Handling room swap request diplomatically

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Alabama
1

<p>Hi, guys:</p>

<p>My son had found a nice young man on roommate finder who he pulled into a suite on his pick day a few weeks ago. Two other boys who they don’t know joined them in the suite two days later.</p>

<p>Tonight, we got an email from a friend of the two additions who wants either my son or his friend to swap with him so he can room with his friends.</p>

<p>I am opposed to this because my son had an early pick, got the dorm and room in the suite he wanted, and is in the suite with his roommate match.</p>

<p>If my son swaps, his roommate match friend will be the odd man out of this new threesome, and if his roommate match swaps, my son will be the odd man out.</p>

<p>The swap is the same dorm, even the same floor, but I don’t know what room within the suite it will be. That doesn’t matter as much as the fact that the boys went through a lot of trouble to find matches and getting codes so they could get in the dorm and suite they wanted and be with someone they were compatible with.</p>

<p>I was thinking son should offer the suggestion that the swap requestor should keep checking for an open suite, with three or more free spaces, and put the three of them together in that suite when it comes available. Son and his match would be no worse off, as they would just get two more strangers in their suite. </p>

<p>Any advice on this?</p>

2

<p>Either that or ask them to swap 2 for 2. Tell them to see if they can get another guy in their friends suite to switch too. If so, then your son and his match can swap with their friend and the other guy.</p>

<p>Your son was there first, so unless they come up with that solution I’d tell them no go.</p>

<p>Also if your son has a certain bedroom choice make sure he gets that in the swap as well.</p>

3

<p>i agree with njbama. no deal unless the two original guys stay together in a similar room situation.</p>

<p>maybe the askers are going under the notion of “it never hurts to ask.”</p>

<p>DD just put in deposits today.</p>

<p>anyone know where the roommate finder thing is?</p>

<p>we have looked at the facebook group, but that is little/no help. doesn’t seem like a lot of honors kids are posting in that group.</p>

4

<p>And to be diplomatic about it. I’d just explain to the guy that your son and his friend want to room together just like he does with his friends. It might take some leg work on the guys part. But I’d imagine he could find a way to make it happen.</p>

5

<p>Here’s what I found Mike. Hope it helps.</p>

<p>[Housing</a> and Residential Communities Roommate Finder Home Page](<a href=“http://housing.ua.edu/roommate/intro.asp]Housing”>http://housing.ua.edu/roommate/intro.asp)</p>

6

<p>yeah, i found that last night after i asked. looks like we won’t have a login id until monday, though.</p>

<p>thanks.</p>

7

<p>I’ve seen this issue on College Confidential before. Kids try this and you just have to hold firm. Hopefully, your son will tell his original friend to hold firm, too, unless they both can move elsewhere.</p>

<p>The request may be coming because the person is assuming that your son and the other young man don’t know each other and just arbitrarily chose that suite…so a change wouldn’t be a big deal. So, just let the person know that the two chose to share a suite together.</p>

<p>Of course, the 2 friends can move elsewhere and take their desired friend with them.</p>

8

<p>hey - a question - </p>

<p>if i get someone (anyone) to pull DD in, would this have the effect of moving up her pick date? so she would be in the system and then could look around and change rooms and stuff??</p>

9

<p>Hmmmm…good question. </p>

<p>I would think that once you’re in, you’re in…but I could be wrong. I don’t know of anyone who’s done that. </p>

<p>But…maybe it’s not allowed, otherwise many kids would just do that who have later pick dates. One student could just keep pulling someone into their suite, and then that person moves out, and then pulls another student in. Hmmmm.</p>

10

<p>yeah, seems like it would not necessarily be allowed … depends if their system handles that or not.</p>

<p>might give it a shot.</p>

<p>: )</p>

11

<p>This is slightly related to the topic at hand…</p>

<p>What if I give my proxy code to another person and then no longer want to live with that person?</p>

<pre><code>In order to prevent another person from using your proxy code to pull you in as a roommate, you may change your proxy code by clicking on the Change Proxy Code button on your myHousing page. If another person moves you into an assignment that you do not want, you should select another space and then change your proxy code, to prevent your assignment from being changed another time. If you both are assigned to the same room, one of you will need to choose another room.
</code></pre>

<p>So, if you’ve given someone your proxy code, you should change your proxy code after room selection to prevent that person from moving you out.</p>

12

<p>^^^AFAIK, the other person would have to move out too in order for them to pull you into their new room. Otherwise, you could take somebody’s proxy code and move them to an entirely different building without ever having them as a roommate. If they gave your room swap code to somebody else, that would be a problem. Still, there is no harm in changing one’s proxy code.</p>