We are often told that you should never live with your friends because it can damage your friendships, but there can be benefits to living with those closest to you. From late-night rants to increased honesty, living with your friends can strengthen your relationships. In this article, we’ll examine the benefits of living with your friends and try to pinpoint when it can work.
Conflict
It can be hard to confront your friends about conflicts, especially when it’s been going on for a while. That’s why you shouldn’t let it progress that far. Try saying something the first time your roommate misses their chores for the week or leaves their clothes in the dryer past when it’s done. This helps them realize you notice things and prevents you from stewing on a little thing until it gets blown out of proportion. It also serves as a reminder because they likely just forgot, ran out of time, or got distracted. It may be easier to manage conflicts with someone you’re not as close to, but working things out with your friends can increase trust and respect.
Comfort
Your roommates can make or break your college experience. Feeling uncomfortable in your living situation can affect your grades, mental health, and physical health. Living with your friends can mitigate these effects because you have your support system close to you. Whenever you need to rant or spend time with someone, your roommates are right there. Moreover, living with your friends can improve your relationships because it gives you the opportunity to get closer. You no longer need to coordinate schedules to hang out; you can have impromptu hangouts in the kitchen as you make dinner. The comfort of living with your friends can make the possible downsides worth it.
Habits
We all have them, and they can be good or bad. Some like to sleep with the TV on, while others need it to be quiet and dark. It’s good to talk to your friends about their habits before you start living together, especially if you’ll be sharing a room. You can find roommate compatibility checklists online to help you identify habits you may not have considered, such as guest and study preferences. If you and your roommate are too different, it may not work out to live together because habits are hard to break. Finding a good roommate can be hard, so leaving yourself the option to choose from your friends is a good way to ease the difficulty.Â
Conclusion
Roommates are an important part of your life, so having them as your friends can be beneficial. There are some downsides to living with someone close to you, but they should never lead to the end of a friendship if you are open and proactive. So, why not give it a try the next time you are in need of a roommate?