The Issue:
Your roommate is not happy. She sleeps all day, frequently skips class, and almost never leaves your dorm room. She complains about everything. She doesn’t like it if you’re noisy, she hates it when the dorm is too quiet, and she’s always crabby. Nobody ever talks to her or comes over to see her, and when you do talk all she talks about is how homesick she is.
She’s bringing everyone down, and it’s making it very hard for you to have fun or relax in your residence hall.
The Solution:
First, it’s important to understand that your roommate’s happiness is not your responsibility. You can’t make her happy if she doesn’t choose to at least try to be happy. However, you can make an effort to include her in the things you do. Invite her to the cafeteria with you or out with your friends, or just make an effort to talk with her when you are in your dorm.
If she still keeps dragging you down. It might be okay to try talking to her about the situation. Explain how she’s making you feel, and see if she’ll talk to you about why she’s depressed. Maybe talking about it will help her, or maybe she’ll at least understand how she’s affecting you. (Of course this type of conversation really only works if you know your roommate well.)
If talking to her doesn’t work, or you’re not comfortable broaching the topic with her, ask you RA for help. You might be able to move to a new room if things don’t get better, and your RA might be able to get your roommate the help she needs.
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