<p>My university has the dumbest option ever when filling out a housing application. There's a button you can check that prevents your assigned roommate from being able to see your name or contact information for "safety" [if they're going to trust someone enough to live with them, you'd think they could trust them with their NAME], so it's possible to not even know their name until you've both moved in. And -- of course -- this is what my roommate decided to do. It's already killing me enough to have another random roommate after all my experiences with them last year, but to literally go into it blind?</p>
<p>Do any other universities do this? Am I the only one who thinks it's idiotic?</p>
<p>I’ve never heard of that before, and I really can’t understand the rationale. I would also have to wonder why someone saw a need to use that option.</p>
<p>The email I got with my “roommate info” [ha!] said that the option was to protect their safety. Like I said, though, why trust someone enough to live with them if you won’t trust them with your friggin’ name? I’ve never seen anyone actually use that option.</p>
<p>@crs1909: Yeah, we can pick our own roommates. I actually had submitted a roommate request with a friend, but she forgot to fill it in as well, so I’m stuck with someone random.</p>
<p>That’s completely ridiculous. I took my address out of the student directory for safety reasons, but your ROOMMATE? They could at least give you an email for goodness sakes, how are you supposed to know who is bringing what? </p>
<p>If you didn’t check that box, maybe they’ll contact you?</p>
<p>They’re “highly recommended” to contact the roommate who lists their information, but she’s taking a while to do so. I was sort of hoping to get everything settled for what we’re bringing relatively soon since I won’t be around right before school starts. Absolutely insane that a school would offer that option…</p>
<p>I’d be mostly worried about the roommate being anti-social and/or really weird. I mean it takes a certain kind of person to go out of their way to try to avoid contact with their future roommate.</p>
<p>You never know, maybe her parents told her to, or maybe there is some reason that she did it. I would be annoyed with the school but try not to be too upset with the girl, as strange as it seems. I had a very good reason for not wanting my name and address to be online in the student directory.</p>
<p>Taking your info out of the student directory is different because it protects you from outsiders who wouldn’t otherwise obtain that info. Refusing to allow your roommate to see your info is different because it’s basically just avoiding the inevitable. I’m guessing the nondisclosure probably stems from some sort of trust or social issue. It could also be a power thing because now the roommate has complete control as to whether or not they wish to engage in some form of contact with their roommate.</p>
<p>Or you’re all crazy and reading into this a lot more than roommate did when she did it. Being annoyed is one thing but assuming the girl must have social issues is just weird.</p>
<p>I removed my information from the student directory as well, so I completely understand that train of thought. It’s just removing it when only your roommate would see that strikes me as weird! My original thought was just that she would be antisocial or kinda weird, but I guess I understand the parental issue. However, a previous roommate of mine just got around the problem by typing “email is preferred” instead of giving her phone number and address to protect her safety. I don’t see why she could just do that.</p>
<p>I think it’s just weird that the default option is to allow the person to see your info and that person went out of their way to make sure that their future roommate couldn’t see theirs. Since they went out of their way, there was obviously some sort of incentive for them to protect their info. The incentive is what I think is kinda interesting.</p>
<p>I wish I had not given my info to my new roommate freshmen year. I think the school would have to offer some privacy options. I know you’re curious, but you’ll have a ton of time to learn about them. If you both bring something like a tv, just take it back home. If your roommate like privacy, it may be a good thing. I would have loved a quite, shy roommate who kept to themselves. Would you rather be internet stocked? You could always ask housing for info and state your case, or you can just ask to switch now. My personal advice is that if you can get a single, do it. If you’re a freshmen you may just be nervous about school, but I don’t think it’s a big deal. I mean I have barely talked to my roommate this summer about what we need for the apartment, and we’re best friends. I actually talked to my roommate before freshmen year, and she said she brought stuff she didn’t end up bringing, and she said she would bring things like a fridge and a fan. The fan was too small to cool off the room, and the fridge was about half the size of most mini fridges. I ended up buying both things. So, just because you sort it out beforehand doesn’t mean it’ll make things easier.</p>
<p>or someone who’s related to someone that’s important/celebrity. But it seems like if that were the case, they’d probably seek other means of housing, like off-campus or a single.</p>
<p>@tiff90: I’m not a freshman, and I was in a single for most of last year since my roommate moved out. I enjoyed a single because my previous roommate had been so terrible, but I’d like to have a decent roommate now. I was just really hoping to figure out who this girl is because now is our only time to switch rooms until October.</p>
<p>My roommate did that too, she was responsible for a rug, an extension cord, and an ethernet cord for herself (the one she had was not long enough and stretched across the middle of the floor a foot off the ground) and she didn’t get any of the things she was supposed to and eventually my parents had to get it-- which ****ED ME OFF because her parents are wealthy and mine were picking up the slack for her. </p>
<p>But October will come quick. I’d try not to get too upset about it, there’s nothing you can do and it may turn out to be just fine. Maybe she’s on vacation and that’s why she hasn’t contacted you yet or something.</p>