So you’ve finally escaped your bratty younger brother and nagging parents. That means freedom at last, right? Here are five perks of having college roommates… or maybe not:
1. If you love sharing, you’re in luck. You brought the Brita filter, and your roommate brought the can opener. You have the perfect floral scarf for your roommate’s chambray shirt, and she has the Pinterest-crafted American flag shorts you need for a patriotic party. Everyone wins.
If you don’t, you’re going to have a tough time. Sorry, but you’re bound to notice your bag of spicy-sweet Doritos occasionally emptier or find your paper towel supply depleted.
2. You always have a designated buddy for all of your activities. You’ll never have to search for a pregame partner or worry about walking home alone at night. You have someone to greet when you come home, chat with while you cook dinner, and vent to when you’re upset.
But maybe you’d rather not have someone invade all of your personal space and tag along with your friend group. Sometimes you just need some me time, but it’s hard to catch a moment alone. And things can just get awkward when you make exclusive plans that your roommate expects to be invited to.
3. If you need a small favor, you always have someone to ask. If you forgot that one grocery item from Publix or need a ride, you can bet on asking your roommate because she’s around and knows you’d do the same for her.
But you may get taken advantage of and be the one doing all the favors. You can’t avoid your roommate asking you for favors – they know where you live. Whether it’s forgetting to pay you back that $15 she borrowed, even after two reminders, or frequently using your printer paper, small favors can start to be annoying.
4. You won’t have to do all of the cleaning chores by yourself. If you have a good system with your roommate(s), cleaning is quick and easy, especially with trade-off duties like putting away plates and utensils from the dishwasher. Just think: when you come home and the nearly full garbage bag was already taken out or when you open the microwave and realize the sauce spots have vanished — it’s the little things.
But you may end up cleaning everything. If your roommate neglects cleaning duties, things can get ugly fast — and not just regarding grimy counters. What starts as a minor nuisance, could quickly evolve into a passive-aggressive note war.
5. You could potentially find your new best friend. Sometimes roommates are just roommates and nothing more. Most friends are just friends because you know living with them would jeopardize your relationship. But every once in a while, there are those roommates who are on the same page as you and can be your friend at the same time. When you mesh on both levels, it’s a beautiful, magical thing.
Or you could potentially find your new archenemy. Nothing ruins a friendship faster than obnoxious alarm clocks going off at 5 a.m. when you’re trying to sleep, getting locked out when you’re showering in the communal dorm, or just generally butting heads. It’s easy to get hostile when people you severely dislike are always around you.
Depending on your situation, living with roommates can be both a blessing and a curse. But just like everything else in college, it takes a little experimentation to figure out what (or who) is right for you.
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