With summer apartment shopping in full swing, the ads on Craigslist are doubling by the day. Everyone is moving fast to meet new people over emails, messages, and calls in what I call “roommate dating.” If you’ve recently posted one of these sublet ads, here are the five people that you will meet along your journey:
1. The Needy One
Wait, how many bathrooms again? But like, HOW many? This girl needs to know all of the details. She’s short, sweet, and to the point. You imagine she has five other roommates she’s “dating,” making them jump through the same hoops you do. You really want to leave her, but her offer is just. too. good.
Â
2. You Love Her, But Not Her Pet
It’s hairy and expensive. It requires lots of attention every single day. And it can destroy your stuff at will. Dogs can be an amazing addition to your life but maybe not a good investment when you’re handling 15 credit hours, a job, and a social life. You think you could love this girl, but you’ll have to dump her because you’re just not ready for that kind of pet commitment yet.
Â
3. The One Who Failed English
“Let’s eat, Grandma!” Or, “Let’s eat Grandma!” You read those two sentences very differently. So many silly fights break out because you two misread the tone of a message. The intricacies of discussing money and dates are something you don’t want to misunderstand. If you are stuck with a poor writer, ask them to call!
Â
4. The Foreign Exchange Student
Where…where is that again…? If you’re an American student, you might know exactly how language and culture barriers with someone over email can cripple your relationship. If you’re serious with a person who is flying in for the summer from a vastly different place, Skype is a godsend. Even if you’re struggling to understand each other verbally, you have their beautiful smile to fall back on. The body language added to the conversation can let you know if you two are truly a match.
Â
5. The One Who Broke Your Heart
She’s perfect. You guys are just “talking” right now, but you can already tell she’s something special. Then, suddenly, the emails stop coming. You find her on Facebook, and she doesn’t accept your friend request. Is there someone else? You’ll never know where she ended up living for the summer, but you’ll send her a new friend request every day for a year.
It’s easy to get swept up in the romantics or pitfalls in roommate dating. Make sure that before you enter a roommate relationship with someone, that they are ready to accept responsibility and are truly “the one.”
Â