Johnson & Wales - Bad Roommate Habits

Things to watch out for and habits to avoid

"New roommates are like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get."

"He was the best of roommates, he was the worst of roommates…"
In your old room at home, sleeping naked or wandering around in your underwear is perfectly acceptable. Unless you're really lucky, you probably won't be able to live that way with your new roommate. Roommates will learn to live with most habits, but, there are some behaviors that cross the line... or make you want to draw a line across half the room. If you find your life being increasingly irritated by some of these habits, confront your roommate about how you can work together to ease the growing tensions. There is a good chance that your roommate has some beef with a few of your habits too, and it’s better to deal with it before it becomes a situation where you’re afraid that you will wake up at night to find your roommate hovering over you with a knife in hand.  If things really become intolerable, contact your housing advisor about finding a new roommate (or spread anonymous rumors about him/her in the Daily Jolt forum).  You may be stuck this year, but remember to check the Daily Jolt to find that single apartment for next year.  Here are a few of the more common complaints about life in the dorms for your amusement and heartache.

Warning Tickets

• Not refilling the Brita pitcher
• Leaving soda cans, dirty dishes etc. all around
• Never taking out the trash
• Offensive room decorations
• Barging in when you're naked
• Losing the TV remote
• Never knocking when the door is locked
• Do not use furniture as a napkin. Use a napkin.
• Not giving you telephone messages

Misdemeanors

• Singing with headphones on
• Mooching off your roommate's money
• Possession of smelly laundry
• Not washing bed sheets
• Unauthorized use of your computer
• Never offering to buy printer supplies (if you're sharing a printer)
• Leaving the fluorescent light on all night while you're trying to sleep
• Mail theft (ironically it is actually a felony according to federal law)
• Eating all of your food
• Messing with a roommate’s away message, “Brian is pooping, be back waaaaaay later.”
• Always having people in the room, or never leaving the room. Everyone needs some alone time.

Felonies

• Having a "live-in" boyfriend or girlfriend. You could've sworn only 2 people are supposed to live in your room.
• Waking up to “strange personal noises”
• Destroying something in the room, getting fined, and blaming it on you
• Breaking something of yours and not telling you. Don't try to hide it, that strategy really never seems to work.
• Failing to maintain personal hygiene on a regular basis
• Asking to use one of your papers for their class or trying to recycle one of your old projects
• Puking in the room
• Breaking the cardinal rule, DO NOT ENTER WHEN A TIE IS ON THE DOORKNOB

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