i would say that daughter should she is she can switch. i had become fast friends with my dorm next door neighbor, and neither of us were getting along with our roommates. we toyed with the idea of switching roommates, but in the end we did not, because we did not want to hurt either of their feelings. it was a mistake, not to have switched.

My daughter had a rough first semester a few years back. She definitely needs to confide in the RA. There are fines for things like drinking and smoking in the dorm, so that should help. I told my daughter to stick it out and she was miserable. Her roommate made a 0.0 after first semester and is no longer at Auburn. Housing may have a solution. The GREAT thing about Auburn is that they care about the students. I hope it works out for her and she finds a soultion.

Ugh, blisters are no fun!

I do marathons and triathlons, and I work in a job where I have to wear heels/dress shoes often. There's one product that saves my feet from turning into hamburger, and it is beyond awesome. It's called Bodyglide (yeah, I know, silly name) but trust me, it saves your feet (or thighs, or armpits, or anywhere else you may have blisters/chaffing). It's sweatproof, waterproof, odorless and colorless. I swipe a little on and off I go.

http://www.rei.com/product/745879

That's the small size, it's tiny enough to be TSA (and purse!) safe, but there's another that comes in a larger size and it looks like a tube of deodorant (DO NOT CONFUSE THE TWO!). A little goes a long way!

Always thinking, carnation!

Seriously, though, as others have said, this girl needs to speak with her RA about it to at least try to switch to a better situation. The fact is that LOTS of girls smoke/drink/sleep with guys... at least this roommate was nice enough to be straight up about it, I guess! So even if she switches roommates to another "straight arrow" like herself, that doesn't mean the new roomie will remain a straight arrow all year long.

Fun fact: I, like carnation's daughter, had a pregnant roommate. It was actually awesome because she always stayed at her boyfriend's place and basically just used her closet in our room and that was it. Then she moved out when she had the baby and I had the whole place to myself. I don't know why her parents bothered paying for the dorm at all!

BandAid makes really good blister band aids. They stay on and create like a comfort pad in the blister area.

As for the roomate issue - my first roomate was an over the top partier and quickly had a reputation with the boys within the first two weeks of being on campus. I lucked out because one of my suite mates dropped out of school because she was very homesick and just didn't go to class. I ended up moving in with my suitemate and my first roomate roomate moved down the hall with another girl who was a super partier. (sidenote: Both girls ended up getting cut very badly during recruitment - most likely due to their reputation). Your daughter may just want to live with the situation until recruitment is over, and see if other people are dropping out or want to switch rooms. But she should speak with her RA sooner rather than later about the issues.

Thanks for the encouraging posts and advice. After the first month I figure we will know more about whether it will be a situation she can live with, or if we should seek a change.

I'm just hoping that rush will be a positive experience and give her lots of new friends.(Thus taking her mind off roommate troubles.) I'll report back later today with her 2nd day impressions.

aumom - welcome, and good luck to your daughter. Remember that impressions change from day to day, so I hope that the "straight arrow" finds that she likes a kite, a key, an anchor, a quill, a diamond, or any of another of many other shapes, that she also likes (sorry carnation, couldn't resist).

Seriously: the roommate situation needs to be addressed immediately. We are talking about 18 year olds so it might be somewhat scary for your daughter to speak up for herself. I would think that sooner rather than later would be preferable if she needs to make a change. She's not the only one in this situation, I promise you. Encourage her to speak with her RA, and give her lots of support and love this week as she goes through recruitment.

Here's hoping everyone has a great week. I still want to go to Auburn and Alabama and Ole Miss (road trip!) for recruitment; what an experience it sounds (and looks) like.

My husband and son hiked 80+ miles at Philmont. Their blister-prevention kit was duct tape! Wonder if they make flesh-colored duct tape?:p

Yes, go NOW and get the roommate thing straightened out. Another week and they probably won't let you change.

/hijack/
Over time, my first roommate and I did not get along for various reasons, but the one major problem is that she smoked - a lot - and I have lung problems. She refused to go outside or into someone else's room, and she smoked more than just cigarettes. (Only one dorm at the time was non-smoking, the one that had had a fire the year before.) I didn't realize her smoking habits until we'd already been there for a few weeks, and roommate changes were not allowed after I think the first week.

I think that your daughter should talk to her RA sooner rather than later to find out what her options are, and then to have a frank discussion with the roommate to see if some agreements can be made in certain areas. If they can't come to a compromise, then she can exercise her choice to change (if allowed). Or, perhaps they can try this semester and if things don't work out, change next semester. One thing to remember is that sometimes, we are stuck with people that we just don't get along with. It's a learning experience.

/end hijack/

My husband worked in Residence Life for many years. They will not do anything immediately. Not all of the students have moved in yet. They will wait for that to happen and then for the dust to settle to figure out where the openings are and then assess all of the move changes that have been requested. All she can do right now is put in for a room change and then wait.

Update
 

I heard from ""Emma" two hours ago, but have been very busy at work today and couldn't get away for a few minutes until now to provide you with a quick update.

Emma enjoyed the six groups she visited today even more than the groups she visited yesterday. The groups she liked the most were the Diamondbacks, the Giants, and the Cubs. She also visited the Padres, the Rockies, and the Angels. The Diamondbacks are definitely her early favorite.

As soon as the parties were over, her Pi Chi group went to the computer lab where they prioritized their choices.

She then went to eat lunch with a new friend she met during Camp War Eagle who is also going though recruitment. Tomorrow, first thing in the morning, the PNM's will find out who they are invited back to for the next round.

The blister problem must not have been too bad today, since she didn't mention it (or maybe she was in too much of hurry to meet her friend for lunch)

If I learn more tonight, I'll post again.

Just had to add the obligatory :eek:...not sure if it is a regional thing, but sheesh does school start EARLY for some people on this forum! My college move-in didn't even kick off until after/around Labor Day weekend!

Good luck to your daughter!!!

Thanks for making this thread, AuburnDad. For those of us who are counting down the days until recruitment starts, it's very helpful/exciting to hear about your daughter's!

AuburnDad, so glad that things are off to a good start with your daughter!

AUMom2010, last year my daughter had similar problems with her suitemates at Auburn. The girls were only sharing a bathroom, but my daughter and her roommate felt like they shouldn't have to also share that bathroom with a host of random guys (especially when suitemate and guy were sharing the shower together.) Smoking is a huge offense in the dorms, but other than that, the RA may not be very helpful. (She certainly wasn't in my daughter's case.) I would certainly encourage your daughter to try and switch roommates, rooms or even dorms if she feels like she can't live with this girl. She may have to be a "squeaky wheel" to get anywhere, though.

They must have been wearing their old uniforms! :rolleyes:

I have counseled my daughter to try to get along with her roommate and wait till the end of the month, and to try to work out compromises.

As far as recruitment goes, "Cassie" said that today went fine, although she did end up putting 4 of the 7 groups she visited today on her cut list. She felt she had presented herself well in all the groups. She had only one instance of "awkward silence" and that was because her host kept looking away and cutting her eyes over to someone else as if she wanted to get away. She also said that her roommate and several other girls she talked to said that they had lots of awkward moments. She has at least 7 or 8 groups where she feels she could be happy.

We are new to everything Greek, but I am wondering if we have been kidding ourselves about the amount of partying and drinking that goes on in sororities. Almost everyone in her Pi Chi group cut one group because they thought they would not party enough, and that group was one of my daughter's top five.

My belief going into this was that all sororities have some party girls and some girls who drink very little if any, and don't sleep around. Am I wrong?


I will be curious to hear from Auburn dad and get "Emma's" take on the first round.

there will be partiers and non-partiers in all the sororities. sounds like girls are listening to "tent talk"(gossip) to me.

Since Auburndad has baseball teams, I thought i would go with ice cream flavors.

Her top 12

Cake batter
pralines and pecan
vanilla
chocolate
peach
strawberry
cookies and cream
mint chocolate chip
butter pecan
chocolate almond
chunky monkey
cookie dough

--------------------------
cookies and cream
rocky road
fudge ripple
jamoca
pistachio

aumom, the girls in the Pi Chi group may think they 'cut' that group but it may well show up on their schedules tomorrow because they too will be cut!

But...yes, the groups have a mixture of partiers and more serious girls. Of my 6 Greek daughters, 3 were the 'designated drivers' and that was fine by them. All of Auburn's groups are so big now that there's a huge range of personalities in each one!

Auburn Dad... so glad the Giants are in it ( and the Cubbies too)! And glad Emma had a good day!

Au Mom I agree with carnation, my daughter went to a school that is considered a " 'party school" and she is not a drinker. She too was a DD for events, she got along just fine, in fact she ended up as the chapter President.

I'm excited to see what houses both ladies get back tomorrow.

aumom,

I have two sons in college and recently served as an advisor. I won't lie, there is a lot of partying in college these days. There was a lot of partying in my day, too. The difference is that we were typically partying with 3.2 beer (legal at 18) and many of the girls today party with hard liquor(legally or illegally obtained). Back in the day, we spent a lot of time in line for the one bathroom in the bar, drastically cutting down on the actual amount of weak beer that we consumed. Current drinkers spend a lot of time knocking back strong, sweet, candy like drinks. Of course this is a generalization, but it's what I have experienced.

The sororities will have a huge mixture of women--ranging from extremely conservative and religious to wild child, and everything in between. She would be able to find kindred spirits in all of the chapters.

Regarding the roommate, some of that could be shocktalk. If your daughter is a straignt arrow, and has made that clear verbally or non-verbally, the roomie could be exagerating for effect. Maybe it was a conversation that simply went south. Hopefully she isn't as wild as she said. If so, maybe she won't be in college long....At any rate, your daughter will spend most of her time with her new sisters. Yea!! Best of Luck to her and all the AU PNMs!!

My daughter too said there are partiers and non partiers in each group. I hope that she didn't just meet the partiers. Most of the sororities have a list of campus groups their girls belong to, most vary widely. She might want to review those sites.

aumom2010 - I agree with Katmandu that the roomie might just be trying to pull your daughter's chain. Unless she drinks, smokes and boinks in their room, it would probably be a good learning experience to stick it out. If she's in a sorority she's going to encounter all types of people and better to deal with it in this situation than with a sister a year or two down the road. Plus, sometimes it's easier to be roommates with someone you're NOT best friends with.

And yes, in any group as large as the sororities at Auburn (or any SEC school for that matter) there is going to be everything from soup to nuts as far as partying is concerned. Just tell your daughter not to listen to the gossip and to go where she feels comfortable.

Totally agree with katmandu and 33girl. But aren't most dorms these days non-smoking? I know, I know, the smoke still clings to hair, skin and clothes, and stinks up the dorm room. Yuck.

I will also say that I knew a decent number of girls who lived "sheltered" lives before they went off to the big school (but not all, obviously), who, after a few weeks, decided to let their wild child out, because they could. They proceeded to drink anyone under the table with that bleacchy 3.2 beer, and while they were under that table, screw anyone under there too. Then there were the girls who found a boyfriend after 2 weeks and always had the joker in the room. This was 30 years (oh God no, it can't be!) ago. Some things never change. She will figure it out. But like everyone said, it wouldn't hurt for HER to talk to the RA soon to find out what her options would be, and any deadlines, just in case she finds that she is in an untenable situation with her roommate.

^^^ Hahaha! And it happened more than 30 years ago too! What is it they say--"the more things change, the more they stay the same"?

What you said about 'and while they were under the table...." would be referring to half the girls in the next dorm over.

Final Day 2 Update
 

Just finished our Skype call with Emma.

She seemed mentally exhausted after two days of recruitment.

Prioritizing her choices was difficult because she didn't really feel like she disliked any of them. She mentioned the fact that each of the groups had such similar chapter rooms and they all wore very similar style shirts, and this made it more difficult to remember each group. To help, she just started writing down a numerical ranking between 1 -10 as soon as she left each party. Today, her favorite group received a 9 and her least favorite group rated a 5.

She also mentioned that if she didn't get invited back to the Diamondbacks she would be disappointed, but would still feel good about most of the others.

She told me that she would text me after she meets with her Pi Chi in the morning.

When I hear from her, I'll try to get you an update.

That cracked me up! I'm glad to see that there are some baseball fans reading this thread.

I would say, "Go Red Sox!" but they have had a snakebitten year so far, would not want that for your daughter.

HOOOOOOLY COWW! GO CUBS GO!

Thanks so much to AUMom2010 & AuburnDad for these tidbits & updates. So many of us are such recruitment nerds and can't get enough of this :D
I'm glad both seem to be keeping good attitudes and wish them continued luck. As cuts come, remember that they do get to go back to some amazing chapters and could click more on a second, third visit.
Again, best of luck!

Hehe :D They're an 'underdog' team of sorts, and generally pretty hated-- with one win in, what was it, '01? And the few fans they got after that were quite upset when Mr. New Coach* decides to change the team colors. Um, yeahhhh, because NO other team in the league has red in their colors... :confused:

Needless to say, my dad follows it (and most other sports) more than me... I don't even know Mr. New Coach's name :P I could go on and on about Steve Nash and Lebron James though ;)


eta:
*Or was it the owner? Ah well, you get the point...

Are the Orioles still in the running? The O's have to win somewhere right...?

Cheers to another good day for Emma!

Day 3
 

Good news! Emma has a full slate of 12. And the Diamondbacks have invited her back! She has quite a few parties to got to today so I don't know when I'll be able to update you again.

Excellent!! :)

I also am happy to report that "Cassie" has a full list of 12, All of her top 12 asked her back, although I think she probably is 2nd guessing a couple of her decisions.

I will also update later.

Yay! A big War Eagle to Emma and Cassie!!!!

Woohoo! for Emma. AuburnDad, it's quite enjoyable to read your perspective. From what you've written, Emma sounds like she's got a great attitude and it shows in her invites. Impressive. Keep us updated when you can. Best of luck to Emma (and to every other Auburn PNM, of course).

(just saw Cassie's news, woohoo! for her too!!!)


I know I should root for the Diamondbacks, but I'm a diehard Giants fan

I am really thrilled for both young ladies going through recruitment right now. They are not even my daughters and I felt a deep relief that they both are feeling great up to this point. Whoo Hoo!:D

Good Luck to both ladies during recruitment! Parents, please keep the updates coming!

My rec girl at AU is having a good time too! I don't want to say too much but she is excited about all of her parties today!

Congrats Emma and Cassie! I'm waiting to hear from "Suzie", but since I'm in a different time zone I usually speak to her at the end of the day.....