What To Look For In A Roommate


by Elizabeth Saas - Date: 2006-12-12 - Word Count: 392 Share This!

Your college roommate -- what will he or she be like? Some people get assigned to a roommate their freshman year and it's a match made in heaven for the rest of their college years. Other people have shown up at school to learn they must have done something bad in a past life -- or at least the nightmare of a roommate they end up with makes them feel that way. Roommate situations are tricky. Sometimes people who are the best of friends will not stay that way when they decide to live together. If a roommate does become your friend, that's terrific, but you can have a great roommate experience without befriending your roommate. And before you decide that rooming with your best friend is the perfect solution, for the sake of the friendship, you should read the following tips.

Make Sure You Two Have Comparable Sleep Schedules

How boring does this sound? The fact of the matter is, though, that having the same ideas about when to be awake and when to be asleep can make or break a roommate situation. Imagine what would happen if you are a student who likes to burn the midnight oil but your roommate can't sleep unless there's total darkness and quiet in the room at eight o'clock? Before you agree to be roommates with someone, make sure that if you're a morning person, he is, too.

Similar Priorities

Party Girl and Bookworm would probably be a great sitcom, but in real life, these two should not room together. If you have a wild and crazy friend who wants to be your roommate, it will only work if you're wild and crazy yourself. Otherwise, as much as you love your friend, you're going to hate her as a roommate when her wild craziness starts interfering with your ability to get anything done in the room.

Compatible Personalities

Ironically, how much you like each other has the least effect on whether or not you'll get along as roommates. If you and your roommate become friends for life, think of that as a terrific bonus. You are much better off having a college roommate who keeps the same hours and has the same ideas about how the room should be used than by deciding to live with one of your best friends and then damaging your relationship because your schedules and priorities conflict.


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Elizabeth Saas is a feature writer for CareersandEducation.com. Review more of her work and read about using a Career Learning Center and explore her thoughts on Online Degree Programs and Online Colleges.

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