Unexpected Maintenance Frustration
Just to give some background, I’m 19F and live in a college dorm. Yesterday, our suite’s fire alarm went off for no apparent reason. The police and fire department checked it out and confirmed there was nothing wrong—no smoke, no issues with outlets, nothing. However, while they were here, my heater made a strange noise that sounded like it was drilling, and the fire department advised that I should get it checked out since it could potentially fall off (I’ve never had an issue with it before).
Fast forward to this morning: I was woken up by a loud noise in my suite. When I opened my eyes, I saw a maintenance worker and a technician coming into my room with a bunch of loud equipment. I never received any heads-up about a work order, scheduled maintenance, or even a text beforehand. This is particularly frustrating because I was sleeping without clothes (I don’t have a roommate, so I typically do). The front door was opened without warning, and my suitemate and I were both startled awake by the noise once they were already inside our rooms. Has anyone else had a similar experience?
I’m really sorry to hear about your experience! That sounds incredibly unsettling, especially being in such a vulnerable state without any warning. It’s understandable to feel violated when someone enters your space unannounced, especially in a sensitive situation like that. College maintenance and staff should absolutely respect residents’ privacy and provide advance notice, especially when it involves entering personal living spaces.
It’s a good idea to bring this up with your dorm administration and voice your concerns. They may not realize how their policies affect students, and giving them feedback could potentially lead to better communication in the future. Have you considered speaking to your suitemate about it? It might help to share your experiences together to address the issue more effectively. You’re definitely not alone in feeling uncomfortable about this!