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College Student Gets Knock on Door—Not Ready for ‘New Friend’ She Sees

February 21, 2026
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A college student said she was stunned when resident advisors (RAs) knocked on her dorm room door and handed her a live goldfish without warning, leaving her scrambling to figure out how to care for a pet she never asked for.

In a post on Reddit, the woman and original poster (OP), user ImmortalSpy14, explained that the RAs had gone door to door before giving her a goldfish, telling her, ‘Here’s your new friend.”

The fish was handed to her in a small plastic cup, forcing her to make an unplanned trip to buy a fishbowl.

“I think this is problematic,” she wrote. “First, I got no warning for this. And they gave it to me in a tiny plastic cup, so I had to run to Walmart to get a fishbowl (I know they technically need more than that, but right now, I can’t get a $100 tank), so now I need to care for it until I can find someone new.

“And I have no experience with fish. I honestly don’t think it’s going to last long. Like… I didn’t sign up for this.”

Goldfish

Reddit users were outraged on the OP’s behalf, with one writing, “I would report this to a hall director or someone higher up because this is going to end badly for a lot of fish that doesn’t need to be happening.”

Another noted, “There’s no way a hall director signed off on ‘Surprise Live Animal Day,’ like, that’s a whole responsibility they just dropped on broke college kids.

“I love a cute dorm event, but this feels like it skipped the common sense meeting.”

“People really need to start learning how to say no,” a third contributor declared. “A door in the face would have worked too.”

Goldfish are often viewed as simple starter pets, though experts note they require more care than many assume.

According to PetAssure, “A minimum tank size of 20 gallons is recommended for juvenile goldfish,” with the outlet also reporting that a goldfish will live between 10 and 15 years, depending on species and care.

That longevity can turn a spur-of-the-moment gift into a long commitment. PetAssure notes that goldfish are “the most commonly kept freshwater fish species in the world,” and while considered beginner-friendly, they still require proper filtration, water testing and space to grow.

Difficulty Saying No

The OP’s predicament also touches on the difficulty some people face in declining unwanted obligations.

In an article for Psychology Today, the author writes, “Feeling confident in saying ‘no’ can help people set clear and consistent boundaries in their relationships.”

The piece adds, “Saying no can create more mental health stability by helping with self-care and build your self-esteem and confidence by setting boundaries.”

While the OP questioned whether she was overreacting, many commenters focused less on the fish itself and more on the principle of consent.

Receiving a living animal without prior notice, they argued, places immediate financial and ethical responsibility on someone who may not be prepared.

For now, the OP says she is caring for the fish as best she can while searching for someone better equipped to take it in.

Newsweek has reached out to ImmortalSpy14 for comment via Reddit. We could not verify the details of the case.

To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, click here.



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