1) Bookmark this History and Democracy Blog
2) Choose a secret name - include your class period
For example: 3Snoopy
For example: 3Snoopy
3) Email to gprice@orangecsd.org
a) your name - in the subject
b) your SECRET name
c) your cell phone number
4) Read New York Times article: When Roommates Were Random.
Read the post about how to write a thoughtful blog post.
5) Directions to POST
Write 4-6 sentences about this article. What did you think of it? Do you agree or disagree and why? What are you plans for finding a roommate for the fall?
Read your classmates' post and respond to their comments in your post. Use their secret name when writing.
Read your classmates' post and respond to their comments in your post. Use their secret name when writing.
63 comments:
I thought this article was very interesting, however it was very biased. The author obviously was on the side of finding a random roommate instead of choosing one ahead of time. I agree that having a random roommate can be good because it introduces you to other kinds of people, however having someone like you can be a comfort factor. I am talking to someone who I used to be good friends with when I was younger about rooming together. Although I don't have to hang out with them 24/7, I know that I can trust them and that we can be civil toward each other. We have much in common and I know that we would get along and have many mutual friends.
I found this article very interesting as I have never thought of the ability to pick your roommate as a negative thing. Having the option to find someone that you have things in common with and believe you will get along with can make the daunting transition to college a little less stressful. When so many things are changing I find it nice to know that I have some control over who I'm going to be living with. I agree with the author that college is a great time to meet new people and experience new things and intend to do so but through clubs and classes not by experimenting with who I live with. I agree with 78snow that the author seems very biased on picking a random roommate since that was the only experience he had and it worked out very well for him. This is not always the case though as many people do not like their roommates and this can affect a student's college experience. I believe it's important to have the option to pick a roommate or have one picked randomly but it's up to the student to decide that. I will hopefully be picking my roommate and am sure that it will be a new experience whether or not I meet them before I get to school. Everything about my life will be different next year so having a say in who I live with is important to me.
I thought this article was okay but I definitely agree with 78snow regarding the fact that it was biased. Sure there could be benefits from having a random roommate but finding a roommate online with similar interests probably isn't the worst thing in the world either. I think students should be able to decide which option is the best fit for them. Personally, I would prefer to get a random roommate. However, many students are quite fond of creepy websites like Roomsurf where thousands of people can stalk your profile to find out your sleeping habits and how often you like to shower. But like a said before,we all have our preferences and colleges should let students decide which path to take.
I found this article to be very interesting. I agree with 78snow though when it comes to the article being quite bias. Personally, I feel there are pros and cons to both sides. First, I feel that going in random could be a good thing because even though it takes you out of your comfort zone, you learn that not everyone in the world is like you and once you get out of the "orange bubble" there are many different people to learn things from. I think overall having a random roommate could be a good experience. On the other hand though, if you are so different that you are constantly butting heads or making each other feel uncomfortable weather it is because of your beliefs, or interests, that could be a bad thing. I think that being able to pick your roommate is a good thing. You have the choice to pick someone like you, to pick someone different, or someone you know you will be able to get along with. When I go to college I am planning on finding my roommate through the schools facebook page, where everyone takes a survey and you can find out who would be the best roommate for you. I will probably pick someone who is not exactly like me because I want to experience meeting new kinds of people in college plus I think if we are too alike we may butt heads, so I will probably pick someone who may not end up being my best friend, but I know would be a good roommate.
I agree with 78snow with the fact that this article is biased, but disregarding that fact I thought this article was very good, it showed the point it was trying to make. However in my opinion, because I haven't had the experience yet in finding a roommate nor living with one, my point of view is very indifferent. I do believe that by letting us have the choice to choose our own roommate it gives us the surprise and fun of meeting and learning about a person you've never met before. But I also agree with Gladiator9 that this randomness can be a bad thing. Like they said it can defiantly effect the students grades. It can put a lot of stress and conflict in a students life. And some people just aren't that confident in themselves for them to be able to adapt to another persons life. But I think the choice between choosing a roommate and going at it randomly should be up to the students to decide.
I found the article to be somewhat interesting but mainly focusing on "the wrong generation." Times have changed, and I now believe students should be able to pick who they room with. As the generations progress from one to another, I think it is crucial to recognize the fact that what pleased us 30 years ago isn't the same compared to what we are content with today. I agree with 78snow in that it is better knowing someone going into the situation that you can trust and will help you transition into the college years. Not just me, but my parents will also feel more secure if they know I am rooming with someone they have already met and know they are safe for me to hang around. Hopefully I will be finding someone to room with through my cousin, who lives in the state I will be living in during my college years. I think the situation can be different for everyone, but for me, I'd rather know the person prior to the circumstance.
As my time for college nears, I found reading this article to be rather interesting. I strongly agree with 78snow that the article is extremely biased. However, I think there are a myriad of pros and cons involved with randomly being assigned a roommate and choosing and choosing a roommate who is compatible with your personality. Specifically, I think that choosing a roommate can be beneficial in order to assure less confrontation in the dorm because they are much like yourself. Alternatively, I also feel as though a random roommate can be beneficial because it exposes one to diversity of different cultures and personalities that are essential in order to grow as an individual and gain knowledge and acceptance throughout the world. In either situation, roommates with occasionally clash and disagree upon certain issues, but that is what makes us human. Although each situation has its benefits and downsides, I feel that as college dorms and schooling get closer, it is important for everyone to make a decision upon their roommate that is best for them to benefit their overall education, atmosphere, and overall social life during their four years at college. Personally, I hope to choose my own roommate to dorm with in college with a personality, morals, and ambition and drive similar to mine in order to secure success and stability during my college life.
Although this article present an interesting point of view about the benefits of a random roommate, I do not agree with it. The author does not present the trouble a random roommate could bring and how it could ruin a college experience. For college next fall I plan on rooming with a friend from camp. I would recommend to people to use a facebook tool to find someone with similar interest. Just like 78snow and many other people posting I agree with how the article is biased.
The article is interesting. We don't give much thought to our college roommate other than the fact we seem to NEED someone who has the similar interests we do. However, while some say opposites may attract, those who share ideas and such have a better likelihood of cooperating and enjoying one another. The most interesting part of the article for me was about the military veterans. The fact that it has been proven "...that Vietnam-era military service actually lowers the risk of subsequent divorce," is interesting, but really not surprising when you think about it.
I do agree with 78snow that the author was extremely biased towards randomness and I found myself questioning what was really the better idea because of it. Personally, I think choice of a roommate is necessary. To have a say on who you will be spending an entire school year living with is a significant decision and should be up to the students.
I really enjoyed the article. I found myself looking back to a time where people went to college to learn from professors and peers (like in the 80's movies). That is what I want to gain from my college experience. I want to be able to learn to deal with people who are different than I am. I plan on doing this by choosing to get a random roommate. Honestly I hope I get someone with different views than me so I can grow as a person.
I also found this article to be intriguing, possible even convincing. Technology has invaded nearly every corner of our lives, and I do agree with the author that we need to separate technology from all aspects of our lives, before we lose communication. That being said, I do believe that the author may be too extreme. While it would be an adventurous experience to have a random roommate, there are plenty of scenarios with roommates that can become negative, that can possibly lead to a student transferring to another school. One may have a very closed-minded view and never come to their senses with a more diverse type of person. This can create escalating tension that is not needed and can be fixed by having a short questionnaire for roommates. I agree with Beethoven7/8 that having a random roommate can cause trouble for a person's college experience. A roommate is someone who one is supposed to grow and bond with. In my opinion, the correct roommate is an essential for the success of college. A roommate is the person who you will share a room with for the next four years, and while there are times to take risks, I do not believe that this is one of those times. However, it is safe to say in my opinion that a student should just fill out a questionnaire. I think that meeting already admitted students and forming friendships with them may be going a little too far on the other side of the spectrum because throughout all walks of life we never know who we may meet. We meet people blindly, without every knowing anything else about them, and having students know others in their class before college starts can impede the process of learning about someone from the start. I will be filling out a questionnaire for the fall to figure out my roommate. I figure that it will be a safe, and still adventurous way (I won't know who my roommate is. I will fill out a questionnaire and hopefully they will match me correctly) to find a lifelong friend.
I agree with 3 musketeers even though knowing who you are going to be ruined with is a plus it also can keep people in their comfort zone I personally think it's best to have a random room mate you can always just put in a request for a switch. when you do those online sites you never know who that could be out what they have done the same goes for random mates there will always be a positive and negative thing about them both but I suppose it depends on how you feel
I found this article very interesting. The author tells about a time when you didn't have a choice about who you roomed with for college. This is so foreign to us going into college now because everyone we are friends with that already went to college were able to choose their roommates and we can as well. However, the author does make some good points about the plus side of having someone random. I like how Luke Van Jama Rama Katz III called everything we know now the "orange bubble" and I agree with what they say about how not everyone in the world is like this and sometime we have to learn to accept new ideas and cultures. Having a random roommate could also go badly because as one of my friends put it "there are some weird people out there". When I look for my roommate I will make sure I have some of the same interests as the other person. It would be fine if they were a little different from me but too much of a difference could just end badly.
I really enjoyed reading this article. I think there are many ups and downs of having a random roommate, but i believe that the ups outweigh the downs. When you have a random roommate, it allows you to expand your comfort zone and make new friends a lot easier than if you knew your roommate. I know that when i go to college, I am going to want a random roommate.
I agree with what 7/8snow was saying in that i thought the author was biased in the fact that they seemed content with random roommates and showed people how to live with people that may be different. However, similarly to 7/8 snow i think there is a major comfort factor in rooming with someone who you know already and you think you will get along with. The entire college experience in itself alone will open us up to new types of people and new experiences. For example, my cousin had a similar viewpoint as the author however, when he arrived at college he found that his random roommate barely spoke English and although it was a learning experience, it wasn't the ideal learning experience because there was such a barrier between the two. It is this risk of getting someone who i do not get along with or understand that is pushing me towards the option to find my roommate before i attend college. Going into a new environment knowing you share interests with someone seems like it can only help you. Later on in college when you are an upper clansmen and have you feet under you i think would be a great time to branch out and meet new types of people.
I also agree with 78snow, and found this article very biased. The author was very against selecting roommates, but only showed their point of view. I think there are pros and cons to both choosing a roommate and having a random roommate. By selecting your roommate you can pick someone with similar interests and someone who you know you can get along with. If your roommate is chosen for you, you will get an experience either way, good or bad. You will get to meet different types of people and broaden your knowledge on other types of people. Once I decide on a school, I want to pick a roommate that is someone I can get along with and trust enough to live with for the year.
7/9aivoenj
I found this article be very interesting. I agree that our society has taken away a lot of the randomness however I dont think that everyone is fit for randomness. In some cases, it is better to know who you are rooming with so that you can plan accordingly. At all colleges however, there is still the option where you dont have to pick who you room with. If I was roomed with someone who smokes and liked to drink all the time I would be very unhappy. I agree with what 3wisemen said about getting one out of their comfort zone. College is about growing and meeting new people and experiencing new things. If you room with a friend or someone you have met already, you are making those experience chances smaller and smaller. When I go to college, I dont think I want a random roommate, but I am not against it. Maybe it could be fun.. I do believe the good out ways the bad.
Although I do agree with many of the other students that this article is biased, I mostly found it to be informative on the pros to having a randomly picked roommate. Most students in this day and age prefer to find a roommate beforehand and may not even consider the benefits of rooming with someone random. In this respect I do agree with 3TimesALady that it feels required to room with someone of similar interests. We are taught that to be friends with someone means that we share interests. I think that this article makes a good point in the argument that becoming friends, or at least putting up with, someone who is the opposite of you will help you down the road when you are forced to do the same thing. Personally I have not put much thought into finding a roommate online beforehand and am hoping that, whoever I end up with, it will be interesting to get along with them. Overall I would say that I agree with this article due to the fact that people should get the chance to grow from who they are thrown together with, but I also think that the choice to pick a roommate should still be an option since not everyone wants to learn from the challenge.
As many other students before have said, yes this article is somewhat biased. I do believe that having a random college roomate is an experience that many college freshman will miss out on but on the other hand, finding a roomate beforehand may be more beneficial because you can get to know the person earlier and you have a much greater chance of finding someone who is more like you. Having a random roomate can be beneficial because it, in a way, helps you to get used to meeting new people who may or may not be similar to you. Personally I would prefer to pick my roomate, because I would prefer to know someone before I room with them.
I found this article to be very mind opening but also bias at the same time. All of the studies shown in this article are from ivy league schools like Berkeley, Cornell, and Dartmouth. I think people at these schools have a different attitude towards school work then people at schools like BGSU, Miami, or OU, therefore a random roommate wouldn't have that much of an effect on their grades. Before reading this article, I thought I was going to go on a website and chose my roommate based on interests and how well we communicate with each other while messaging. After reading this article, I am thinking twice about my decision to do this. I agree with 3wisemen when he said having a random roommate allows you to expand your comfort zone and make new friends, and I also agree with the part of the article that said your experience with a random roommate can be either good or bad, but either way you will survive. I believe choosing your roommate based on a profile online is somewhat random at the same time because even if they list facts about them, it could be totally wrong and they might forget big facts. Because I hear stories that choosing your roommate ahead of time was great, but sometimes terrible, I am undecided on what I would do in the near future. I will probably lean towards choosing online because at least I will know we have the same interests and we can have good conversations.
I think that this article is biased towards random rooming, but how can we expect anything else, this is all the author seems to have ever expirienced. I like 7/9aivoenj's take on the subject, sometimes it might be better for new studnets to room with someone farmiliar. However random rooming has not been completely wiped, students still have the option to sign up for a random roommate, but now its a choice in many schools. I don't think its fair to take away peoples freedom to choose in any case, freshman year is a very stressful time for students, for many its their first long stay away from home, along with a bigger workload and more free time and daunting choices, it might be nice for them to have some sense of normalcy in their roommate. I only applied to one school that none of my friends applied to and it is not my top choice, i am fairly certian I will end up going to a college with one or more of friends already enrolled or starting with me, and i plan to room with them, we all get along very well and it took awhile to get to that place where you know each other so well things don't bother you anymore, and think thats a great quality in a roommate.
I feel that this article did raise some interesting points about how much technology effect has are lives and that the truly random roommates have gone away. Personally I don’t think being assigned a random roommate is a bad thing, even if you do use Facebook or some other site to meet other freshman and get to know them you can’t truly know what their personality will be until you spend time face to face with them. I agree with 3wisemen that random roommates allows you to expand your comfort zone, a few years ago I was at a camp where I was given a random roommate, we were put together based on one thing we had in common, in the end I made a new friend with someone who if we were not randomly put together as roommates I would never had. I agree with 9WinterWonderland in a roommate should be someone you can grow and bond with, talking with college students during campus tours many of them said that they were happy with the “random” roommates the university gave them based on the personality surveys they took when applying for housing. In the fall I plan on using the university housing to find my roommate, from what I’ve heard they match you with a roommate that you can get along with.
I feel like this article was very biased towards the random roommate process, like many have said before me, and I feel the same. I can understand the viewpoint of that we need to branch out more and get outside of our comfort level while experiencing new things, but I also feel like you can branch out no matter who you room with by joining clubs or by simply being in classes together. I think college is about having a good experience, and if you're stuck with someone that you don't get along with for an entire school year, you won't get the best start. Just because the author felt like he had a good experience with his roommate doesn't mean that it is the best thing for everyone. Like SurfsUp9 said, I would rather just prefer to know the person I'm going to be in the same room with for the school year rather than having it be a surprise that hopefully goes well. Some people get lucky with the random search, and a lot of people aren't. I would rather know I tried to pick a roommate that has similar interests to me than not.
I agree with barefoot3 because the article is clearly very biased. Since the author has only had a positive experience with random roommates, there is no reason why he would be writing otherwise. However, I disagree with him. If you're going to college to get an education, you most likely want to be able to focus more on school than your annoying roommate. However, I do feel that having a randomly assigned roommate can give people a chance to become more tolerant and accepting of people with different backgrounds than themselves. However, this is a very important skill that you can gain from a randomly assigned roommate and possibly a roommate that was picked. Overall, having a randomly assigned roommate, compared to a roommate that you pick out, gives you a greater opportunity to learn to be more tolerant.
I thought this was a very interesting article that is very relevant to my life. I agree with 78snow's comment that the author is quite biased. I would be interested to see research on the other end of the spectrum. How does choosing roommates through sites like facebook and roomsurf benefit college students today? I have a friend who picked her roommate through social networking, and they are good friends in and outside of the dorm. I also have another friend who was forced to go random by his school and he gets along very well with his roommates. I am not sure which is the better choice going into my first year of college.
I think the article opened up my eyes to what a random roommate pick would be like , but I think the article should have talked more about picking your own roommate . Personally I think it would be better to pick your own roommate because it would be easier to live with someone that you already know and are used to . The article was really biased towards the random process and they didnt speak on the negative parts , they only spoke about the positive mainly and they know that there are many negatives to moving in with a complete stranger . My only complaint is that they dont talk about both sides .
I think that is was kind of lengthy. To be honest I completely agree with his argument. Because of the simple fact is that you go to college to get away from the people you knew so not being able to choose your roommate could be better.my plans for getting a roommate in the fall is to be out of random. So like the article said if I get a guy from hell I guess I will have some stories to tell to my spous in the future. I completely agree with agent78
The article " When Roommates Were Random" to a great extent was accurate. Now a days students are to into themselves and who they are. People do not take risk and also hate going out on a lim to open up to others. If students don't expand their horizons they won't live up to their full potential. Like in the article it stated: " We tend to value order and control over randomness, but when we lose randomness, we also lose serendipity". The fun of college used to be going out and meeting new people. But if we go on these websites such as "roomsync.com" and "roomsurf.com" where is the fun of going out and experiencing new things? Not there. But on the other hand like others before me have stated this does tend to be more bias towards the fact of choosing your own roommate is a bad thing. This may not always be the case. It is a good to surround yourself with people who you do get along with. But once again if you don't challenge yourself, that can negatively effect you in the future. My plans for the fall are accurate to my point made above because I want my roommate to be chosen at random.
I do agree with 3manolo and 78snow's response in the fact that the article was biased. This article only explored one side of the argument and did not present any facts from the opposing views. As a High School Senior that will be experiencing this in a matter of months I believe that having an idea of who your roommates are is better than just randomly being stuck with someone. You want someone that you have things in common with because you will be able to live more peacefully. As the article stated you are in "10-foot-by-10-foot space" for nine months, so it is vital that you get along with them and most people find it easier to get along with people that are similar to themselves. You would want someone to talk to and have intelligent articulate conversations with, but this could easily take a turn for the worse because the very divergent beliefs of the two people. Some people feel very strongly about their particular ideals and might be offended when someone does not think or feel the same way they do on particular issues. At the end of the day, you do learn a lot from your peers and you will be exposed to different viewpoints and ideas in college regardless of who your roommate is.
Although the article is somewhat biased I agree with it to a certain extent. I do believe that this day in age people should be more open and willing to take chances and meet new people instead of always being so closed minded. It's only human nature to be nervous about having to live with someone you have never met before. Everyone wants a roommate who shares similar qualities as they do, however its the differences between the two that can make the experience more memorable.
This article was an interesting read. After reading, I do agree with 78snow that it is most definitely biased, but not in a bad way. While I do agree with the author that the randomness factor can be exciting and benefit you, I would rather choose my roommate. I'd rather be unhappy with a roommate i chose because i know it's my fault. I'd like to influence my college experience to make it the best it can be. As you can infer, I plan on either rooming with someone I'm not friends with, but someone I know and share interests with, or someone that shares same interests that I have never met. I'm not going random.
I somewhat agree with the author. I understand that when circumstances become too structured, we tend to loose the simplicity and the 'chance' of life. For example, when everything is predictable, we loose the unpredictable and within the unpredictable lies fate. However, I do believe that sometimes, we stumble upon people who have negative influences on our lives and we are lucky when we are able to avoid them. This is when choice roommates are beneficial. I also agree with 7/9aivoenj and I thought the article was interesting as well. I hadn't thought that far into random assignment and this will definitely be another aspect I will consider when I apply for rooming.
I found this article very interesting. Although it was quite clear that the author was a fan of the "randomness' of college roommate picking, and I agree with him to a certain extent I believe that students should be able have control on whomever they room with. I agree with the author in the sense that college is suppose to be a place for new things and to be exposed to different cultures. I feel like randomly selecting a roommate would contribute to this type of college experience. However, I differ in in opinion with the author because I believe that students have to feel comfortable with whoever they are rooming with. You don't want a party animal with a homebody and you don't want a night owl rooming with a morning person. In my opinion, having control over rooming situations makes for better living conditions and happier students.
Part 2: Also , I agree with Gladiator9 , coming into a totally new environment, like college where there are so many different things going on, being able to choose your roommate is just a comfortability factor. This is because at the end of the day this is your home, (at least for a year) and nobody wants to feel uncomfortable while there in their own home. Though this article brought up really good points like being exposed to different things, and having an opening of your opinions and thoughts, I will / have chosen my roommates for my freshman school year.
I could not express my opinion more in accordance to the author. I do agree that random assignment to roommates are most affective because that is one of the objectives of college. To transgress the familiar environment of your comfort zone and to test yourself in real world situations. Challenge yourself to see whether you can cooperate and live in harmony with an individual who could possible share not a single trait with you. However, this is only my opinion, some may feel quite the opposite way and in order to be successful in life one must remain in their comfort zone to approach appropriately. My plans are to get a quad dorm room and if one high school friend is attending the same college then I will room with them and get two other randoms. I disagree with 9betty in the regard that you must be comfortable at home. Yet I feel that in order to be a successful citizen you must be talented in several fields. And in order to achieve that you must accustom yourself to unfamiliar environments and excel in those fields as well.
Not only is this particular piece of writing interesting, but persuasive as well. Is the author blatantly pushing me one way rather than the other? The answer here is yes. And yet, I completely understand where he is coming from when he says that college is supposed to be a place where students find themselves and expand upon who they are. To meet new people and do new things that will greatly have an impact on who they find themselves to be. However, people need to feel comfortable in their decisions and if that means that they want to choose a college roommate then so be it. I agree heavily with what gladiator9 said when he/she stated that entering college can be a feared and daunting expedition to some and that already having a roommate that they believe they will get along with from the start will spark familiarity and comfort in a person. Thus, lessening the load that a person carries when entering into the college world where there are plenty of problems to deal with I'm sure. It's all a matter of comfort. If a person is confident in their ability to meet new people and socialize, then they will make the choice to randomize their roommate selection. And if not, then they will choose their roommate. But in all honesty, what one person thinks or does should not affect what others want to think or do. To each their own. And with that, I am finding my college roommate prior to beginning college although randomization is not a problem either!
The author's juxtaposition of this topical and contentious debate surrounding the college roommate search serves varying to elicit opinions as he contends that the process has been pervaded by modern technology, thus, eliminating the exalted, "random serendipity" that was once sought by all college bound students. As this decision to use the computer to pick your roommate or to let the computer pick one for you becomes imminent, I have found myself taking a strong stance on the issue. I vehemently believe that despite the possible pitfalls, having a random roommate will have supremely outweigh choosing a roommate in the long run. For example, one can learn how to adapt to living with someone different from them and one can broaden their horizons by becoming involved with their roommates friends and activities, no matter how different or foreign to their own views. Yet, I do see the merit of the opposing argument as one will in all likelihood be much more comfortable going into college than one yearning to be chance on "random serendipity." As the fall comes hurdling towards us, we will all be faced with this difficult decision. I, for one, might have it easier than others, however. The college at which I will be matriculating has a first-year housing system in which 60% of freshman dorms are singles and in which all freshman are stratified by race, gender, etc, and then randomly split into 25-30 person ethnically, culturally, and regionally diverse "houses." Therefore, first, it is likely that I will not have a roommate, and second, even if I don't, I will be exposed to the ideas and notions that the author heralded. As first mentioned by snow7/8, there is indeed some self-serving bias in this article. Yet, this article appears in the "Op-Ed" section of the NYT and therefore, by inherent nature, must be opinionated and not solely factual.
I found this article to be very interesting, but I agree with 78snow on how this was very bias. The whole point of a random roommate, is a great opportunity for incoming freshman. Instead of hanging with the same friends from high school, they are starting over, and making a new life for themselves. But, the only negative thing i see is the problems you might have with the new roommate. Therefore leading to bad influences, grade failures, and constant arguing. That is why I disagree with the article. Lastly, I plan to have a chosen room mate for the fall.
I think this article is on point on some aspects and faulty on others. I totally agree with the fact that randomness is an important part of life and including college life. However i dont think randomness always is best suited for some. For instance if you arent comfortable in the enviorment that you are in how are you supposed to peform at the peak of your skills and hence i think that there are ups and downs with both sides of the spectrum i agree with ironman 78
I am very one-sided on this matter. First, if you room with someone you know your Freshman year, I think it could go by fairly smooth. Mainly because, you both already know each other, and know the "Do's and Don'ts" of the relationship. On the contrary, rooming with someone you do not know, there is always a greater chance you may not see "eye to eye." Therefore I agree with 3ChrisHansen on the matter that this new faulty relationship can cause negative problems, such as bad grades, bad influences, and constant arguing.
I agree with the article because you close yourself to whatever you're familiar with and don't expand yourself to everything there is in the world. There are benefits to each side. If you room with someone you know, you already have great chemistry with each other and can spend time strengthening the friendship instead of trying to form one. If you room with a stranger, you could learn alot about things you don't expose yourself to and view life in a completely different way. I agree with 7/8sunshine because it isn't always a perfect match and sometimes randomness isnt beneficial.
I found this article to be very interesting. I agree with both sides of this matter, much like what 7/8 SlikBak. If you go to college and choose who you want to room with you will already know what they like and don't and so will your roommate. Likewise, if you go to college and room with a total stranger, then both of you may learn not only how to deal with different people in life, but learn how to get along with those people. I also plan on rooming with a stranger, although hope to meet up with my future roommate before classes start.
I really enjoyed this article espically because it really pertains to my life right now. Four days ago I got accepeted to U of A and the first thing I did was go on the class of '17's facebook and find a pottential roomate. I found a girl Alex, looked through her pictures and it seems that we are extremly simlar. We echanged numbers and text similary. This article has changed my view on what a roomate should really be. I've always invisioned myself with a roomate like meyself, but a roomate that is diffrent from you is a great learning experince and prepares you for the real world. My plans for my roomate for the fall of 2013 has changed and I may ask for a random roomate.
78snow- I agree that is good to have a reliable friend and it would be very comforting knowing you wont get someone who is mean but most people are good and I would recommend you find someone you dont know, and maybe find someone with simlar intresest that you dont know. The more friends the better!
I find this article very interesting. But I believe that this is very biased. The author is in favor of being able to have a random room mate, which has its positives and negatives. It is very uncomfortable to move to a complete new setting and not know who you are living with. On the contrary, being forced into this situation forces you to meet new people who will help you get into the college groove. Knowing or being able to pick your room mate also has its perks, it allows you to be comfortable where you live and study for the first few weeks.
Even though the author of the article makes a good point, saying that random situations increase tolerance and acceptance of others, I feel that 7/8 SlikBak's view is more realistic and better for me. As much as I would like to spend my entire college life socializing with new people and experiencing new cultures, my goal is to study hard and get into the profession I want. By taking on a roommate who is too different in their ways and lifestyle, I am potentially jeopardizing my future. College campuses are usually extremely diverse, and I'm sure I will meet many new and interesting people. But when it comes to who I live with, I need someone that won't interfere with my studies. As the author pointed out, unfamiliar roommates are a risk because you don't know if they will have a negative or positive impact on your grades and your life. In other words, I believe there is a time and place to have new experiences, and it's not in your dorm.
This article is very interesting and brings up many good and bad points. It would be fun to get a roommate from a different place and learn about them but on the other hand you know nothing about them. This could be dangerous because people aren't as nice as they used to be. With all os the current chaos going on in the world, I believe knowing a little bit about the person your going to room with is a good idea. Im not saying that you need to know everything about them cause college is a learning experience but knowing if they are crazy or not is helpful.
I feel that even though you can pick your own roommates when you go to college, its better to pick a random person so you can get to know him and maybe learn more about him. Depending on your roommate that you have it can have either a negative or positive affect on your grades, it can also be a good thing so you can get more situated in college and get that you are going to be meeting a lot of new people and should start to get used to it. Meeting someone new is benificial in so many different ways as long as you two get along, you can learn a lot about each other and help one and other through the year
I really enjoyed the article and thought it had some really good points. I think its true what the article said about how once students get into their top choice they go to sites to pick out their roommate because no one wants a random roommate to be with for possibly a year or more. On the other hand I think it's good when you get a roommate that is different because then you get to learn new things from each other. My plans for getting a roommate in the fall hopefully will be like i fill out some sort of survey so that my roommate is different but I can still get along with them.
I feel like this choosing a roomate and being assigned a roomate should be a optional. I do like the idea going to the websites like roomsurf to help you choose a roommate that your going to be compatible and comfortable with. My plans for finding a roomate might be using a site like facebook or roomsurf to get that extra background check. This is important because I'm going to be living with this person so I need to feel safe and comfortable at the same time.
I feel like there is both advantages and disadvantages to being able to pick your roomate for college. I feel that it could be a good thing because picking someone you know might make your first year of college a little bit easier being with someone familiar. At the same time college is the time to try new things so it may be beneficial to your life if you do have a random roomate. But overall altough I felt the article had some good points I think that it would still be better for me to pick my own roomate.
I believe this was a good article and in what the professor said. Nowadays very few people like to leave there circle of friends out of fear out of worry that it might be a bad experience but I find positive.
This article was very interesting. I agree with the fact that its better to get a random roommate. Being outside your comfort zone is important so you can develop into a better and more independent person. You can learn many things from someone who is different. However, if you get someone who is very annoying or mean it can be a huge hassle. However, that usually doesn't occur. I plan on getting a random roommate when i go to college so I can learn new things from a person with different personality and go outside my comfort zone. Overall the article was very interesting
I found the article to be extremely interesting, and I agreed with ever word of it. As a person without any ties to social networking, I believe that friendships can be more lasting and attainable when doing it face to face. I agree with this because being put in a situation you might not like prepares you for life, which is an essential skill needed to live, and become successful. I plan on having this process being completely random, in order to better me, not only in reasoning, but life. Bubbles92, I do not agree that getting someone crazy is bad, it can be a good thing. Having someone with crazy tendencies can make you further appreciate yourself, and simply, learn not to be crazy. But other than that, I agree with you in most aspects of your comment.
I find this article very interesting. But I believe that this is very biased. The author is in favor of being able to have a random room mate, which has its positives and negatives. It is very uncomfortable to move to a complete new setting and not know who you are living with. On the contrary, being forced into this situation forces you to meet new people who will help you get into the college groove. I agree with 78snow in which knowing or being able to pick your room mate also has its perks, it allows you to be comfortable where you live and study for the first few weeks.
This article was very lengthy. I feel that the point that was being made could have been written in fewer sentences. I do agree though that society does try to have control over the randomness in the world, but its almost a good thing. Randomness is scary and sometime dangerous and when students go to a new place like college they want to feel safe. I thinks its great that he met someone new and had a good experience. But random things happen everywhere not just in picking or not picking your roomate. When I go to school I will probably end up with one of my friends. I agree with 9letsBeHoneest because its true that new situations can only help you grow as a person and improve your social skills and what Pablo said because the author only had a view point from one side of the issue.
I thought that this article was biased, but also very informative. Having a random roommate can be a very good thing, but it can also be very bad. If you end up finding someone online who you think you could be good friends with, it wouldn't be a bad idea to room with them. You would already have a connection with that person, and you should have the option to pick. I agree that sites like Roomsurf are very creepy and not the best way, but meeting someone in a facebook group, or even at orientation, can be great. I personally plan on finding a roommate ahead of time, just so I don't have to worry about who I could get stuck with if I did a random assignment.
I think this article is very interesting and true. It is very opinionated, because the author experienced it himself firsthand and wants us to know what it was like when he went through it, but it is a great visualization that he gave us. It can easily apply to many situations even ourselves see each day. I agree with this article because it tells it how it really is, how drinkers will drink more with other drinkers as their roommates, and things like that. One thing though, it is hard to know the college experience unless you have been through it, and the author has been through it, which more or less helps his case. My plans for the fall and rooming are undecided because I don't know where I'm going yet and who else I would know who is going.
After reading this article I found it very intresting. I also agree with 78snow the article was very biased. The author has had a positive experience with randomly choosing his roommate. I think that randomness is an important part of going to college. It sets up a way to meet new people and to compare your values and views, just to have an experience. My plans for my roommate is to fill out an application and just meet new people.
I liked the article. I do not completely agree with it though. I think that different things work for different people. I think some people need a structured life with order and others need a more random and spontaneous life. It all depends on how one person operates. I think that yes it can be good to have a random room-mate, but i also think it could be bad for some. It really all depends on what is good for you.
I really likes the article, however, I felt it was pretty biased. Since the author had a very welcoming and positive experience with selecting a random roommate, she would lean towards the random selection manner. I think the best option for selecting a roommate depends on the person. Some people may like slobs like themselves, or the contrary, nerdy and organized people focused on their studies. Personally, for the upcoming fall, I would like to find a roommate who plans on playing club hockey and has similar interests as myself. Another huge factor I look for is if the person I am considering for being my roommate is their political party. I think I am pretty involved in politics and I am very committed to my side and I wouldn't want any arguments to break out.
I agree with the comment above, it depends on the kind of person you are. I don't think getting a random roommate is the wrong with to do but it can cause more stress. If you go in knowing you already have a friend that relives a ton of bad feelings you might have. On the other hand, getting a random roommate encourages you to meet new people and that can lead you to make a lot of new friends. I think it can go either way for different people. I alway feel that if you get a random roommate and you absolutely that them it cause a lot of problems and you could be miserable all year.
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