<p>*I was wondering the same thing about the porn; about whether that was illegal. At least it is replusive. I don’t understand people who like that stuff. *</p>
<p>**I’m grossed out about what this guy is DOING while watching all this porn WHILE the OP is in the same room.</p>
<p>THAT’S IT…OP…quietly video tape this loser doing what he’s doing (all of it) while watching porn, and take that to housing. LOL (be sure to have the camera time set to also show that this goes on all night)**</p>
<p>If housing refuses to intervene, tell them that you’re considering uploading the video onto YouTube. LOL</p>
<p>I’m fascinated at how different the attitude of some posters is when the difficult room mate does not share a condition with THEIR child. Where did all those demands for compassion go?</p>
<p>The IT guys for housing will be able to tell instantly if this guy is downloading porn or visting porn sites. They can check online. It may or may not be illegal, but no doubt somewhere in the fine print of the housing contract it says it’s against housing policy.</p>
<p>Lot of responses, so I apologize if I miss a few.</p>
<p>1.) Porn is allowed on my school’s internet, as long as it doesn’t violate US laws…I don’t know how versed the posters of CC are in US porn laws, but anything “obscene” isn’t okay, but the word obscene in itself isn’t clarified.<br>
2.) I have insomnia due to a mental health condition, and take pills to help me get to sleep. They don’t knock me out like say, opiates would, they just put me in a state where I’m able to fall and remain asleep. Their efficacy has really been compromised living in the dorm because they leave me with a window where I’m able to fall asleep (and will remain so for the next 8 hours,) meaning if I go to bed at 5, i’ll wake up at 1ish. If I go to bed at 1 and miss my window because of noise or whatever, no sleep that night.<br>
3.) It’s actually against my school’s policy to take pictures of someone/distribute them without their consent (I checked.) </p>
<p>(i) Residents may not take or distribute video or still images of someone
without his/her permission.</p>
<p>4.) NewHope: I just really strongly dislike being around people, and do my best to avoid interpersonal relationships. I don’t know if that’s what you were getting at from the quote in another thread, but yeah. I’ve been pursuing it with my RA, but like I (think) I mentioned, I’m not really convincing as an assertive, dominant personality.</p>
<p>long, I would most definitely explore the medical necessity approach. My son has struggled with insomnia for years and in fact this past year, lack of sleep was blamed when he suffered a seizure. Sleep deprivation can be a very serious problem (not to mention making it impossible/difficult to learn and study).</p>
<p>Got it. You cannot take a picture of your roomie without his permission, but he is free to keep you awake. Pardon me, my head just exploded.</p>
<p>I will reiterate: ombudsperson. Talk to your medical professionals, and ask them to recommend someone who can advocate for you. The ombudsperson should serve this role as well.</p>
<p>Hey, why not take the pictures/video so that you get thrown out of the dorms? Then your mom will have no choice but to get you an off-campus apartment! /jk</p>
<p>Consolation, most of us don’t consider playing video games and watching porn all night a “condition” worthy of compassion. Do you? If so, I’m sorry for your wife!</p>
<p>That’s what I was wondering. If your grades are suffering this much, what in the world could be happening with roommate’s grades?</p>
<p>Personally, I would suddenly decide that I needed to listen to AC/DC and Judas Priest every morning from the hours of 5 am until I left for my 10 am class. A week or so of that should put a stop to the whole thing.</p>
<p>Something as simple as a check box on a housing app that says are you a “night owl” would solve some of these roommate problems.</p>
<p>Ghostbuster (#13) has good advice. You need to be more assertive. Part of the “college experience” is growing up and taking responsibility. If the roommate won’t compromise and the RA won’t help, keep taking your request up the chain to a higher authority. If you don’t go to the Dean now, eventually the office will come to you with academic probation.</p>
<p>Talk with the professors in your classes. Explain the roommate situation and how it is affecting your performance in their classes. They may have some suggestions on how to approach a complaint with the college, or at least how to improve your grade. It often helps to talk with the profs.</p>
<p>Document in writing (not video or photo) your complaints, the hours, and the lack of sleep. Give the RA or Dean of Students something concrete to work with. The more specific you are, the better able the RA or Dean will be to help you.</p>
<p>DON’T SETTLE for excuses. Settle for a solution to the problem. Hopefully you’ll have a break from the roommate over Thanksgiving. Use the time to sleep, regroup, and catch up on work. Good luck!</p>
Except for those cases where the parents insist on reviewing how their kid filled this out so either the kid marked what they thought the parent wanted or the parent dictated how to mark it. Apparently that happens.</p>
<p>I have two really loud roommates-one has a similar sleeping pattern as yours and one of them snores like she has sleep apnea or something. And I’m in a bunk above her. </p>
<p>My best advice is stronger sleeping pills-I take 5 mg of Ambien, but I was able to get a prescription for 10 mg (I break the pill in half). You’ll have to plan to sleep for a good 8 hours, but it’s helped my organization a lot. I know I can’t get away with 5 hours of sleep. It’s either 8 or none. Unfortunately, my doctor decided she won’t give me these pills anymore, but hopefully I can convince the health center to prescribe them to me. They are not habit forming; every time I come home, I’m off them and sleep fine.</p>
<p>I also got a student cubicle in the library. I don’t know what yours are like, but mine locks and I take naps in it during the day all the time. If you can find a good place to sleep outside your room, that could help-take a towel out on the lawn or something. Worst case scenario you could just sleep away the afternoon and work on stuff at night in a study lounge. </p>
<p>I would get involved in some clubs where you might run into people in off campus housing. Ask around-one of their roommates might be moving out next quarter. You might be able to find people looking for roomies online too-although that’s kinda sketch.</p>
<p>When being a D-bag shows up in the DSM-IV manual then I’ll be compassionate.</p>
<p>Which brings up an excellent idea, nominate roommate for Tool Academy 4 and get him out of the dorm for Spring Semester.</p>
<p>Also, a sign conspicuously (though secretly) placed on the door (if it is a co-ed dorm) saying “Knock loudly,______, is naked and watching porn” may get a reaction. It’d be the public equivalent of a “kick me” sign placed on someone’s back at work.</p>
<p>To OP, seriously though, I am being juvenile even though I am a parent. But if you’re not willing to be assertive or not willing to give him a dose of his own medicine, it is very hard to know what to tell you.</p>
/jk</p>