Roommate Choices

[Algophiliac]

So basically I have three options in terms of how I can choose a roommate.

1. Room with a high school friend, or at least someone I know to a reasonable degree.

2. Contact potential roommates through an online database (provided by the school itself) based on a survey to match personalities and wake up/go to bed times.

3. Go totally random and hope for the best.

I was initially dead set on option 3, but recently, tons of people have been e-mailing me asking if I want to room with them, and well...I really don't know what to do. At first everyone was saying they'd go random too, but now they're all congregating together.

Option 2 is a huge hassle, because I want to be in a specific dorm and don't really feel the personality questions are too important in terms of finding someone I can actually LIVE with.

Option 1 I am really wary of taking, because I want to mature and grow as a person, meet new people, and well...change myself completely from who I was in high school. So which option would you recommend/are taking?

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[niranjan162]

go with option 2

 

[Algophiliac]

go with option 2

This is probably my least favorite option, because we have to do all of the work. It's not like a typical survey where you fill out questions and the college automatically rooms you with someone. You actually have to search for someone who matches your profile (none match mine exactly, and only a few come close), contact them, find out if they have a roommate/want to room in the same dorm/etc, and then agree to list each other as roommates. The main issue I'm having at the moment is recognizing too many familiar names from high school and not finding a profile I particularly like. I guess I can just shoot a few e-mails/calls out and see what happens? Hmmmm.

 

[niranjan162]

This is probably my least favorite option, because we have to do all of the work. It's not like a typical survey where you fill out questions and the college automatically rooms you with someone. You actually have to search for someone who matches your profile (none match mine exactly, and only a few come close), contact them, find out if they have a roommate/want to room in the same dorm/etc, and then agree to list each other as roommates. The main issue I'm having at the moment is recognizing too many familiar names from high school and not finding a profile I particularly like. I guess I can just shoot a few e-mails/calls out and see what happens? Hmmmm.

well your not gonna find the perfect roommate. Go into the process trying to find someone you wont hate and can spend a year with and you'll be better off. At worst you guys are courteous to each other at best you guys become good friends, it'll be worth the work.

 

[Algophiliac]

well your not gonna find the perfect roommate. Go into the process trying to find someone you wont hate and can spend a year with and you'll be better off. At worst you guys are courteous to each other at best you guys become good friends, it'll be worth the work.

Haha, I just sent out a couple of e-mails, but it feels SO awkward to request living with someone when you barely know anything about them. Hopefully we can chat a bit before moving in, if I'm going to settle for this method of finding a roommate. If it doesn't work out, I guess I can always just fall back on Option 3.

 

[tennisball80]

I would go number 2. Discuss some of the rules and stuff like that. Make sure to choose a cool dude.

 

[Teneo]

If I were you, I'd try to find another pre-med (but not one of the more cutthroat ones) with whom you can study your pre-reqs. I plan on trying to do that because I don't study as well by myself.

 

[CScull]

I've been told to do the roommate survey thing. If you decide to room with a friend and you end up hating them, then you've lost a friend and a roommate. If they were only your roommate and you didn't really care about them before and you end up hating them then you've just lost a roommate who you never really liked in the first place.

 

[niranjan162]

If I were you, I'd try to find another pre-med (but not one of the more cutthroat ones) with whom you can study your pre-reqs. I plan on trying to do that because I don't study as well by myself.

This is a bad idea for 2 reasons.

1. Premeds are some of the most annoying people at school.

2. you'll see and know most of them through your classes, giving you less opportunity to branch out.

 

[CyclistOK]

2
Getting a room-mate you can stand, is well worth the work.

 

[sumstorm]

This is a bad idea for 2 reasons.

1. Premeds are some of the most annoying people at school.

2. you'll see and know most of them through your classes, giving you less opportunity to branch out.

3. you don't want to spend all your time with 1 other person

4. it can be stressful seeing how easy (or hard) it is for a roommate that is in the same scenario as you are

Go with the matching database. Oh, and get over the 'too much work' concept now.... especially if you are pre-med.

 

[Algophiliac]

3. you don't want to spend all your time with 1 other person

4. it can be stressful seeing how easy (or hard) it is for a roommate that is in the same scenario as you are

Go with the matching database. Oh, and get over the 'too much work' concept now.... especially if you are pre-med.

Fine, if you want the real reason, I'll give it to you.

After finding a roommate through the online data base and agreeing to room together for an entire year, we might meet each other and not end up liking each other. We might have expectations that won't be fulfilled, and it'll be, essentially, partially my fault. I know this isn't online DATING or anything, but it still feels...awkward.

I don't mind rooming with a pre-med, but I don't necessarily care if they're into another career choice either, since I'm pretty curious about other life goals as well. I most likely won't be spending all of my time with that one other person anyway, because that would get old quickly.

 

[sumstorm]

After finding a roommate through the online data base and agreeing to room together for an entire year, we might meet each other and not end up liking each other. We might have expectations that won't be fulfilled, and it'll be, essentially, partially my fault. I know this isn't online DATING or anything, but it still feels...awkward.

I understand that you would have some responsibility, and that it is awkward. I wish I could tell you that life won't require you to take increasing amounts of responsiblity and that it would put you in less awkward situations, but somehow I doubt it (especially if you end up practicing medicine!) Accept the challenge and the awkwardness. Look for compatability (are you both night owls, clean freaks, etc?), do your best, and they get through it. I have had great roommates and terrible ones. Soon I will be seeking housemates while being a landlord in a new city. It will be my eigth move in 4 years. It is still awkward, but the worse that can happen is I have a housemate that I am not compatable with, and we work it out and move on. Think of it as a growing experience that is great practice for the rest of your life! Good luck finding a roommate and congrats on contacting some people. Trust me, random lottery (my first 2 roommate experiences) aren't much better!

 

[JJMrK]

Honestly, if I could go back I'd have roomed with a HS buddy. Why not? If you know you'll get along with someone that's better than the other options. Just because you're rooming with one person doesn't mean you can't meet new people.