Maria Teresa Ruesta Lescano with her roommate Theresa Ogaosun who met in Lethbridge College and have a happy relationship living in Residence Life. Photo by Tosin Liadi. 

Embracing academic excellence serves as just one angle of higher education. What’s equally important is building interpersonal skills. For students, navigating the challenge of cohabiting with unfamiliar people, particularly when you study far from home, can be daunting. The selection of roommates can significantly influence the overall learning experience, either adding to the stress or enriching the journey toward achieving academic success.

The experiences in the classroom and hostels makes the school environment all encompassing. Hostel living aims to nurture a sense of community, foster friendship and forge lifelong connections. 

Anthony Ezenweani, resident assistant 2023/2024 Residence Life at Lethbridge College shares his motivation for assuming the role.

“As an R.A, I thought that because I would be in more interaction with students, that’s a way for me to build community here. So, I would say, being an R.A, I’ve met very diverse people. I’ve made very good friends here and it’s just been a fulfilling work to be able to attend to the needs of students, especially those who are international and who don’t have family here,” said Ezenweani.

However, not all students are fortunate enough to encounter supportive and friendly roommates in their residential experience. Conflicts among roommates is a common occurrence with issues ranging from feelings of entitlement, hygiene to noise disturbances. Patience Shaibu-Akobo, practical nursing student at Lethbridge College recounts her experience, which was quite unpalatable.

“Living in the school residence turned out to be a challenging experience, marked by instances of racism and a lack of support. I encountered situations where I felt marginalized and discriminated against due to my race. These encounters ranged from subtle micro-aggressions to overt acts of discrimination creating an environment where I constantly felt unwelcome and isolated,” said Shaibu-Akobo.

Varying cultural backgrounds and how differently people are raised has caused these differences. Various conflict strategies are put in place to address roommate disputes with separation being the final option if all fails as explained by Ezenweani.

“That’s why we also have what we call the roommates agreement form where it’s about four roommates or two roommates will sign the form at the beginning of the semester. Who is going to do what, who is going to handle what and if that form doesn’t work, then dialogue comes in  with the manager and if that still doesn’t work, then I guess they just go their separate ways,” said Ezenweani.

In situations where you feel helpless and sad, individuals need to develop skills that will empower them to overcome unforeseen circumstances just like the case of Shaibu-Akobo as she shares what she learnt from her experience.

“The experience taught me valuable lessons about resilience and the importance of standing up against discrimination. While the scars from those experiences may remain, I am determined to use my voice to advocate for change and create a more inclusive and supportive environment for all students regardless of their race or background,” said Shaibu- Akobo.

On a more positive note, Maria Teresa Ruesta-Lescano, business operations student at Lethbridge College shares her positive experience.

“My experience living in residence life is good. I’ve met new people. I became close friends with my roommate. I also enjoy the fun activities the residence provides for us and like that it’s close to school and the room is pretty reasonable size, so I fit all my stuff there and it’s like a five-minute walk to class,” said Ruesta- Lescano.

Living in school hostels or shared accommodation builds capacities for individuals to be accommodating and tolerant, irrespective of differences in background, culture, race or ethnicity. It’s through these shared living experiences that individuals develop invaluable skills for navigating diverse social landscapes.