Off-Campus Accommodation: Deciding Whether to Get a Roommate

If you have decided that you wish to live off-campus during your college years, it is likely that you are wondering whether to have a roommate or not. Off-campus accommodation comes with many perks, including ample parking and the ability to live independently without constant supervision. There are certain questions that you need to ask yourself when thinking of whether to share your room/lease or whether to live alone.

Can you afford it?

This is usually the first question that comes to mind when one is required to live off-campus, and the main reason why people all over the world decide to split rent. Many college students will decide to share their apartments because they need help coming up with the rent. So if you have a feeling that individual leasing is going to be an issue, you might want to get someone with whom you can share these costs. If lease payment is not an issue, then move along to the next question. 

What kind of a roommate are you?

If you have a hard time sharing space with someone, you might want to live alone, at least until you can comfortably learn to share space. Sometimes, there are conflicts between roommates not because one is bad, but because two very different personalities met and clashed.

How big is the shared space?

Of course, you might be capable of sharing but it so happens that you are confined to a very tiny space; which makes existing as two separate individuals rather tricky. As such, you must consider how big the apartment you wish to lease is. This way, you can determine whether there will be adequate room for the both of you.

Have you met your potential roommate?

The semester drags on forever if you are living with someone you do not like. It is therefore important to ensure that the person you live with is someone you can, at the very least, get along with. If you can, find someone you are already familiar and friends with to share the apartment with you. This way, there will be fewer chances of nasty surprises along the way.

Are you clear on what your responsibilities will be?

Before you live with someone, it is important to establish what will be required of either party. Living together blindly is the recipe for fights later on. Lay the ground rules early enough even before you are done unpacking. This way, if someone neglects the duties assigned to them, they will be held accountable. And speaking of duties, one more question that you should ask is…

How will you operate-separately or as a unit?

You must decide whether you will carry out certain tasks such as shopping for groceries, cooking, doing the laundry etc. separately or together. This way, you will know whether your roommate expects to find a cooked meal on a certain day, or whether they will bring their own take out, and so on.

Living with a roommate in off-campus housing can be exciting, but only if you prepare yourself well for it. 

Posted By: Hayden Commons  http://haydencommons.net/