Since I moved to university dorm 3 months ago, I haven't really practiced my magic because I live in a double room. My roomate is very smart (100% average for midterms) and suspicious. The only time available for me to practice is the weekend that he's away. So you guys have any advice for my situation?

-switch the light off
-go outside the room
-cover yourself with something
-practice on the toilet
-exchange mate with one from the female dorms (your new
roommate won't be interested in magic that much)

need some more (propositions, not roommates!)?

That's a tough one.
Setting up a camcorder or a mirror seems out of the question.

Maybe not the best thing to do without a mirror or camcorder but I practice sleights in my car during lunch. Other times I'll bring a book and go over some routines just to get a better feel for them.

See if you can find an empty room on campus. If the school has a theater you might talk to someone and see if you could set something up back stage.
Also, there are 12" X 12" mirror panels that could be duct taped together. You can fold this and make a cardboard case for it. Maybe bring that to a quiet place.

Good luck.

Me and my roomate have completely different schedules.

There has to be times when he's not in there.

Plus, when you practice magic you're supposed to be practicing like you have a real audience anyways. Practice when he's doing his homework or something.

Are you practicing close up or stage. If close up take a look in your library. When I was in college the library had small private rooms that any student could use. These typically had a built in desk and chair. Plenty of room to practice close up but not stage.

Unless you are practicing patter, ignore him. He does not know what you are doing unless he is readng your books. Just focus on your stuff, position yourself so he is in the sweet spot. Do the same thing twenty or thirty times and you will become part of the wall paper. Only magicians watch each other like cats watch mice.

I'm very lucky that my roomate absolutely loves magic! Still, it is a little unnerving to practice with someone else in the room, especially a non-magician and ESPECIALLY when its a new routine that I've created, or new pattern I've written that isn't polished yet.

mkiger's advice was good: just keep doing the moves and such over and over and you will become a backdrop like anything else.

The real expert on this is David Ginn! I'm not sure the Georgia Bulldogs got any of his time.

Ask him!

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander

In my college days I could almost always find some little niche on campus to practice in. The library had these little "study rooms" they rented out, where you cold keep ur research, was very cheap and very private. Also music dept often had "practice rooms" that they rented out to students, even if you weren't currently in a music course (though they gave scheduling preference to music students), Always someplace, maybe a friend with off campus housing will let you used their place once in a while in privacy.

Photius,

You went to the library while you were at college?

I went to the University of Alabama, University of Arkansas and Oklahoma. I wonder if they had one? (Would that be near a football stadium?)

Now you know why I thought PhD stood for Post Hole Digger.

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander

LOL, maybe that is why I got my Ph.D. LOL. ur a riot!

Would you be a character witness at the hearing?

Bob

Take off all clothes and pratice. Feel the freedom!

I understand your dilemma... Perhaps.. you just practice infront of him.. but do not perform to spectator when he is around.. he will be the heckler. trust me.

Sometime in life, you need to scarified in order to practice.. If he around and you don't practice then you wont get any better..

As you get better , someday he be gone from your worlds, and you got a skills to entertain anyone. I believe derren brown start magic which he is in university studying law....

My roommate decided to post on Facebook an exchange we once had:

Him: Was that fishing line?
Me: What? NO. It's freakin' magic, man!

Moral: Just practice and deny that anything is unusual.

I would just practise where you like who cares if hes watching you for all he knows your just messing with cards. If however your reading a book and following along to learn the trick then do that some where private like the "study rooms" others have mentioned. You could also say do you mind if I have an hour alone in my room just to practise some magic tricks quitely.

In some colleges or universities, there are practice rooms for music, theater, etc. I wonder if they'd have something along those lines where you are?

I am glad all my roommates like magic(first and second), and I sometimes tell them some magic history even teach some little card tricks! Those little card tricks can keep them busy for a long time, so you can have time for practicing magic and without be disturbed. Also the library is a good idea!