<p>^I guess it all depends on personalities. I bet my younger son will do so like Bartokrules’s son. Haha! Another “roommate report” in 3 years.</p>
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<p>Yep. That’s my point. By 18, you aren’t going to change that personality. So, pushing is just adding to the pressure a student is experiencing as part of going off to college. While pile more on?</p>
<p>I wonder if the type of school is a factor in reaching out? State flagship vs LAC. Large urban vs rural and small. Distance each kid is coming from.</p>
<p>I doubt that has a greater impact than personality, but I’ll bite. LAC, mid-sized urban. S was 725 miles from college. Roommate was 125 miles from college.</p>
<p>Bartokrules–what was your son’s situation?</p>
<p>My son’s college is 3000 miles away. If he does have a roommate from overseas, then I guess I don’t need to worry too much about “too many stuff in a small dorm room” issue.</p>
<p>When my Precious Baby King goes to college four years hence, I will expect an entire dossier, complete with security clearance, on the roommate. And his family. Therefore, I will be the one making contact. And setting out the ground rules. I will bring everything my prince needs, wants or could ever possibly use. The roommate can’t share. PBK gets the best furniture, space and light. The roommate can sleep in the closet. I will set up the room in the perfect way to optimize PBK’s comfort. Then I will stay for a few weeks to make sure no tweaking is necessary.</p>
<p>I agree that personality would play the largest role. Music Conservatory connected with midwest LAC 1150 miles from home. Roommate from California (roommate in LAC). Zoosermom - have you ordered the helicopter yet. :)</p>
<p>zoosermom–security cameras–don’t forget to have the security cameras installed.</p>
<p>lol zoosermom. </p>
<p>I’m in the “stay out of it” camp. My son did make contact with his roommate his first year, then the roommate didn’t go to that school. It will work out. If they need a TV they can find one together on craigslist. This is their relationship and they need to negotiate it in their own way.</p>
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Been flying it since the day he was born!</p>
<p>07DAD, a roomie cam! What a great idea. Just exactly what I need.</p>
<p>But you need the new model with night vision and roomate seeking missles.</p>
<p>I love the way you people think!</p>
<p>That is magnanimous of you to waste the closet on the roommate. </p>
<p>My S’s college bed had enough room under it to put storeage boxes. Demand a skinny roommate and he can sleep on a mat under your son’s bed hence you can have a one bed arrangement for PBK. Have an extra-long dust ruffle made for the bed and your son can stow the roommate under there when your son is holding court in his chambers. No reason to give up a good closet!</p>
<p>Speaking of closets, my D was in a triple last year which was a double connected to a single. The single was behind the double and had two windows, a walk-in closet the size of a small room, and a regular closet with sliding doors and shelves. The double had the actual door to the hall and no closet. </p>
<p>Guess who got the single with the two closets?</p>
<p>You put the two roommates in one closet, your daughter took the double and the single became a guest room for your visits?</p>
<p>This all has shades of Rodney D’s room(s) in the movie “Back to School.”</p>
<p>You are just so astute 07DAD! When we got there, the roommates had already set up a double in the front room and we saw where D was living we were stunned. I still don’t know how she swindled that. She will stand up for herself.</p>
<p>PBK is the kind of kid who if he had two loaves of bread and saw that you were hungry would give you both because you might be hungry later and he could figure something out for himself. </p>
<p>But I’m only kidding about his college room. Of course I am. No one seriously expects me to let the boy leave me.</p>
<p>I am not a helicopter mom by any stretch. However, if there is something they can do that can potentially stop extra work for me, I want them to do it. Also, talking about going on craigslist isn’t all that simple in college… </p>
<p>Maybe I think its a nice tryng to contact new roomie, maybe I see it as if you can, why not. </p>
<p>I have worked to teach my kids to sY hello, how are you, zend thank you notes, not be fearful of reaching out and to not wait for the other party to make the first move all the time. Getting a job requires that initial contact from the applicant and being to lazy or Afraid is not the way a grownup should act</p>
<p>OP here. Progress report: son finally contacted his future roommate yesterday, but no response yet.</p>
<p>Thanks for the update M2HB.</p>