AU Housing wants students to love living on campus! Whether a resident shares a room or a suite with other Auburn students, they have a responsibility to live cooperatively with them. Today, few college students have experience sharing a room with another person. Many students have grown up having a private bedroom and the idea of sharing space with a non-family member can be daunting. Housing staff is here to help students adjust to this new experience and to help them learn to thrive.
Living with Others
Roommate Relations
All Auburn students have a responsibility to live cooperatively with the roommates or suitemates with whom they share their on-campus home. Roommates or suitemates do not need to be best friends, however, it is important to be kind and considerate of each other.
Whether you are old friends or new to each other, completing a Roommate or Suitemate Agreement is the first step in starting a successful relationship. Students are expected to complete the Roommate or Suitemate Agreement at the beginning of the fall semester or each time you begin living with a new person. Learning to work out issues with your roommate(s) now is great practice for living with others throughout your life.
Three Tips for When Conflicts Arise
- Talk to Each OtherWhen a disagreement arises, it is best to talk to your roommate directly -in person- before talking to anyone else. Venting your frustrations to other residents on your floor or on social media can complicate matters. Sit down with them and express your feelings, after all, you’d appreciate this approach too, right? Use “I” statements and avoid an accusatory tone of voice. Let your roommate explain their perspective too. They could also have some behaviors that they would like to address. Remember, you want to feel comfortable living in your room and talking things out can often nip problems in the bud.
- Do not let Small Concerns LingerConsistent communication is helpful so you and your roommate(s) can work out problems together. If you don’t share what’s frustrating you, your roommate may not even know that a problem exists! If you address issues in a timely fashion, they may not snowball into something bigger.
- Talk to AU Housing StaffIf you have tried to communicate directly with your roommate and it doesn’t seem to be working, or if you need someone to help mediate an issue, talk to one of the RAs in your residence hall. The RA will be able to help you and your roommate resolve conflicts. If all else fails, during the academic year, AU Housing offers a Room Change Week once a semester.
Roommate FAQs
Here you will find answers to the most common questions asked about roommates. If you do not find answers to your questions here, please send us an email.
Having a roommate is vital to the college experience. Even if you think you’ll never have a roommate again in the future, the roommate experience will give you vital skills in conflict management and compromise that will be beneficial in your personal and work life after college. Having a roommate helps with splitting the costs of items such as cleaning supplies, food and large items (TVs or refrigerators) and can save you money. Having a roommate forces you to become more social. You may make a lifelong friend, or you may make friends with your roommate’s friends. This also represents a great opportunity for you to network. Having a roommate means you have access to all of his or her connections. Living with a roommate means you have a built-in buddy to go out with. Seeing a movie, attending events on campus, or going to a ball game is more fun when you have a friend to do it with — and who better to ask than the person who lives with you?
Students who are leaving the room for any reason are encouraged to tell their roommates and/or suitemates in advance of the move.
It could be that your roommate is unaware that they are violating a housing policy. Talk with your roommate first and give them a chance to change their behavior. If you are uncomfortable talking with your roommate about the concern, talk with your RA or stop by the area office to talk with an Area Coordinator.
AU Housing staff members are trained to help roommates communicate with each other, to identify what they consider important, and to mediate conflicts. However, if roommates decide that they are not compatible, students may request room changes during Room Change Week. This week provides students wishing to relocate with the most options. If you miss Room Change Week, talk to your Resident Assistant if you are experiencing difficulties throughout the rest of the semester.
This option is only available when all requests for campus housing have been accommodated. Students without roommates who wish to guarantee they will not be assigned a roommate may pay an additional fee to privatize their room. Students who do not privatize their room may receive a roommate at any time throughout the academic year. AU Housing provides roommates with 24 hours advance notice when a new roommate is assigned to the room.
You should first try to resolve the issue with your roommate. If you feel uncomfortable trying to resolve the issue alone, you have staff available to help. You should speak with your Resident Assistant (RA) on your floor or in your residence hall or your Area Coordinator (AC) to try to resolve the issues with your roommate.
Last modified: September 14, 2021