By Taylor Johnson (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: September 19, 2012
It is time to leave the nest! It is the time to break free, stay up late with your music way to loud, 24/7 access to the couch and TV and no more hiding any party aftermath. You are ready for the big world out there; nothing can stop you – except maybe your roommate.
First of all you’ve picked where you are going to be living, be it an apartment, a condo, a dorm room, a house or a basement suit. How big is the space? How many people could live there comfortably, meaning you will not be stepping all over each other 24 hours a day? Then there is the rent. Can you afford it if your income suddenly drops (i.e: taking a sick day from work or taking time off for exams) – and how many people will you need to split the rent with?
Roommates are a necessity for students living as cheaply as possible. It’s difficult even to rent a one bedroom place by yourself. But how do you pick the right roommate?
The perfect roommate is obviously someone you know but not someone you are best friends with. Relationships can be damaged once you are in each other’s space all the time, bad habits can get on nerves and quite possibly ruin the friendship. It is best to choose an acquaintance or a friend of a friend, someone you can be straightforward with about matters like rent and not worry about hurting their feelings.
There is a certain element of trust that goes with a roommate, beyond stealing each other’s stuff. You wouldn’t want to walk in and have your room ransacked with your favourite lotion smeared on the walls or realize you’re always out of milk, yet your roommate specified they do not even drink milk. Your roommate should also understand the boundaries of space and privacy. By living with someone you see them at their best, worst and most embarrassing. Details like illness, love affairs and weird habits are best kept between roommates. What happens in the house should stay in the house.
Remember to respect your roommate. Everyone likes to go out and have a good time, but you are sharing a space with someone else who might not have the same concept of a good time. Coming home to a full swing party the night before a math final might not be perfectly okay with everyone. Be considerate of work schedules, exams and yes relationships. A basic rule is, if it would make you uncomfortable than it’s best to be avoided.
If you’re concerned you and your roommate are not on the same page, consider a written roommate contract, for everything from who does what for housecleaning to who buys the toilet paper. There are thousands available online with varying terms depending on your situation.
Being open and honest with whoever it is you decide to live with is the easiest way to stress free roommate living, and treat your roommate how you would hope to be treated.
Good luck!
