“I was sleeping one night and I rolled over and she was just staring at me. Like wide awake, just staring at me. That creeped me out.”

This elementary early childhood education major (name withheld to protect privacy) is just one of many UNI students who have run into roommate problems during their time in college.

“I wasn’t allowed to have lights on in the room,” she said. “I wasn’t allowed to blow dry my hair if she was sleeping; I wasn’t allowed to have friends over.”

This roommate also intimidated her so much that she did not want to confront her because she was physically and emotionally scared of her roommate.

She ended up moving out of the room at the end of the fall semester.

This  student’s advice: “Just . . . move out. It can make your experience so much better if you have a good roommate.”

Most students will live with a roommate at least once while in college.

While sometimes a good relationship can be started, others may find their roommates difficult.

For some, however, their roommates can be an absolute horror.

A sophomore psychology major remembers the time she lived with a roommate that was incompatible and controlling.

“Every time I would have people over . . . she would trash her side of the room,” she said. “Every time I was having a good day she would get pissed, and I basically wasn’t allowed to have a good day. She’d get jealous that I was having a good day.”

This roommate also made up drastic stories to cover up why she was truly upset.

“It started out as her friend having brain cancer and then changed to her friend having Leukemia and was going to die soon,” she said.

This student did stay the entire school year with this roommate, but she wished that she would have left the situation sooner.

Her advice to others isto confront the problem the first time, and that if someone is unhappy, do not stay as long as she did.

These situations are not restricted to dorm rooms, as students experience bad roommates off campus as well.

A senior movement and exercise science major, who lives in a house off campus, lived with an irresponsible roommate last semester.

He, along with his other two roommates, needed a subleaser and one of his roommates found this new roommate via Facebook.

“She didn’t pay rent, she never signed the lease,” he said. “She was late on utilities every month.”

However, there was one incident that drew the line for him and his roommates.

“I turn the garbage disposal on and her shot glasses [were] in the garbage disposal. I know it was her because I did the dishes before I left [for Thanksgiving break],” he said. “She was the only one there that week. It ruined the whole garbage disposal, and she totally denied it.”

Not too long after this he, his roommates and the landlord wanted her out of the house. A few weeks after winter break, she gathered her things and left.

“Take action right away,” he said. “I would say talk to the roommate first to try and resolve the problem.”

Nick Rafanello, the director of Residence Life, explained how the Department of Residence (DOR) hear incidences like these a handful of times per month.

“We usually encourage our residents to talk with their RA first,” Rafanello said. “The RA will [then] work with their Residence Life Coordinator.”

RLC’s are professional staff members who work in each building on campus, except for Hillside-Jennings where an area coordinator oversees both residence from Hillside-Jennings and Roth.

In terms of students wanting to move away from a roommate, it depends on what is available at the time.

“We really try to work with the student to make sure that they are content, happy with where they want to go to,” Rafanello said.

According to Rafanello, the DOR is committed to working with a student until they are able to help find a living situation that meets their needs.

“Roommate conflicts and challenges will always come about in different ways,” Rafanello said. “So we work our best to make sure students enjoy where they are living and are comfortable.”

For students who live off-campus, there are resources and ways to resolve roommate conflicts as well.

Nicole Behrens-Arndt, property manager at Hillcrest Park Apartments, has been roommate matching and placing students in apartments for six and a half years. If a resident at Hillcrest is having a conflict with a roommate, she encourages them to come and speak to her.

“We would just go over how to talk to them and what to say and to set rules in the apartment and to set cleaning standards,” Behrens-Arndt said. “[Some problems include] cleaning or eating each other’s food or overstepping boundaries.”

Residents who want to move out of the apartment completely is very rare. If a resident feels that they have to get out, they may have to wait until another person is unhappy and is willing to swap places.

Roommate assignments for the 16-17 school year went out over spring break, and new or current residents have until April 1 to tell management if they do not want to live with who they have been assigned.

Behrens-Arndt gave her advice when it comes to messy, loud or inconsiderate roommates,

“People forget the power of apologizing for something,” Behrens-Arndt said. “Everybody does stuff wrong, and they need to be able to say sorry and that they are wrong and correct a situation when they do.”

If you are having trouble with a roommate, remembering that communication and leaving a situation before it leaves those involved unhappy are important, according to some students.

For support, staying in touch with your RA, RLC or landlord is recommended Behrens-Arndt.