, they can apply for a room change at the front desk of their buildings. Requests for the general room change period are due Wednesday.
Wayne Sullivan, senior area coordinator for Residence Life, said more space is available for students who want single rooms this year, though he encourages students to work out roommate differences on their own or with the help of resident advisers.
He said about 2,000 people live on campus and more have single rooms than double rooms. The new Redondo Village Apartments, just east of Johnson Field, have added 400 extra single rooms for students.
Jenna Sultemeier, area coordinator for Residence Life, said about 95 percent of campus roommates get along. The remaining 5 percent go their separate ways or negotiate, she said.
Living with roommates can help people learn about themselves and their ability to adjust to others, Sullivan said.
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“I think it’s a good experience to have at some point,” he said.
Jacqui Otterbine, a UNM freshman from Michigan, said she applied for a single room at the Student Residence Center apartments but ended up rooming with a stranger at Coronado Hall.
“I have a lot of stuff,” she said looking around her room filled with boxes and clothes. “I’ve never really shared a room with anyone.”
Otterbine said she is excited about living with her new roommate, though they don’t seem to have many things in common.
“She plays a lot of sports, and I’m not really into that,” she said.
Sultemeier recommends that roommates get to know each other by having an initial discussion about their lifestyles, habits and patterns, such as when they study, sleep, watch television and play music. She said people might also learn more about their roommates and neighbors by attending dorm meetings and playing icebreaker games.
If problems arise after living together, roommates should try to talk it out, Sullivan said.
“Maybe it’s something they can clear up on their own,” he said.
If talking together doesn’t work, he said roommates should schedule time to meet with a resident adviser who can help people direct discussion traffic. Sullivan said all resident advisers attend a conflict mediation learning session as part of their seven-day training before the school year begins.
Resident advisers can also help roommates draft a contract that states their negotiations and commitments in writing, he said.
For example, if one roommate’s sleep is constantly interrupted by another’s early-morning primping habits, the two could write a contract that says they will both get ready for school in the bathroom, where they cannot disturb each other.
Sullivan said some of the most common living concerns have to do with cleanliness and noise. He said cases of roommates stealing from each other are rare and that he doesn’t recall any in the past year.
He said if someone has proof that their roommate is stealing money, credit cards, jewelry or other personal items, area coordinators will contact campus police and will notify the dean of students.
Sullivan said stealing from your roommate could lead to a contract cancellation, which expels a person from living on campus.
Otterbine said she is from a small town and has never really worried about theft. She has four keys for Coronado Hall: a perimeter key, a bathroom key, a room key and a closet key.
“It’s pretty secure, I think,” she said.
Otterbine said she doesn’t have any concerns about living with her roommate but may in the future.
Sultemeier said she hopes Resident Life coordinators and advisers will be able to help campus residents find solutions to their living situations.
“Our number one concern is that we want them to be happy,” she said.
