Should You Live with a Roommate in University?
Living with a roommate in university is a big decision. Before you decide, make sure to ask yourself these 4 questions to make the right decision.
Living with a roommate in university is a big decision. Before you decide, make sure to ask yourself these 4 questions to make the right decision.
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<strong>Should</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Live</strong> <strong>with</strong> a <strong>Roommate</strong> <strong>in</strong><br />
<strong>University</strong>?<br />
The fact is: some people prefer liv<strong>in</strong>g alone whereas others prefer to live <strong>with</strong><br />
a roommate. When you’re head<strong>in</strong>g off to university, you need to decide<br />
which category you fall <strong>in</strong>to. This will help you determ<strong>in</strong>e whether you’d be<br />
more comfortable liv<strong>in</strong>g on campus or <strong>in</strong> off-campus student hous<strong>in</strong>g. It can<br />
be difficult to know if you’ve never lived <strong>with</strong> a roommate before, but<br />
th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g about your personality and habits can help you figure it out.<br />
Will <strong>You</strong> Be Lonely?<br />
Some people feel lonely liv<strong>in</strong>g alone. Even when your roommate is only an<br />
acqua<strong>in</strong>tance, hav<strong>in</strong>g someone around to talk to at the end of the day can<br />
help you avoid feel<strong>in</strong>g homesick.<br />
Do <strong>You</strong> Value <strong>You</strong>r Privacy?<br />
On the other hand, if you enjoy spend<strong>in</strong>g long periods of time alone, you may<br />
struggle to adapt to liv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>with</strong> someone else, particularly <strong>in</strong> such close<br />
quarters.<br />
Are <strong>You</strong> a Neat Freak or Very Messy?<br />
People of either extreme tend to f<strong>in</strong>d it difficult to live <strong>with</strong> someone else if<br />
their habits don’t match their roommate’s lifestyle. Consider if you’d be<br />
will<strong>in</strong>g to make an effort to change or be more adaptable.<br />
Do <strong>You</strong> Know Someone <strong>You</strong> Want to Share With?<br />
If it’s your first year of university, the likelihood is that you know no one yet,<br />
mean<strong>in</strong>g that if you choose to live on campus, you’ll be assigned someone at<br />
random. There is the chance that you’ll end up be<strong>in</strong>g the best of friends <strong>with</strong><br />
your roommate, but there is also the risk that you’ll f<strong>in</strong>d your roommate<br />
difficult to live <strong>with</strong>. For <strong>in</strong>stance, this may be the case if one of you likes to<br />
stay up late to socialize whereas the other wants the room to be quiet for<br />
study<strong>in</strong>g and likes to go to bed early.<br />
If, however, you already have friends at the university, you may be able to<br />
pick someone to share <strong>with</strong>. Choose carefully, though — not all friends make<br />
great roommates, especially if you have dist<strong>in</strong>ct lifestyles.
It is possible to have the best of both worlds: you can have your own space<br />
and still be around other people <strong>with</strong> a suite <strong>in</strong> student hous<strong>in</strong>g. The<br />
Waterloo rental apartments at K<strong>in</strong>g Street Towers provide you <strong>with</strong> a space to<br />
share <strong>with</strong> just a few other students. Better still, if you don’t know anyone<br />
yet, you’ll be matched <strong>with</strong> people who have similar <strong>in</strong>terests. Plus, you can<br />
have your own room or share a bedroom — whatever you prefer.
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