My DD has had some roommate problems, too, but not really of the personality conflict variety. Last week, her roommate dropped a bomb (seemingly out of nowhere according to DD) that she was moving out! The (former) roommate hasn't left school, she just moved into a single room across the hall from her old room. This is strange on several fronts--the college has a larger than expected Freshman class so has a whole dorm full of forced triples across campus, the girls (again, according to DD) hadn't had any major problems (they weren't close friends, but coexisted fine). And, in my experience, this school considers the roommate/dorm/communal living (only one cafeteria, shared PO box, very few singles only reserved for upperclassmen, etc.) to be VERY important in terms of personal development and doesn't just allow people who have only lived together for a few weeks to decide they don't like it and move out. Due to privacy, no one can tell DD anything about the ex-roommate so she is feeling that she did something "wrong."
They also aren't really telling her when/if she will get a new roommate. It is unlikely for the rest of this semester, as they REALLY encourage people to work out conflicts and compromise (unless there is something major) and it is a Freshman floor so I don't think an upperclassman would want to move in. Her ex-roommate is a swimmer and never really spent a lot of time with DD or the other girls in the floor--just her teammates. DD just feels bad. I'm sure it will be temporary and she'll adjust to her double closet space and privacy very soon, but I feel sad that she is missing out on a traditional rite of passage and a key component of the "college experience" we all talk so much about. I do hope the ex-roommate is ok, as with no information it is natural to jump to worst case scenarios.
