As a personal aside, I'd like to mention a similar incident.

Back when I lived on campus, a pipe in our ceiling sprung a leak and the same watery bubbles popped up through the drywall. The 'ceiling pimples' were bizare, but it was obvious what they were as soon as we touched a finger to one. The maintenance guy who responded to our call came in, saw the water-filled blobs and immediately lanced them with a screwdriver. Luckily, we had already placed trash cans beneath them and all the fetid water that came out was contained.

The massive hole that was quickly cut into our ceiling stayed for over a month. Of course.

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Sorry to buck the trend, but that's really bad information about the water damage. Oh, it may be true that Maintenance might be sloppy, and it's certainly true that water will pour out of those "bubbles" if you poke them, but:

--it's STUPID to leave the water in the wall or structure: it can grow mold that will make you SICK. Notify campus and have them fix the damn thing.

--it's not cardboard, it's "Drywall" or "sheetrock" (same thing) which is plaster sheathed in paper. That paper sheath is one of the places that cellulose-easting mold will grow and then make you sick.

Hey, roof leaks happen even in my parents' home. Just like there, the smart move is to have it fixed.

Shit, our apartments aren't made out of cardboard? Why didn't anyone tell me?! Metaphor has tricked me again!