As I sat before my computer last Spring, a large document with the words Bucknell Housing Form stared back at me. Preoccupied with high school graduation and fitting as many activities as possible into the summer before college, I realized I hadn’t yet internalized my future. On August 17th, I would unlock the door to my freshman dorm. But, the specificities of my dorm remained unknown and I needed to submit the form soon. It seemed, despite the long list of questions, that the most daunting one was asking me to rank my preference of a single, double, triple, or quad dorm room.
Growing up with friends that all had older siblings, I had heard my fair share of roommate horror stories – eating weird smelling food, irregular sleep patterns, dating a partner that never left the room. Still, it felt like a rite of passage to have a freshman year roommate to get the full “college experience.” We might even be one of the lucky pairs that end up as best friends! Luckily, I was not new to the dorm lifestyle – I went to boarding school. The difference was, however, that my best friend and I chose to be roommates after knowing each other for a year prior. After weighing the pros and cons, I ranked a single above a double and decided to forget about it until the housing assignments were released.
Lo and behold, I was one of the lucky few that was given a single. My room now sits on the all-female floor 3.5 of the newly renovated Vedder Hall. I can safely say my past self made the right decision. In my opinion, the benefits of having your own space reign supreme. First and foremost, I never have to worry about my lifestyle affecting someone else’s. It’s easy to overlook the little things like being able to talk on the phone without having someone else hear every word, guaranteed peace and quiet while studying, and the basic ability to have a moment to yourself when every other second is spent with others. I’m no introvert – I have an outgoing personality and love to surround myself with people. With a single, my friends are never limited to when they can be in my room and we joke that several people are my “fake roommates” for spending so much time in it. Having sleepovers is another reminder that I live the best of both worlds. As such, I have yet to experience a moment where I wish I had a roommate.
Yes, my room is smaller than others and I’ll never know if my theoretical random roommate was my twin separated at birth. But, I have no doubt that the benefits of having a single outweigh what others may claim I am “missing out” on. If you’re thinking about choosing a single, let my advice serve as your sign to follow your gut – the single life is superior.