Picking roommates for next year?

Student Lounge College Life
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<p>So I've roomed with the same person for two years now (I'm a sophomore). We get along really well as both friends and roommates. We have quite a few mutual friends. The way our school does it is that we get randomly assigned numbers for 'room draw', and then we pick our roommate, and pick the room in order of the numbers (you use the lowest room draw number out of the roommates). </p>

<p>I hadn't gotten a chance to talk to my current roommate about rooming together (or just the rooming situation in general) next year. I will be gone a semester for study abroad, so I wasn't sure that she would be up for switching roommates mid way--which I totally understand, I just wanted to talk to her about it. I also understand if she doesn't want to room with me because she wants to try someone new. </p>

<p>Then, yesterday, the room draw numbers came out (I got a really low number, which is good!). She asked me what my number was, I told her. Then she said 'me and <em>(a good mutual friend of ours) want to get a tringle (three single rooms off of a common area), in _</em>_dorm. Do you want to be our third roommate?" Which is all fine and dandy, because I like them both. But I am on full scholarship (tuition is usually $60,000 a year, and I get full scholarship and work $15 hours a week). My friends know that I am on scholarship, and don't have money. </p>

<p>This dorm is $500 more a semester than my scholarship (since you have private bathrooms), and the fact that they are technically singles adds another $500 on top of that (so its about $1000 more a semester). I can't afford that. Period. they both come from families of doctors, so its no trouble for them,. I told them I probably can't do it (they wanted to know if I could do it right then and there, but I asked them for an extension of a few days to see if I can come up with enough money....I already know I won't be able to). </p>

<p>But all of my other friends have roommates already, so I'm probably going to end up randomly getting assigned a roommate for next year (which is kind of a crapshoot). </p>

<p>I'm not sure why the situation leaves such a bad taste in my mouth, because I shouldn't take it personally, and we hadn't gotten the chance to talk about it yet. Te actually picking of rooms doesn't happen for another two weeks.
I guess I wish my roommate had talked to me first, before making plans with this other person. Or at least giving me a bit of a heads up, so I could work on making other plans.
I also feel a little weird that they only told me about their plans once they knew that I had a low room draw number (theirs are both too high, so they probably can't get a tringle unless they find someone with a lower number). It made me feel like all I was good for was my number, which is probably not what they intended, but it still felt weird. </p>

<p>Any tips to deal with this situation?</p>

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<p>First off, they may not simply be using you. It well could be that the roomie did not want to leave you, and suggested to the friend that they triple if possible. Afterall, they weren’t looking at a double without you. It could be that since the new person is a good friend to both of you, they got to talking about tripling at a time when you just weren’t around (what happened to her roommate?). So I wouldn’t get too offended. And second, sometimes wealthy teens/young adults who have never had to worry about money are entirely clueless that an extra thousand can be impossible to come up with (they aren’t being cruel, just naive).</p>

<p>I guess you have two options if you are on campus for the fall. You can figure out how to come up with the extra thousand and room with them, or take a random pick. Perhaps the current roomie can find someone who is abroad in the fall to move in for the spring. </p>

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<p>If you can’t afford it why not try to meet someone else? It would only be for one semester correct? If you can come up with the extra $ fine but I do not think they were using you. They probably don’t understand the money situation. My D is very aware when others cannot pay that kind of money towards an apt/dorm and is sensitive to it. Not all kids are intuitive.</p>