Having a roommate isn’t for everyone. When you are by yourself there is no one to get on your nerves. No conflict or someone who leaves their dirty socks in the living room. Just you, yourself, and I. Although, there are many positives to having a roommate that might just surprise you, and hopefully if you follow my expert tips you can mitigate any potential dirty sock situations.
“I really dove head first into this whole roomie situation.”
Having been in the military I have been forced into the roommate debacle. My first experience was rooming with 50+ other girls for an entire month. I called this basic military training (BMT). I really dove head first into this whole roomie situation. While, I didn’t get along with everyone there was a lot that I learned from the experience. One, was that there were some people that I really clicked with, and others that I’d think twice about. The ones that I did click with, we had each other’s back and really helped each other out when we needed it.
Although, this is a roommate scenario on steroids, and not something I would recommend long term, the opportunity to find people to bond with and learn about was priceless. The next roommate I had was in tech school. We shared an 8×10 room and shared the bathroom with two other girls. We roomed together for a total of 6 months. This was where I really started to enjoy the experience as I met my best friend during this time. If you haven’t guessed it by now we were roomies! She was my best partner in crime. We looked out for each other’s and were each other’s shoulder to cry on. And, again, while I understand that having a roommate isn’t for everybody here are some things to consider below to help you make that decision for yourself.
(I love this dorky picture of me and my best friend, Mistry Lousch. It was taken with a disposable camera at a parade in San Antonio, TX during tech school. Although this was taken in 2008 to me it looks like a nostalgic Wonder Year’s photo).
Why I would recommend having a roomie:
- Cheaper rent. This is a major motivation in why most people choose to seek out a roommate. And let’s face it- money does make the world go ‘round. Having a roommate gives you the ability to free up income. What might this go to? Well, the skies the limit. This could go towards traveling abroad, a weekend local adventure (aka ROADTRIP!), or pursuing your own personal hobbies or self-development.
- Developing interpersonal skills. This might take you the most out of your comfort zone but something that is worth its weight in gold. If I could give my younger self any one piece of advice it would be to pursue chances to be out of my comfort zone to learn something new. This is often where you grow the most! Living in the same space with someone who is not a family member is a good way to sharpen those skills; skills that are priceless and will be used throughout your life, for the rest of your life!
- Sharing is Caring. Depending on your current living situation this may benefit you differently than it would someone else. Living in one apartment typically means you only need one blender, one set of silverware, once shower curtain, etc. I think that you get the picture. The point that I am trying to make is depending on the relationship between you and your roommate you could potentially minimalize your life and share items in your living space instead of having duplicates. Have you heard about libraries of things? Well, this is similar only you don’t even have to return the items unless your roommate moves away. This is not only a good way to cut costs but to help lower the amount of things we purchase and bring into our lives as well. This clears our mind from clutter and did I mention save some mullah? Sounds like a win-win to me!
Okay now that you are convinced that getting a roomie is the best idea since sliced bread it is important that you choose your new roomie carefully. I will leave you with a couple tips for the best roommate experience ever because I don’t want you to miss out on meeting someone who you will potentially want in your life for the remainder of your life!
(This is my bestie and me at the PBR show in Las Vegas, NV. She was stationed at Vandenberg AFB was I was stationed at Creech AFB. Apart but together.)
“Consider that not only are you choosing a roommate but that they are choosing you.”
Choose your roomie carefully:
- Choose someone who you may already know. This could give you a good idea as to their character and if you trust them enough to live with them.
- Create an interview process. If you do not know them very well beforehand make sure to set up a process that allows you to make a smart decision. Ask a lot of questions and try to get to really know them. Even ask for references of people that can vouch for their character or that have been their roommate previously.
- Be open as well. Consider that not only are you choosing a roommate but that they are choosing you.
A little Communication goes along way.
This is part of the magic of having a roommate. You don’t always agree and you may find what they do to be weird but don’t give up hope. I have found that in every living experience that I have had, apartment or otherwise, that as long as there was an open stream of communication I was less likely to feel annoyed but the other person. I was also able to feel that I was being heard and find solutions. This helps to mitigate tensions that may develop from simply just not talking to one another. As long as you are kind and assertive there should be a level of respect that develops from two people sharing each other’s boundaries and opinions.
As long as you are kind and assertive there should be a level of respect that develops.
Develop boundaries.
This may be something you can do during the interview process so you know beforehand what boundaries to respect and vice versa. This is a crucial part of the roommate process because this shows that there is mutual respect involved. Some aspects may be minor but other ones that are a source of tension should be addressed beforehand to give the other person a fair heads up of the expectations. A big one would be how much space to give them or what they feel comfortable sharing. I would even specifically ask what their own boundaries are. You would be surprised at how many of us don’t even think to make these known to their roomies!
The good news is, there are no limitations to sharing an apartment with a roommate at The Retreat at Mountain Brook. In fact, the regular application process applies both to individuals and roommates alike. Anyone over the age of 18 (19 or older) will undergo a credit, criminal background and rental history check during the application process.
Once you have narrowed down your roomie(s) we invite you to start the application process.
Happy rooming!
About the Author.
Blogger, amateur sewist, and inspiration chaser. Living out of my element in the Californian Mojave desert. Trusting God and finding joy in whatever state I find myself in by taking one day at a time, making the world a better place through small and lasting improvements by creating beauty wherever I go.
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