Spring Break
Housing decisions should not be made lightly
Megan Lynch
Issue date: 3/24/09 Section: Commentary
Spring is just beginning as the semester is winding down and plans are being made for next year. One of the big questions is where are you going to live? It could be on campus, off campus, suite, apartment, just preferably not in North, etc. But the most important aspect of housing decisions is who you are going to live with. Will it be your current roommate, or your best friend, or someone you're not so thrilled about living with? There are a few things to remember to avoid the drama.
We all create drama, and far too often. And with housing picks come tons of dramatic choices - more often than not resulting in fights and hurt friends. The most important thing to remember is to be straightforward with your friends and prospective roomies.
Some people just should not live together, and there is really no way around that fact. You may be the best of friends and together every night, but you could still make terrible roommates. You know when that friend talks too loudly on the phone and it bothers you? Just imagine that situation at 3 a.m. on a Tuesday. While living together may sound like a blast, it could ultimately destroy the friendship - and that's definitely not worth it.
Another issue to add in the housing mix is hurt feelings. Maybe you planned to room with some friends, but plans changed. The best thing that you can do is just tell them. It's better to let your friends know in advance than to bail five minutes before the pick dates. There are tons of reasons for someone to decide to live somewhere other than originally planned. Housing on campus is getting more cramped and more expensive, so maybe it's time to get an apartment and a little more independence. Or maybe you realized that it would do more harm than good to your friendship. Regardless of your reason, it is best to just tell the truth.
In addition, if someone bailed on you last minute, it is important to try and be considerate of their feelings. If someone said no to rooming with you from the get-go, it's not always a personal matter, so make sure to keep feelings in check. Take the time to listen and understand before you overreact and make more problems than necessary.
We all create drama, and far too often. And with housing picks come tons of dramatic choices - more often than not resulting in fights and hurt friends. The most important thing to remember is to be straightforward with your friends and prospective roomies.
Some people just should not live together, and there is really no way around that fact. You may be the best of friends and together every night, but you could still make terrible roommates. You know when that friend talks too loudly on the phone and it bothers you? Just imagine that situation at 3 a.m. on a Tuesday. While living together may sound like a blast, it could ultimately destroy the friendship - and that's definitely not worth it.
Another issue to add in the housing mix is hurt feelings. Maybe you planned to room with some friends, but plans changed. The best thing that you can do is just tell them. It's better to let your friends know in advance than to bail five minutes before the pick dates. There are tons of reasons for someone to decide to live somewhere other than originally planned. Housing on campus is getting more cramped and more expensive, so maybe it's time to get an apartment and a little more independence. Or maybe you realized that it would do more harm than good to your friendship. Regardless of your reason, it is best to just tell the truth.
In addition, if someone bailed on you last minute, it is important to try and be considerate of their feelings. If someone said no to rooming with you from the get-go, it's not always a personal matter, so make sure to keep feelings in check. Take the time to listen and understand before you overreact and make more problems than necessary.
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