While living in a dorm room with a roommate can be exciting if you are lucky enough to bond with this new friend, most students don’t quite enjoy the “friend-for-life” experience that is promoted in movies. For some, the college experience is best enjoyed in a one-person (single) room.
However, the one-person room is not always easy to obtain, especially during the first year in college. So if you’re thinking of getting your own room, here are some tips to increase your chances.
1. Request / Pay for One – and Fast
Probably the easiest way to get into a single room in the dorm is to request one as soon as possible. Depending on the bureaucratic make up of your school, you may have to take a back seat to seniors who request single rooms first. However, if you play your cards right – and are willing to put up the extra money – you may be able to get yourself a room all your own.
2. Prove You Have a Social Disorder
So of course this isn’t something you want to make up for the sake of having your own room, but if you can prove legitimately (doctor paperwork, etc.) that you have a social disorder or other psychological disorder that requires you to be alone then you could receive a single room even in your first year of college.
3. Attend a School with Tons of One-Person Rooms
It’s a rarity, but there are a few schools that offer a ton of single rooms (ex. Scripps College). Attending one could increase your odds of getting a single room. However, if the school does offer singles in addition to other options – and you’re a freshman – you want to check its policy to see if you’re able to have your own room. Also, keep in mind that a quality college experience extends beyond the dorm room. In other words, your room could be great, but the rest could be horrible.
4. Convince Your Roommate to Move Out
If your roommate has just become best buds with a student or group of students living up the hall, you might be able to convince him or her to move in with them so that you could have your own room. However, it’s good to keep in mind that if you convince them to move out too early in the year, they may simply be replaced with a new roommate – one you don’t like at all.
5. Get a Resident Advisor Position
If you’re a natural leader and want your own room, you could apply for a resident advisor (RA) position that would make you in charge of a wing or floor. The good news with this position is that you would get your own room, but you would actually need to take your job seriously, so keep this in mind before you apply.
If you really want to get your own room, with a little determination and creativity, your dreams may just come true.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I don’t think I have that much problems with a roommate that I want to become a RA.
But I do know people with those problems, and for them, this post is very usefull! Thanks Stacey
I am so glad that sharing a room over here is a rarity. Some universities do make you share [like Durham] but most do not. Rather, you share if you request a shared room or if you apply so late that all normal rooms are gone.
I can’t imagine having to share with a stranger – living in the flat with them is enough as I have to have at least some space of my own.
Thus, I’m impressed with all those who embrace such a challenge and understand those who want to avoid it lol!
I was lucky enough to implement and succeed in step number 4. This article really brought back memories from dorm life.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane!
Jay