The following tips, originally posted at the Studentawards Forum, were contributed by students in our membership.

Q.

• What are the pros and cons to having a roommate and to living in a dorm alone? (posted by: Smalkin)
• I'm worried about privacy issues between me and my roommate if I request one, but at the same time, I'm worried about being lonely in a single room. (posted by: TerryWang)
• I am an only child and have never shared a space with anyone.  Should I try for a single room or will having a roommate be a good learning experience? (posted by: Sandergirl)

A.

• If you're very outgoing and love to meet new people, then you'd probably like a roommate. If you're more of the quiet and shy type and like to spend all your time holed up in your room studying, a roommate might suit you, but you would probably like it better in a single room. (posted by: cyynthiia)
• I recently resolved the same issue, choosing between a single or a nearly $100 cheaper shared double, and I chose to go for the single. It's certainly cheaper to go with the double, but I know that I'll go crazy if I don't have that place that's just mine sometimes. Also, as much as those horror stories about rowdy, drunk, partying roommates are mostly the exception in these situations, I want to be sure I have a quiet place to study. So it's up to you. Could you reasonably live with someone else? Could you live with someone that's loud? How would you feel if you couldn't study at home? Do you find you need that personal space every once in a while? It can make you seriously unhappy, depending on the kind of person you are, if you don't have that alone place to recharge. On the other hand, if you can study and live comfortably in a reasonable amount of noise or activity, then it's far cheaper for you to share. (posted by: DecisivePumpkin)
• It all depends on how you study in my opinion! I ended up applying for a single room because I know I can't study as well with other people and noisiness around. If that's the case for you, then do the same. Besides, no matter where you go in your residence there will be people! So if you get the hangout-cravings, you'll know what to do :) (posted by: catherine1)
• Single rooms, are lonely. In a double room you have someone to talk to, and someone who you can bounce questions off of (if you are in the same course). (posted by: mellaniedoode)
• A single room was awesome for me. I was still in the middle of all of the action and fun at rez, but when I needed to retire to do homework or sleep I could do so whenever I wanted. Sure, it was a few extra dollars, but the fact that I did so well academically meant I kept my scholarship- which more than payed for the difference. Of course, some people really had a great time with their roommates, but in the end I think you can still get just as close to people without having to live with them. Just my opinion. (Posted by: threepointonefour)
• I think single or double depends on your personality and what you want to get out of the experience. Personally, I strongly considered requesting a single room because I need time to myself and I was worried about lack of privacy. But in the end I chose to stick with a double room because I wanted the experience and I knew that since I'm reserved and introverted if I had a single room I might have risked not being very social. So being in a double room was actually key for my personal growth over the year. I loved it, and I really miss my roommate! (posted by: freebird)
• I'm an only child as well, but I'm currently sharing a room with one of my best friends. Normally you hear horror stories about the friends hating each other more and more as the year goes on, but we've actually grown closer. Chances are, unless the residence is all singles, you won't get a single in your first year. When you apply for residence you fill out a form with your interests and your habits, and the university tries to match you up. In my residence there are some people who were put together and they seem like ... room-soul mates. You're also going to meet a lot more people and it'll be hard to be a hermit, with a roommate. (posted by: megaiken)
• I would recommend having a roommate if you like having company and someone to talk to when you are in your room. You could always have a roommate and then put in for transfer if you really don't get along. I have a roommate and even though we are complete opposites, we still get along. (posted by: Kassandra)
• Having bad roommates makes you resourceful in ways to solve certain problems, having good roommates you can make a friend for life! (I know I did). Having bad roommates isn't fun, but it can be a good learning experience, through all the bad and good I'm glad I had the experience. (posted by: jschuster)
• Having a bad roommate is a nightmare. It's nice having your own little bubble after a stressful day. And I think you'll have enough opportunities to socialize with floor and classmates. (posted by: zion)
• Honestly, go for a single.  I have a roommate, and can't stand her. I spend the majority of my time outside the room ... basically our personalities collide completely. I'm not the only person I know experiencing this - most people I know actually say the same thing, and pretty much nobody is planning on living with their roommate again next year. I only know of a few, rare cases where roommates actually end up being good friends. (posted by: clareb)
• My experience was the complete opposite. I only know of a few roommate pairs who didn't get along, and I know a lot who ended up being good friends. In general, I find guy roommates are more likely to be good friends and girl roommates are more likely to not like one another.  Personally, I've always had roommates (by choice). I think it's nice to have someone to talk to at pretty much any time, and I don't need constant privacy that badly. Plus, I, like most university students, do most of my studying at the library, so I don't necessarily need my room to be quiet 24/7. And, after a busy day, I found it nice to come home to a roommate who I could complain about my day to. (posted by: mynameismattgotmlgo)
• I currently am living in residence ... and honestly if you can afford a single room GET IT. I live in an apartment style dorm and have 3 other roommates and so far it has been nothing but a giant annoyance. Plus I'm sure you'd be getting a double room and from what I've heard from friends that is even worse. I guess as others have said it depends on your personality and your tastes but if I had the option of living in a single room I would certainly take it. (posted by: rkmacdon)
• I live in an apartment-style room and love it. My roommates are awesome. I like having roommates because they have become my family away from home. I have a single room within the apartment which is great for when I just want to be by myself, or get homework done. The only con is that one of my roommates is kinda messy, and our garbage kinda smells. I am so glad I have roommates. I find it an easy way to make friends. It all depends on who you are paired with though. I lucked out with the ones I have. (posted by: TaylorRutherford)

To join the conversation, go to the following Studentawards Forum threads:

Roommates or single?
Ask a current UWO student: RES edition
Any benefits to roomates?
RESIDENCE LIFE?
Roommates - What's Your Opinion?
Is a Single Room Worth it?
Single vs. Double Rooms

0

0

0 Comment(s) 

To post a comment or rating, you must LOGIN if you’re an existing Studentawards member OR SIGN UP if you’re new to this site.