It’s that time of year where everyone around you seems to be talking about housing, searching Craigslist every hour and deciding on his or her new potential roommates. There is no need to panic because it will work out in the end, but it is the right time to start figuring out where you want to live, who you can see yourself living with and what you want your next year to look like. Here are some helpful “do’s” and “don’ts” to keep in mind for the transition!
Do: Start talking to people. Talk to upperclassmen, your WOW leader, a classmate or whoever has experience living off-campus. Figure out where they lived and what they liked about it. It is good to sit and really think about what you want for the next year. How important is it for you to have your own bedroom? Do you want to be able to walk to school? Do you want to live on campus again? How far away are you willing to live if you can’t find a house close to campus? Talking to people about their experiences will help you decide what you want.
Do: Keep in mind that things change. I thought I knew what the living situation was going to be for my sophomore year the first day of winter quarter, but by spring quarter housing plans were changing every week and it was stressful. Keep your options open! If you know the people you are planning to live with are on the fence about it, have a back-up plan.
Don’t: Miss out on a good apartment because you’re set on getting a house. A house would be ideal, but they are not easy to get unless you have a connection or are super persistent in your searching. All of the apartments around campus are actually pretty nice and convenient. They are within walking distance to class, you can find ones with four bedrooms if you aren’t down to share a room again and any of them will feel like home once you add your personal touches. Keep in mind that the good ones go fast.
Do: Discuss the details in advance. Once you figure out who you are living with and where you are living, start talking about things such as the utilities, what everyone is bringing and any potential issues. For example, you might not want parties at your place every weekend, or maybe you care more about cleanliness than others. It is better to have these things figured out prior to moving in because, well, you don’t need four toasters.
Don’t: Try and share food. In some cases it works, but coming from roommates who tried to share the groceries for the first couple weeks of school this year, it usually doesn’t. You end up feeling like you paid for a portion of the bagels that you never got to eat. Also, if you all drink milk, don’t try and share a gallon each week because it lasts about three days and it’s inconvenient to go to the store that often.
Do: Take responsibility for your messes. Just a heads-up, dishes really are the source of all roommate problems. Okay, maybe not all of them, but dishes aren’t fun. They stack up and when no one claims the dirty dishes that have been sitting in the sink for the past week, someone feels like they are always picking up after everyone and it creates issues. Be the roommate that does their dishes and you’ll end up fine. Look for a place with a dishwasher—that will make your life a little easier.
Keep these things in mind and you’ll likely have an easier transition into your new living situations for next year!