What would we do without our friends? We love them, we hate them, and sometimes, we live with them. There are definitely some dos and dont’s when living with your friends, so read on if you’re shacking up with your besties next year!
DO make sure to communicate expectations from the start. This is a big one, especially if you’ve never lived together. She may be okay with you borrowing one of her shirts occasionally, but once you live together, you may find that there are certain off-limits items. Discussing what’s okay to borrow, what time you like to go to sleep, how often to clean the bathroom, and more are important so that you avoid future problems.
DON’T spend all your time in the house. Now that all your besties are in one place, it’s like you never have to leave. And while it seems tempting to constantly hang out in the house, try branching out to your other friends who live somewhere else. Or do a group dinner out downtown. You don’t want to become a shut in, and there’s so much more to explore than your three bedroom apartment.
DO create your own time. Even if you’re a super social person who never likes to be alone, a little bit of personal time is always good for your mental health. Make sure you take a few hours every week to carve out yourself some alone time—whether it’s watching a Netflix movie alone or studying solo. Your friends will always be there, so you shouldn’t have any fear of missing out.
DON’T assume it will be like one big slumber party. When you live with someone, you learn things about him/her that you didn’t know before. While there will certainly be lots of fun moments, there is bound to be some drama when you’re living that close to people you know so well. Just make sure you talk things out and understand that there might be some tension at times, but you’ll always love your friends no matter what.
DO enjoy the moments you make together. It’s not often that you get the opportunity to live with some of your best friends in a beautiful city like Burlington, so make sure to enjoy the fun moments you have together. Try making a Bucket List of things you want to do together over the year so you always have something fun to do.
While there may be ups and downs, living with your friends will be a blast as long as you know what to expect. You might hate them at some point, but remember why you love them and things will surely work out for the best.