Roommate Anxiety

[mxw08]

So I move to go to college in a week and a half, and will be living with 9 other girls for nine months. Sometimes I swear I feel like I could do anything if I wasn't terrified of throwing up... The very thought of moving there and living with all those people has me very anxious. In the winter I'm not only worried I'm going to catch the stomach flu, but even if I (knock on wood) don't, what do I do if one of my roommates (especially the ones I share a bedroom with,) does? I hate being afraid of something the rest of the world finds trivial... but this is driving me a bit mental. I don't want to not have this college experience because of a silly fear though, but I'm sure all of you can understand that the very thought petrifies me. Anyone who's lived with roommates have advice, or empathy?Edited by: mxw08

[lyntess]

Oh hon, I feel your pain. I had a dorm suite with nine other girls as well-- four in one room, five in the other, one bathroom between all of us. One toilet. One shower. Three sinks.

The one consolation I can provide is that if you keep BUSY, you will have very little time to worry about sick roommates. I barely gave it a thought. It was a help that the college I attended was VERY conservative, and the only alcohol within six miles was of the rubbing persuasion. :-P

[prncesspnk]

hi mxw! my first 2 years of college, i lived at home. i had wanted to
go away so badly, but my fear was holding me back. after all, my
home is my comfort zone. finally, i decided to just kick this stupid
phobia in the butt, and i went away to school last year (my junior
year). BEST DECISION I EVER MADE! i lived in a suite with 5 other
girls (3 bedrooms, a living room, and a bathroom- one toilet, one
shower, 2 sinks). surprisingly, i worried a lot less than i thought i
would... probably just as much as i do at home (i'll admit i worry a
lot, but i thought it would be hundreds of times worse once i got to
school). i told my roommates about my emet (though they never
understood it... at least they knew though), i cleaned the bathroom
religiously (and the custodian came once a week to totally bleach the
entire bathroom, which i loved), and ate foods i was comfortable with
(like cereal, toast, rice, bananas, crackers, etc... make sure you
bring these things from home). i had a couple of run-ins with v* (all
drinking-related, so i wasn't too shaken up as i'm only worried about
myself v*ing really), but no sv*s. college students actually get sick a
lot less often than i thought. if i wasn't feeling well or needed to be
alone, i'd sleep on the couch in the living room (is that an option for
you?) with my portable dvd player playing my "comfort" dvds. you'll
also meet lots of other people, so if someone does get s*, maybe
staying in another person's dorm could eventually be an option too
(people will understand why ANYONE wouldn't want to be around a
v*ing or s* person). i met my boyfriend at school, and he lives about
20 minutes from campus, so i'd go to his house some nights too.
you'll find out what works for you, and fall into a routine after some
time. after a few weeks, my new room became another comfort zone
for me, which was great. AND you'll be so busy that you'll forget
about your fear lots of the time. don't let this phobia get the best of
you. it's great that you're going, you're going to have an awesome
time! like i said, it's the best decision i ever made (and i feel very
proud of myself). have fun!! (feel free to pm me if you have any
other questions)

[sootywillow]

I agree with Lauren - going away to college was the best thing I have ever
done and I was sure I was gong to be able to cope with being away from
home and the issue of living with roommates but I had so much fun my emt
actually got a lot better. None of my friends (or me) v*ted from a sv for the
whole 3 years I was there. My room quickly became my new safe place and
you have so much freedom to do want you want when you want that it was
actually easier than living at home with my family who used to force me into
doing stuff when I didn't feel like it. Good luck and enjoy your time there!

[grgygrl]

My twins live with me but will start college at the end of the month. I would love for them to move out and experinece college life away from home but they simply cant afford it. Neither one of them has a fear of v* either. They wouldnt be the least bit bothered by a roomate that was ill. [img]smileys/smilies_10.gif[/img]

[xmdslatx]

I feel for you! I can't sleep in the same room as anyone because of this fear..wonder if I'm ever going to get married lol.


When you go,I would explain your phobia..just put it out in the open.Hopefully they are not judgmental.Then I would suggest a rule of washing your hands or put hand sanitizer by the entrance.

Perhaps you can suggest taking certain vitamins in the winter to keep your immune systems boosted.

good luck!

[mxw08]

Thanks for the support!!! I move on Tuesday, and it's been a great help to read about everyone else's experiences. Thanks especially Lauren and sootywillow!!!

[sage]

I was terrified in college for 2 years with ONE roommate. 50 girls on a floor with one bathroom (several toilets in it of course - lol) Anyway, nothing ever happened, and my roommates were great.
Remember that you can reach out to people and ask for help. Don't be ashamed - everyone has "something". Generally, if you ask people to help you they will.
Good luck!