<p>ok so I'll probably end up having 4 roomates in my freshmen year. and I also really hate sharing, not that I'm cheap, its just that things like my food, laptop should be kept personal to me, however there is no real way to prevent anyone from using my things. Do you thing that I'm paranoid? what is your best advice?</p>
<p>Set clear rules with your roommate(s) immediately.</p>
<p>I think the best way to do it is have cabinets/shelves that belong to people, and then have a “free-for-all” shelf. Write your name on things. Tell people they need to ask before using your stuff. Most people are pretty respectful of that.</p>
<p>I think food is hard - I know some people who spat/coughed on their food and put up signs saying so and STILL had food stolen - but laptops, at least, should be manageable. Put it on standby or turn it off whenever you’re not using it and that should be a start. I also recommend getting together with your roommates at the very beginning of the year and setting some firm but polite guidelines - just a really simple “Hey guys, I know you’re all great people and would never do this, but just in case, I’d like to ask you not to steal my food / use my things without my permission” or something even simpler should suffice. Even if people do take your food or your things later on, at least this way you’ve already said very clearly what you think about that and have grounds to complain or take it to the RAs if you have them.</p>
<p>edit: And the post above is great advice too, especially LABEL THINGS THAT ARE YOURS!!</p>
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<p>A little.</p>
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<p>Don’t bring expensive stuff to college. Then you won’t have to worry about your stuff getting broken, stolen, etc. You don’t need a really nice laptop.</p>
<p>For your laptop, maybe you can set a password so nobody can use it. Luckily for me, i am getting a laptop with a finger print reader, so i’m going to take advantage of it. but you can set password.</p>
<p>for your food and etc, i really don’t know. But try setting up some rules the day you meet your roommates. tell them that you don’t like people using your stuff. Also, place labels on all your stuff. </p>
<p>buy a box that has a lock, and lock all your valuables in it. (which by what i mean is personal documents, (money, passport, identification, etc)</p>
<p>my answer is pretty much common sense heh</p>
<p>thanks guys these were all really good suggestions, I’ve never though of actually asking them to be respectful of my belongings. 
which is the first thing anyone should do. I bought my laptop for $600, not too fancy, and I’ll be getting a lock (physical) and setting a password for it.</p>
<p>One thing is just to remember is – of course – the Golden Rule. Make sure you’re not taking any of their stuff and aren’t doing something bad enough to warrent their revenge. (Not implying you’d be the type. It’s just, if you’d be annoyed if people keep taking your pens, yet you accidentally take your roommates’ pens, they’d start taking yours. Dumb example, but get it?)</p>
<p>I actually tend to be the one to fight fire with fire, so I have to learn and control myself.</p>
<p>the most important thing is to talk with your roommates right away and start things off right. they might also have some pet-peeves that they were hesitant to share, but if you dialogue honestly they’ll come out.</p>
<p>What I do is put my computer in Locked mode whenever I leave my room to class/get food/whatever. I don’t want to risk anyone coming by and using my laptop for whatever reason. As long as you lock your door when you leave, you should be okay. The only time I’ve ever heard of anyone’s stuff being stolen is when they leave the ENTIRE room unlocked. Even so, it’s pretty rare for someone to come in and take your things. But as long as you lock the door when you leave, you’ll be alright in college.</p>
<p>In general, people are mostly respectful of each other from the getgo when it comes to eating food. Normally, though, I say something like, “Hey, I bought some whatever and whatever, if any of you guys want any, just let me know!” I’d rather people ask me before eating something of mine than just taking it without asking. The way I phrase it is not too aggressive and it solves the problem, imo.</p>
<p>Most of the time people leave your food alone. The only time I’ve ever had problems was when I put food in a public fridge that people could use if they didn’t have their own fridge. People are much more willing to eat your stuff if you can’t trace it back to them, haha. In the case of roommates though, you should be fine.</p>
<p>Haha, I’m paranoid as hell but I know I’ll have to deal with it in college. Don’t bring anything expensive and maybe have a lockable trunk to keep your laptop in while you’re not in the room, if you don’t trust it won’t be touched otherwise.</p>
<p>Your roommate might think you’re a bit odd for locking your laptop in a trunk when you leave the room. Then again, if you have a dumb roommate prone to leaving the door unlocked, a trunk might be a good idea.</p>
<p>The easiest way to avoid others eating your food is to not leave it in the open for them to eat. If you leave chips or candy out in a common area it might be inviting your roommate to have some. I put my snacks in my desk drawer. If my roommates want some they can ask, but they can’t pig out while I’m not there (unless they choose to be *******s and open up my drawers). Another easy way to have food all to yourself is to buy food that is exotic. If your roommate has never seen it before, they will be less likely to steal it.</p>
<p>I never let anyone use my laptop when I was in college because I’d usually get asked by the person whose belongings seem to always break LOL. No thanks. That’s why computer labs exist on campus for those kinds of people. Walk to the lab and stay away from my stuff.</p>
<p>I understand the not sharing part. I am like that in some ways but my problem was having my stuff become “community goods” for freeloaders. So…for food, me & my roommate (when I was living in a four-man) had our own mini-fridge in our room where we kept drinks and snacks. Downstairs, we kept seasoning, veggies, meat and other stuff. We would tag all of our items with our respective initials.</p>
<p>We also designated community stuff that we all chipped in for, i.e. alcohol, cleaning supplies, furniture, utensils, pots&pans, etc.</p>
<p>Just be clear with your roommates at the beginning of the year about what is yours and what they can take. Also if you do leave your laptop in your room just password protect it that way no one can use it. In the end though, things of yours will probably be used or “borrowed” in your absence, you just have to get used to it. I’m sure you are going to run into situations where you are going to need something but don’t have it, so you just take your roommates thing when they are not there. But you have to careful and considerate, that is key.</p>
<p>As do I. I grew up as a stereotypically selfish only child and can’t stand to share. Even in elementary school when I’d let some random kid borrow my pencil, I’d mentally torture myself about that pencil until I received it back.
It was something like: "He’s chewing on my pencil. Why is he chewing on my pencil!? There’s teeth mark and slobber and–good God, is that a piece of gum stuck to my pencil?! Now he’s wearing down the eraser. Stop erasing! If you weren’t so stupid you wouldn’t have to erase so much–wait, is he sharpening it?! Don’t sharpen my pencil! I bet it will be a nub my the time I get it back. A wet, eraser-less, 3cm long nub. I’m never lending out a pencil again!"</p>
<p>I feel your pain. </p>
<p>Just set the ground rules early on, but also don’t break them. It’s not fair to state that you won’t share anything and then expect to borrow their belongings.</p>
<p>^is that from hey arnold?</p>
<p>Edit: nvm I found the quote:</p>
<pre><code>“Because two months two weeks and four days ago Eugene borrowed my favorite pencil, the pencil I got last year at Wanky Land and when he finally returned it to me it had teeth marks all over it and was sharpened down to the middle part.
I couldn’t eat I couldn’t sleep all I could think about Eugene chewing on my eraser. Eugene sharpening sharpening SHARPENING! I couldn’t take this lying down. See, I got a plan — the fire alarm. All I had to do was plant the right clues the peanut butter the glasses and to top it all of the pencil. Bingo, he would be randed for life! Ahhhh Ahhhhh Ahhhahhh!”
</code></pre>
<p>Having your own storage boxes and labels will be ultra-helpful, and … I don’t know, maybe getting them in bright colors will give off the vibe that you are actually quite friendly and just like having your own things … as opposed to coming off as strange and hermit-like. And simply locking your laptop with a password would be fine, I’d think.</p>
<p>On an semi-related note, I have a ridiculous amount of clothes and I could never part with any of them, so I will probably end up offering to let my roommate wear them (even though it’ll pain me) to make up for the fact that they can fill three closets.</p>
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<p>Ha, it feels so much better to hear someone else express the same concern, especially coming from another only child (I used to be anal about people pressing too hard on my nice sharp colored pencils and crayons, and even bothering to ask for them in the first place). I think there was a thread on only child selfishness a while back. The sharing thing is one of the most daunting things about college to me.</p>
<p>Sharing !! hmmm not made for me. But i m so confused whats gonna happen.</p>