A Letter

Dear Resident Assistant,

I am currently living in ****** and I would like to request that I am moved to a new apartment. Unfortunately, the people who I have been assigned to live with have very different personalities and values than myself.

I am a returning student and will be turning 26 this year. I have worked hard to return to college and, as such, my grades are immensely important to me. I value a quiet place to study, and unfortunately I have been denied that. My roommates, and one in particular, like to have parties every night at our apartment. It has become clear that, if I wish to study, it will have to be elsewhere.

I believe that part of the problem is the fact that the school matched up two sophomores with a senior. Beyond the heavier workload that I will, and already do, have this year, there is a vast difference in maturity. They have decided how things are going to work in the apartment and "compromise" seems to mean that I let them have their way no matter what.

At the moment the apartment is civil, but just barely. I have been isolated in a corner of the dining room, where I have around 3-4 feet of space in which to move, as the table and my desk are forced up against each other. This was decided, as are most of the decisions regarding the apartment as a whole, and done while I was at work, leaving me unable to protest until everything else had already been moved.

I have tried to sit down and talk with the one girl in particular who seems to be the center of the problems. Unfortunately the talk seemed to go very well, both of us agreeing on several points, but since then she has done everything short of telling me that I'm unwelcome to make me feel unwelcome. In short, she is resorting to very high school-esque behaviors, which I am several years removed from and no longer have the tolerance to put up with.

I do not think that this is anything that mediation can fix, especially as we've already talked and she doesn't seem to have a problem with lying straight to my face about things and then doing the exact opposite. I have already struggled through one hellish semester, living with a person who thoroughly disliked me, and I refuse to put myself through that stress again. I have a right to a safe, quiet and comfortable place to live. At the moment I do not feel that I am being granted that right.

I would really appreciate it if you could please contact me about moving apartments as soon as possible. If at all possible I would like to remain on the 500-side of Cougar Village. Please e-mail me or feel free to call my cell phone at 123-456-7890. I am working all day Friday and Saturday, but if you would like to meet somewhere and talk about things in person, I would be happy to oblige.

Thank you very much,
Just A Miserable Knit Wit