Few people can claim they haven’t seen Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” music video at some point in their lives. Those who have seen it instantly envision a seemingly innocent Jackson as he escorts a date home after watching a scary movie. As he playfully teases her about being afraid of the film, the two are pursued by decrepit zombies lurking in the dark. The ghouls close in on their victims as Jackson’s date turns and realizes her only ally has morphed into a zombie as well.
Terrifying transformations like these are all too familiar when San Diego State students reminisce about horrible roommate experiences. At first glance, roommates often appear to be friendly, responsible and considerate individuals. However, for those less fortunate, when the full moon rises and roommates reveal their true colors, nightmares often become a reality.
Recently, SDSU students gathered around an imaginary campfire to share their own roommate horror tales.
Not a fan of scary stories? Don’t worry, SDSU senior and resident adviser Daniel “Mick” Walsh offered his tips to avoid similar situations in the future.
The boyfriend
Love is always in the air during the beginning of a new school year. Beautiful weather and fresh faces serve as a perfect backdrop for hookups and young romances. SDSU student Temple Robinson shared her story of the stress and discomfort she experienced when faced with limited space and the constant presence of her roommate’s new boyfriend in her freshmen residence hall:
“My roommate was a nice girl: smart, funny and very friendly. She always had people in and out of our room, mostly boys. It didn’t really bother me that much, until she got a boyfriend. It’s hard enough sharing a small, cramped room with a complete stranger. Sharing it with a complete stranger and her boyfriend only made it worse. He was a great guy and a mutual friend of ours before they started dating, so I was OK with him being over all the time at first. But then, they started acting like they had to spend every waking moment of their lives together. I woke up one morning without my contacts on and stripped down to get ready for my shower. I went back into the room after my shower, put my contacts on and noticed that he was in the bed with her the whole time. Although I’m pretty sure he was asleep the entire time I was changing, the fact that he could have possibly seen me naked was horrifying. I finally explained to her that I was uncomfortable with him always being over, but that just made things awkward between us. We could not see eye to eye, and she became very rude and catty, so I arranged to move to a different room with a new roommate. It’s funny though, in the end, I would much have preferred having him as a roommate instead of her”
Walsh said the best way to prevent situations like this is to have conversations with the roommate at the beginning to set up ground rules for visitors. “I would say have lunch with your roommate away from their significant other and set up a schedule or weekends when they can come over. You have to be assertive and voice your concerns in the beginning,” Walsh said.
Trash towers
One of the most common issues roommates struggle with involves cleanliness. SDSU freshman EJ Walls shared his story of how communicating the problem with his roommate got lost in the clutter:
“In the beginning of the school year I noticed that my roommate had a lot more stuff than I did, but I thought we could manage it. As time passed, his things started to slowly trickle over to my side of the room, especially his trash. He was the type of person who would let a mess grow in the room for two weeks then dedicate a day to clean it all up. After he mysteriously lost his trash can, we had to share one closer to my side under a full length mirror. The trash began to form a tower that was starting to cover some of the mirror. Since a majority of the trash came from him, I felt it was his responsibility. I decided to leave him a note on the mirror that said ‘This is not OK: Foulness’ with an arrow pointing down at the trash. When I came back later that day, the note was in the trash with more trash piled on top of it. His mom probably picked up after him a lot at home.”
Walsh said the type of indirect communication Walls used is not an effective way to get a point across. “Never leave a note. It’s always best to talk face-to-face. If you’re not the type of person who likes confrontation, try and bring it up in a friendly way, almost like it’s a joke. This can make the conversation a lot easier.”
The hamster
SDSU student Adrianne Baskin shared her story of how she still loses sleep because of an uninvited houseguest, courtesy of one freshman roommate:
“I shared a suite with seven other girls. I walked out of my room one day and saw a rodent scurry across the room. It freaked me out. I went back into my room and put a towel under my door to make sure it wouldn’t get in. I spent the next week and a half complaining to the front desk and housing director that we had rodents, but they didn’t do anything about it. I decided to take matters in my own hands and set up mousetraps in the house. I later passed the door of one of my roommates and saw a hamster ball and cage. I couldn’t believe that she let it run around the house by itself. We had a verbal altercation, and I didn’t trust her after that. I never saw the hamster again.”
In order to prevent explosive confrontations with a roommate, Walsh said a simple word can make a big difference. “Always use ‘I’ statements. Saying ‘I don’t feel comfortable with your hamster’ versus ‘This hamster is a problem’ is less offensive,” Walsh added.
Communication is clearly key when it comes to dealing with roommates. Selecting words wisely can create a happy ending from any nightmarish roommate scenario.
