College, Dorms and roommates

[schindlerpiste]

What are your thoughts on this subject? If you can afford a single, would you go for it? During freshman year, my daughter opted for a single. Since then, she has moved off campus with a friend from her sorority. Millennials can be tough. We have heard so many stories about problems between roommates: study habits, sleeping habits, sex habits, drug and alcohol habits, jealousy and envy. In retrospect, I'm glad that she made the decision that she did. Studying in college is hard enough without the drama.
My son will be a jazz piano/music business and entertainment major at the Frost School of Music (THE []_[]).:you rock: He will have an 88 key keyboard in his room, which is tight, as is. I think that he would like a roommate (another musician preferably), but I can see how space constraints and playing habits may be counter-productive. If he were studying business, this would be a no-brainer, as I would like to save the extra cost of a single, and I think that by and large, boys are just less maintenance. But, the music issue gets me thinking.

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE []_[]!

[gatorboy]

What are your thoughts on this subject? If you can afford a single, would you go for it? During freshman year, my daughter opted for a single. Since then, she has moved off campus with a friend from her sorority. Millennials can be tough. We have heard so many stories about problems between roommates: study habits, sleeping habits, sex habits, drug and alcohol habits, jealousy and envy. In retrospect, I'm glad that she made the decision that she did. Studying in college is hard enough without the drama.
My son will be a jazz piano/music business and entertainment major at the Frost School of Music (THE []_[]).:you rock: He will have an 88 key keyboard in his room, which is tight, as is. I think that he would like a roommate (another musician preferably), but I can see how space constraints and playing habits may be counter-productive. If he were studying business, this would be a no-brainer, as I would like to save the extra cost of a single, and I think that by and large, boys are just less maintenance. But, the music issue gets me thinking.

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE []_[]!

I would think the Dean of the music dept. would be wiling to step in on this....maybe involve a professor first (as he/she might know of a student with similar interests...since he/she probably listened to his/her audition). #stayedatholidayinnlastnight

[old goat]

My son had the roommate from hell his freshman year--guy never did laundry, just piled his dirty clothes in the corner, never left the room except for track practice and classes, borrowed my son's stuff without asking, never spoke to my son. I doubt the kid made it past freshman year. My son was able to switch rooms mid year--his second roommate is still a close friend 13 years later.
My other son's freshman roommate was Indian (born in the US) and only associated with other Indian students--he and my son had nothing to do with each other.
Both of my kids moved into the frat after freshman year.
When I was in college I went through a lot of roommates. Singles were very scarce. It was the general consensus that I should have one.

[XXX-er]

Junior got the single for the first year in res, consider what you are paying for a years tuition and how a shitty rm could fuck it up?

[Cruiser]

College roommates suck. But having one during freshman year builds character. Teaches you how to be accommodating and to find ways to work with other people who have different values. But it still sucks.

[Sirshredalot]

What sort of nonsense process is this where you can just buy a single for on-campus housing? Where is the combination of strategy and luck for the on-campus room draw? Where is the sense of equality under the rule of the fickle random number generator?

[schindlerpiste]

Cruiser, that is nail on the head.
Sirshredalot, that is not the process. There are about 25 singles available for frosh. girls and 25 for boys. Who gets them depends upon: 1) when you pay the housing deposit; 2) do you request a single. For frosh., singles cost about $2500/yr. more than a double. Some parents don't want to pay the extra money; some can't afford to. Others wait until the end of April to pay the deposit and to commit to the school. We paid the moment he was accepted, as we are all about Frost, and THE []_[]. Sure, he may not have the choice, but he has a good shot of getting one, if he so chooses.

[detrusor]

How has no one suggested the hot opposite sex roommate with benefits option? This place is slipping.

[Danno]

What sort of nonsense process is this where you can just buy a single for on-campus housing? Where is the combination of strategy and luck for the on-campus room draw? Where is the sense of equality under the rule of the fickle random number generator?

my thoughts exactly. there was just one price for "room and board" and what you got was luck of the draw. and as an incoming freshman, it was totally luck because you didn't even get to make strategic decisions (other than filling out some questionnaire).

I got lucky, my 2 roommates from freshman year are two lifelong friends. and I got doubly lucky because we were put in the school's 2 br apartments, and the 4th roommate bailed on school at the last minute, and in the game of rock paper scissors on day one, I got the single.

[Mazderati]

What's the []_[]?

[Cruiser]

I went to college back in the dirty south. T'wasn't none of those shenanigans going on in our dorms. The sexes were completely segregated in the on-campus housing. But man, I heard some pretty good stories about kids in less conservative schools and how roommate shagging was par for the course. That said, at 18, I don't know that a having a fuckable roomie would be worth the ceaseless irritation of living with an 18yo girl in a confined space.


My suggestion is to watch Pauly Shore's timeless portrayal of college dorm RA who befriends a sheltered freshman girl on his floor. High jinks ensue...

[schindlerpiste]

[hatchgreenchile]

It's so tough to forecast. Just wing it and enjoy the ride! That's the fun of college.

Long time musician here. I got stuck with 2 roomates freshman year in what should have been a double. Still brought my tenor sax, guitars, amp and Crate PA system to the room. One of the guys seemed like he'd be a natural buddy and was a complete dick. He left after 4 months and the replacement roomate is one of my best friends to this day. He was a bass and guitar player so he fit right in. Other guy was a rapper from inner city Syracuse. We ended up blasting everything from Duke Ellington to Tupac through the PA and have his buddies over to freestyle over some tracks I whipped up. Good times!

[mtngirl79]

Yeah, roommates are part of college. Part of the experience.

[hutash]

Life is hard, having a roommate is just one way of learning to deal with it. The reason millennials suck is they never have to learn how to deal with life, mommy and daddy do it for them. Sure paying extra is a way to protect your little prince or princess, but unless they are paying for it, forget it.

My daughter while in high school was traveling to France for an AFS language program. The wheel on her suitcase broke at JFK and she called wanting to know what to do, thinking I am going to giving her my CC number so she can buy an overpriced one in the airport. My response was to carry it, it is what we did before the wheel was invented (yeah, I'm that old) at least for the suitcase. I told her you want to be a world traveler, you have to learn and adapt to shit that happens. Roommates are really no different.

Both my kids had to learn to deal with dorm mates, it is life, deal with it.

[ex-powderbroker]

[fatnslow]

Op's kid better have some spending money to roll with the rich music program at the U. I know a kid in the music program there on a full scholarship and it sounds almost mandatory to go into Miami to go clubbing for the music school kids.

[Sirshredalot]

Life is hard, having a roommate is just one way of learning to deal with it. The reason millennials suck is they never have to learn how to deal with life, mommy and daddy do it for them. Sure paying extra is a way to protect your little prince or princess, but unless they are paying for it, forget it.

My daughter while in high school was traveling to France for an AFS language program. The wheel on her suitcase broke at JFK and she called wanting to know what to do, thinking I am going to giving her my CC number so she can buy an overpriced one in the airport. My response was to carry it, it is what we did before the wheel was invented (yeah, I'm that old) at least for the suitcase. I told her you want to be a world traveler, you have to learn and adapt to shit that happens. Roommates are really no different.

Both my kids had to learn to deal with dorm mates, it is life, deal with it.

This millennial manages to deal with things just fine, thanks. Room draw lottery, ample drug use, and nubile co-eds did not make my college experience one to complain about.

[plugboots]

The wild card is he's at Frost. Will he be practicing at all hours, or is there a practice room down the hall? Meaning the roommate and your son?

[DJSapp]

College roommates suck. But having one during freshman year builds character. Teaches you how to be accommodating and to find ways to work with other people who have different values. But it still sucks.

This. Learning how to choose a roommate and what to look for is an important life skill. Learning how to deal with people you don't see eye to eye with is another skill to learn. College isn't just about academic learning.

As for your kid with a keyboard, the dorm isn't the place to do that shit. That's for the music building. Read and study in the library/coffee shop/quad/whatever. Sleep and do laundry in the dorm. You're not paying for a 5 star resort experience. Different places for different things. A dorm room isn't your house, it's a place to sleep and keep your clothes.

And everyone looks at the people in the singles like "What's wrong with that guy? Why's she/he such a shut in?"

[old goat]

This millennial manages to deal with things just fine, thanks. Room draw lottery, ample drug use, and nubile co-eds did not make my college experience one to complain about.

Nubile? You sir are no millennial--unless we're talking about a previous millennium.

[Mazderati]

Never heard of it.




I kid.

[schindlerpiste]

DJ Sapp, you make good points. There are ample practice facilities on the first floor of one of the freshman dorms that are equipped with pianos; however, I'm sure that he will still play a lot in his room. He has a Yamaha S90XS that he will be taking with him. Late at night, he can plug headphones in, so not to disturb neighbors, but banging on the keys might keep a roommate awake. I know that at home, he plays to the wee hours of the morning. Also, I'm sure that he will join a band and jam and play gigs off campus. You guys bring up so many good reasons to decide either way. For my son's situation, Plugboots says it best: "The wildcard is he's at Frost".

[Sirshredalot]

Nubile? You sir are no millennial--unless we're talking about a previous millennium.

Being inarticulate is no way to talk your way into a co-ed's pants.

Also, you oldsters need to make up / abuse a new term for annoying children. Millennials are getting into their 30s.

[plugboots]

I just watched "Whiplash" again a couple days ago, and the student was always down the hall or somewhere banging away. I think at Frost, everybody's a musician, or related to music, so playing a headphone keyboard would be cool, I'm pretty sure. Plus might be good to share a room with someone with completely different musical tastes, (or learn to deal with it).