With housing lottery numbers just released, it feels like everyone on campus is talking about living situations for next year. While you may not be able to choose your lottery number, you do get to choose who you live with, so take advantage of this opportunity. You may be wondering how many people you should live with, where to look for housing, and who would be a good roommate. Not to worry, Her Campus is here to help! Follow these simple tips to choose the right roommate for you.
1. Find someone with similar living habits: I can’t say how many times I’ve seen people think their best friend is the obvious choice for a roommate, and then have a huge blowup when they realize they don’t live well together. Liking someone as a person and liking someone as a roommate are two totally different things. Try to find a friend who lives similarly to you. If your best friend goes to sleep at 3 AM every night but you try to be in bed by 9, tensions will arise. Ask your potential roommate when they go to bed, if they are clean or messy, and if they have any special housing needs. Opposites definitely do not always attract in regards to rooming.
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2. Know what you’re looking for in a living situation: Before you can even consider who you should live with, think about what aspects you want in regards to housing. Do you need to be close to campus? Is price a major factor? Would you be okay with sharing a bedroom? Make sure the person you’re considering asking to live with wants the same things, so you don’t face a problem down the road when it’s finally time to submit a housing request.
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3. Trust your gut- don’t avoid red flags: Be sure to pay attention to details when considering a roommate. While you may be able to put up with your friend’s annoying foot tapping for short periods of time, this habit will probably begin to bug you if you hear it every night as they’re doing their work. Try not to dismiss obvious points of contention and trust your gut. If you get a weird vibe from someone early on, it will probably only get worse as time progresses.
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4. Be selfish: We all have that friend who got screwed over in housing. Maybe her current suite replaced her with someone else, or maybe she has one of the worst lottery numbers. No matter what it is, housing is one of those times where you need to be selfish. Of course we all want to help our friends, but be sure you’re willing to sacrifice your dream housing arrangement to bring in your lottery disaster friend. You don’t want to think about what could have been as you commute twenty minutes to get to campus everyday.
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Article cover image via hercampus.com