Roommate Conflict
By: Drew Satter, Housing and Residence Life
When roommates get along well, there are so many benefits to a living situation. There should be open communication, friendliness, and a place that feels like home. Roommates don’t need to be best friends, but there should be minimally a good vibe in the room or apartment. So, what should a student do if their roommate situation is not going well? There are a few things that should be quite helpful.
First, it’s important to be able to express what is going on. A roommate can’t change an annoying behavior if they don’t know it’s annoying you. So, if your roommate turns on all the lights and is too loud when they come home while you’re sleeping, talk to them about it! Most of the time that fixes the problem, because people are typically reasonable.
Second, roommates should be filling out their roommate agreements. There is a lot of good information in there that roommates may not think to talk about. It’s best to talk it out first before it becomes an issue. If roommates are not sure where to find a roommate agreement, talk to your RA!
Third, if a roommate is still not listening even though they’ve been directly talked to (it’s important to be clear and direct! Don’t be passive-aggressive or subtle), consult with an RA! They have been trained in many areas and can help out in a sticky situation. RAs can even help mediate a conversation about a roommate conflict if a roommate is particularly challenging. Just be sure that both sides are listening and willing to come to a compromise because both parties are typically doing something that the other would like to have changed. It’s important to have that frame of mind!
At Gonzaga, the residential learning experience is something we value. We want to make sure that students have a safe, educational, fun place to live, learn, socialize, and sleep. We are committed to helping the residents achieve that goal and have an amazing time at this wonderful university. I hope that these suggestions help; if there are any questions, each hall has live-in staff available to help in the form of Residence Assistants, Community Advocates, and Resident Directors.