Since a young girl you probably had your whole life mapped out in your head. You were going to “glo up” during middle school, conquer high school with your childhood bestie, and then come to college, get an apartment with your best friend and enjoy adulthood. As great as that sounds, rooming with your best friend may not always be the best thing for you.
I am a junior right now and over my three years I have seen many people fall out with their roommates. It’s very difficult sharing a living space with someone that you don’t know at all, but it can be just as challenging living with a close friend. A lot of the times you become comfortable with the concept of time when it comes to friends, the longer I’ve known you the more likely we are to get along. In a perfect world that is true but unfortunately, our world is nowhere near perfect. Sometimes the people closet to you can strike a nerve quicker because of how well they know you. Conflict with someone close to you can really throw things off balance and tarnish a good relationship so before locking up with your “ride or die” consider the circumstance.
Are you aware of your friend’s living habits? Do they like to clean? Do they clean often? Do they respect personal space? Do they smoke or are they the type that is 100% against it? How do they handle confrontation within the home? Are they able to talk through disagreements? Do they like living with pets? Are they annoyed by frequent company? Is there a certain way that they want everything arranged in the refrigerator? Do they know how to keep laundry going so that they aren’t holding up the washroom? When you are sharing a living space, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE SIGNED A LEASE, these things are very important.
A lot of the time, the close friendships form at a school setting so you don’t really get a full view of how they are outside of that. You never really get the chance to see how they are outside of class unless you guys are extremely close, and you see them just as often outside of school. Whenever you go over, that setting is usually prepped meaning they straightened up for company. When you are actually living with someone from sunup to sundown, there are things that you begin to learn about someone. It’s best to do your research before making a commitment to live with someone to make sure they are a good fit for you as far as rooming together goes.
Now, if you and your best friend have discussed your expectations if you move in together and it all works out, I am more than happy for you. Me and my high school friend have lived together since freshman year with no issues, so I know that it’s very possible. I just want everyone to be mindful before making that leap because, like I said, I have seen housing situations ruin a friendship. As long as everyone is clear with what they hope for, respectful of everyone’s belongings and space, and able to maturely work through household disagreements, this could be a beautiful transition. Just make sure to be open and think about all possible outcomes before making a commitment to your friend and the leasing office.