<p>I figured the headline would get the fireworks started but I actually have a serious question. Since my son is a junior, we haven’t seen the room mate matching website people are talking about - so this might be a stupid question. My son really really hates the smell of tobacco. We had experiences with exchange students living with us who said on their application that they were non smokers (the agency had told them American families generally wouldn’t take smokers) but they clearly were. It isn’t just the smoking in his presence, just the smell of it afterward is enough to bother him. Are students honest about whether they smoke or not on the room mate matcher? If anyone has experience, how does the University handle it if one is a smoker when they said they weren’t? </p>
<p>This is a totally valid concern. He will have the opportunity to see profiles of others and also use Facebook. Hopefully the students will be honest, but you never know for sure until you live together.</p>
<p>This is a totally valid concern. He will have the opportunity to see profiles of others and also use Facebook. Hopefully the students will be honest, but you never know for sure until you live together. Housing will move him if it is an issue.</p>
<p>It might help if he states in his own profile he can’t stand the smell of cigarette smoke. Those that smoke or know they will be around smokers would probably avoid “matching” with him.</p>
<p>Yes, be sure to indicate that you don’t like to be around someone who smells like smoke.</p>
<p>Another problem with roommate matching is that sometimes parents fill the things out. They may not know that their child “social smokes” - which some college kids will occasionally do.</p>
<p>This is definitely a valid request. As others have mentioned, even non-smokers will occasionally smell like smoke if they go to bars/parties, hookah parlors (many also serve food), or like to stand outside certain buildings on campus. </p>
<p>To give a student perspective, I don’t really smell a lot of tobacco smoke on campus despite smoking being permitted on campus 30+ feet away from doorways. Even when I’ve lived with people who only smoke socially or at hookah parlors. This is coming from a non-smoker (never have and never plan to start) who occasionally (every month or so) visits casinos and other establishments where smoking is permitted and thus somewhat common. Even then, it is about 50/50 on going out and leaving smelling like smoke as I prefer to stay on the outdoor patios. On the rare times when I do return smelling like smoke, I immediately take off the smoky clothes, put them between damp towels in my laundry pile, take a shower to get the smell off my body, and do laundry within the next day or so. As such, I have no problem responding to roommate requests asking for non-smokers, but might hesitate on ones that say that they absolutely hate the smell of smoke as I don’t want a lecture on why I shouldn’t go out with friends to places where people might be smoking.</p>
<p>Best of luck on the college search and selection process and hopefully your son will choose to attend UA. Roll Tide!</p>