ConversationRoom Shareing: Narrator: Listen to a conversation between a student and a housing department administrator. Matthew: Hi, I'm Matthew Bowen. I sent you an email. Administrator: Hi, Matthew. Yes. Could you refresh my memory? Matthew: Okay. Um, I just transferred here from another university. Administrator: Ok. Matthew: And long story short, I ended up missing the housing application deadline by like one day. I think it was. Anyway, so then you gonna randomly assign me to one of the three bedroom units in your hall and two roommates. Administrator: Ok. Right. And you moved in at the end of September, I believe? Matthew: Right. And as you know, a few of the three bedroom units in yours consist of two large rooms and one small room. Administrator: And you got stuck with a small room. Matthew: Right. There's barely room for a desk in there. Administrator: Right. They're not exactly what you call spacious. Matthew: Knew. And it's okay for a while, but not for the whole year. I mean, I'm paying just as much as my roommates. Administrator: Have you discussed this with your roommates? Matthew: Yeah. And they were polite, but they felt that since they got there first and I didn't want to push it too much. I'd like to maintain a harmonious living situation. Administrator: Of course. Well, according to university regulations, the fact that you moved in after they did has no bearing on anything. Matthew: So there is an explicit rule. Administrator: It's in the booklet that we distribute to all incoming students. You should have gotten one. Matthew: I did, but I haven't read it yet. Administrator: And your roommates probably haven't either? Matthew: Probably not. Administrator: Anyway, there's a section in there called division of space. Matthew: Ok? Administrator: And that spells it all out. All students have an equal right to space in the unit regardless of who got there first. If one of the rooms is less desirable than the other two and no one's willing to accept it for the year, the roommates have to rotate rooms. Exactly how they do that is up to them. Matthew: Okay. That answers my question. Thanks. You've been very helpful. Administrator: Just share that with your roommates. And if that doesn't work, I'd suggest that the three of you see your resident adviser and let him mediate for you. Matthew: I doubt we'll have to resort to that. I don't think my roommates of the type to intentionally follow the rules. Administrator: One other option. I've heard that in some cases the roommates and the big bedrooms keep them all year. But in exchange, they reimburse the person in the little room part of the dorm fee. Unofficially of course. Matthew: Um, I couldn't stand being in that little room all year, but maybe one of them could, if the compensation was right. Offer the idea and see what they say. Administrator: Good luck.