Megan O’Leary-Buda
Congratulations, you have been accepted to college! Get ready, your life is about to change. Deciding to live on-campus is an even more exciting, though sometimes challenging, experience. College life is completely different than anything a young adult faces in high school. The best preparation is to know exactly what to expect. Although you cannot plan for every milestone, you can start college prepared with knowledge from others who have been there before. Determining how to be prepared for a successful life in college requires you to look at the issues from the perspectives of many different people.
Living the college life is more than just hanging around in a dorm room with friends like you see in the movies. There is more to life in a residence hall than just cork boards and concert posters. You will have much more to deal with than trying to decide which party to attend while still attempting to wake up for that 8:00 a.m. sociology class. Add in a new person to live with, whom you have never met, and your life will again take a new spin.
Frequently, a new college roommate can cause you to view your life and the world differently. Sharing items may be a new concept and dealing with someone’s quirks may try your last nerve. While a troublesome roommate can be a challenge, Linda Fiore, author of The College Roommate from Hell: Skills and Strategies for Surviving College With a Problem Roommate, provides a complete guide for college life. She arms you with the essential college student handbook, providing details on what to expect in the months before you attend your first semester to dealing with those crazy habits a new roommate will bring into your life.
Since it wasn’t long ago that I was a college student, I can attest that this book is exactly what I could have used to help my friends with their troublesome roommates. In my current position as a residence hall director, I work to help students transition into college and assist in their personal development on a daily basis. Specifically, each semester my position requires me to answer questions from students and parents. The suggestions that I give on roommate and mediation issues are not just for first year students, but upperclassmen as well. This book offers the same advice that I often give to my new students and I am sure that it will be a resource that you will refer back to often as issues arise with your new roommate.
Frequently, students are very excited about going to college, but do not prepare in a way that will truly help them. College preparation is more than just scheduling your classes so that you will be able to graduate on time. Living on a college campus is an intricate new world. Learning more about yourself before you arrive will assist you in determining your compatibility with a new roommate.
In the book, Fiore lays out a clear path for success so that new students can begin on the right track and have a rewarding college experience. The setup of the book is extremely reader friendly. After each chapter, she even offers helpful words of wisdom that sum up the topic at hand. This is a great summary for understanding the real life of a college student.
While it’s expected that life at college will eventually throw some curves in your plan, the information in this book is intended to assist you in making conscious decisions about how you can change your life. Even if your idea of the perfect college roommate does not pan out, this book will assist you in finding new ways to deal with that different, and sometimes difficult, roommate. Remember that there is more to a college roommate than just their schedule and their musical interests. Ultimately, their lifestyle may have an impact on your life, too. The best advice is to come to college prepared for the worst, but hoping for the best. The more intricate details of a person’s life will appear as you begin to live together. You may come to think of your roommate as a best friend or you may avoid them at all costs. You may even become a guiding force in your roommate’s life.
A student’s transition into college may be difficult to understand. Even if you are able to acclimate yourself well to new atmospheres, reading this book may help you assist others in their self-discovery. Fiore offers real life stories from college students about many situations that you will face yourself, such as having difficult conversations about sexuality, mediating conflicts, eating disorders, and many more. Frequently students can come prepared with the right sized sheets, but have no idea how to help others with these larger issues that come along with living in a residence hall. Keeping an open mind about other lifestyles and personal interests will only enhance your ability to live with people who are different than you.
Most of this book will show you how to handle the situations on your own. However, sometimes you can only do so much. While rooming with a new person may not always work out, Fiore also offers guidance in mediation and working with residential life professionals. Students and parents alike can gain much needed advice from Fiore. Take all of her tips into consideration while preparing for college life. Remember, no one has a right way, but The College Roommate from Hell: Skills and Strategies for Surviving College With a Problem Roommate offers expert advice from administrators and students who have lived through it. I wish you luck with your new transition to the awesome world of college.
Megan O’Leary-Bud
Residence Hall Director, Off Campus Properties
Quinnipiac University
Megan O’Leary-Buda holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and Religion from Ashland University. While there, she worked with students and assisted in their transition into campus life as a Resident Assistant. During the completion of her master’s degree in higher education administration at The University of Akron, she developed assessment tools and strategic planning for the Department of Student Life. She has written many articles for www.collegeview.com and www.gradview.com regarding college life including:
• What to Expect When You Arrive at College: Getting acquainted with your surroundings and adjusting to college life
• Sharing a Room: Preparing to share your space and your stuff for the first time
• College Dorm Life: Sharing your space, shower, laundry facility, and more
• Meeting New People: Finding friends you’ll have forever
• The Scholarship Application Process
• What to Bring to College: Helping you pack for your first year
• Q&A with a Financial Aid Office
Megan currently works for Quinnipiac University as a residence hall director for off-campus properties. There, she is able to work with true transfer students in an apartment community, as well as sophomore and junior students living in university owned neighborhoods. Additionally, she supervises resident assistants for these areas who provide support for those residential students.
