Spencer Page
Senior Staff Writer
For many UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) students, roommates can make or break the college living experience. Whether you’re sharing an oceanside house on Del Playa with your friends or in your freshman-year dorm, conflicts are bound to happen when differing personalities, habits, and schedules collide. How should you mitigate these inevitable roommate troubles? Is it better to live with friends or take your chances with someone random?
While talking to UCSB students, a frequent cause of roommate conflict that came up was a lack of communication. To help limit these misunderstandings, the most common piece of advice I was given was to set obvious boundaries and ground rules at the beginning of the year. Whether it be for cleaning, cooking, or sleep schedules, having an in-depth understanding of what is expected from each person greatly limits conflicts.
While a straightforward conversation and chore chart may work for some students, others have found more creative ways to avoid conflict to make sure chores get done. Junior Colman Yeung, who shares a house with five of his freshman-year friends, shared the innovative way he and his housemates ensure the house is in good shape. They call it the “Wheel of Death,” and this spinner, which you would traditionally find on a game show, features a variety of punishments decided on by the entire house. From doing extra chores to filming embarrassing TikToks to cooking for the entire house, the wheel keeps the house in check. Yeung explained, “If your chores aren’t done by midnight on Sunday, you have to spin the wheel, no questions asked. It keeps everyone extremely accountable, and it’s pretty fun too.” While systems like the “Wheel of Death” bring an element of fun to maintaining accountability, they also highlight that every living situation is different and what works for one household might not work for others.
Another major debate among UCSB students is whether it’s better to live with friends or take your chances on a random roommate. Based on my conversations, for most, living with people you know offers a level of comfort and familiarity that makes sharing a space feel incredibly easy and fun. However, living with friends doesn’t necessarily guarantee a perfect experience. While most seem to have a good time, conflicts can come about when personal and roommate dynamics blur.
Senior Aidan McClesky reflected on how rooming with a freshman-year friend during his sophomore year put a strain on their relationship. “We were super close before we lived together, but once we shared a small space, small things started to pile up and made the friendship harder to keep.” He went on to explain how, ever since they stopped being roommates, they are back to being very close, demonstrating how living with your friends can sometimes cause problems that otherwise wouldn’t arise.
Love it or hate it, roommate relationships, whether with your best friends in the world or strangers, are a defining part of college life. From late-night studying and dynamic conversations, these experiences and lessons that you learn in college teach lessons that extend far beyond Isla Vista (I.V.). Whether you’re in the dorms as a first-year, or living somewhere in I.V., it’s important to remember that a little effort goes a long way in creating harmonious living conditions.