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Written by Ken Bauer
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You have options, but listen to what we say here very carefully. The
decision to live in a dorm, off-campus, at home (if you are going to a
college close to home) and who will be your roommate should be your
decision and nobody else’s. Listening to friends is not always the best
way to go when deciding what your living arrangements are going to be.
While friends may not try to intentionally sabotage you they may give
you advice that sounds good but really has their best interest in mind.
More times than we at CollegeCodex.com care to remember we have seen
two best friends move in together and wind up absolutely hating each
other. Everyone thinks it won’t happen to him or her. So let us offer a
few pointers on what to and what not to base your living arrangements
on.
A Little Advice
- You should never move in with a good friend simply because he or
she is a good friend. That is a sure fire way to make sure you will not
be friends in the future.
- It is both very rude and unrealistic to assume that bad habits
currently possessed by your potential roommate will go away once you
are their roommate. As a matter of fact, we can guarantee that any
irritations you have with someone will only be greatly amplified once
you move in together.
- Beware of someone that constantly campaigns as to why you should
be his or her roommate. Odds are they have more to gain than you by
being roommates. Many times we see one person that needs a roommate
grab the first person available rather than wait for a well-suited and
compatible roommate.
What to Avoid
We also suggest that you and your potential roommate give each other
references and contact information of former roommates. When checking
those references and former roommates be sure to listen for keywords
like
- “Definitely not a neat freak”
- “He eventually paid me”
- “Always left dirty dishes strewn throughout the house”
Asking Questions
Remember to ask many specifics like
- “Did she clean up after herself in the bathroom or did someone else always have to pick her hair out of the drain?”
- “Did he keep his laundry off of the floor or did someone else always have to pick up his dirty underwear?”
- “Did they do their fair share of dish washing?”
- “Did they respect assigned parking spaces?”
- “Did they respect noise levels?”
- “Not just did they do their fair share, but did someone always have to ask, remind and bargain with them to get them to do it?”
Stuff like this is not trivial. Knowing this before you sign a one-year
lease with this individual and have to pick his or her hair out of the
drain 365 times is important.
Beware the roommate that constantly needs to use
your computer because theirs is not working properly. They are most
likely the cause of their computer's viruses, problems, crashes,
freezes, etc. and could very easily cause the same in yours.
Back to Roommates
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