<p>hey everyone,</p>
<p>i'm staying in a dorm next year, and i'm trying to decide between a single and a double. as of now, i'm leaning towards getting a single.</p>
<p>putting all other factors aside, do you (personally) think that having roommate is part of having that whole "college experience"? ie. would i be missing out if i got a single?</p>
<p>all opinions are welcome! thanks so much :)</p>
<p>I'm not doing the roomate thing, I havn't had any type of roomate since 16, but here's my personal experience with it .</p>
<p>You can't control that other person, you may get a roomate that bakes cup cakes and draws nice pictures of birds all day. You may get a roommate that does all types of things that he/she shouldn't , like though crap on the ground , or smoke, or come in at 3am in the morning . My biggest problem with a roommate would be the risk of my crap getting stolen, like a 5$ just goes missing every now and then or something . </p>
<p>OR it may be someone I just don't like . On the flipside my sis had some great experiences with her roommates and still talks to most of them.
I personally just don't want to have to get use to some random person who may be the most awesome best friend I'll ever have, or some jerk who hates me .</p>
<p>Going into college, I thought that having a roommate was part of the college experience and was totally something I just had to have. After a year of having a roommate, I never want to share a room (unless I get married) ever again. It wasn't so much that I had bad roommates (though one did attempt suicide and was totally annoying, the other was a complete asian buzzkill who I never spoke to) that bothered me, but I learned that I really need my own private space. I hate tiptoeing around when my roommate is sleeping or feeling like I'm being judged for various things, or having to sneak around in my own room. I hated not being able to have guys or girls spend the night, and I hated feeling like I was a constant annoyance to someone else.</p>
<p>Because I plan to never have a roommate sharing my room again, I don't know if the skills I learned are that useful. I always thought that the worst case scenario would be that I would learn about sharing a space with someone, but I will never be doing that again. </p>
<p>If I could do it all again, I'd try for a single. I met all my friends independently of both roommates (aside from when I hung out a bit with my first roommate at the beginning of the year because I didn't know anyone) and it would have affected everything I did in college in only a positive way.</p>
<p>I would recommend a single if either of three conditions are met in your case: </p>
<ol>
<li><p>You require a lot of privacy and alone time. (I personally need several hours a day away from all people - I love socializing and being around friends but I need a lot of time to recharge and regroup)</p></li>
<li><p>You will not or do not have to live in the dorms beyond your first year. If you have to live in the dorms multiple years, you will learn skills about living with someone that would actually be applicable to your life for a few years, and it's good to get those skills in case you can't get a single (although if you're sure you can always get singles, go ahead and do that).</p></li>
<li><p>You either don't party at all or party a LOT. If you get a roommate that is opposite from you on this, you will be constantly annoyed. If you party all the time and your roommate hates partying, be prepared to have to tiptoe around your room coming in at night and have your roommate sigh and toss and turn in bed and make your feel like a bad person as you try to drunkenly get ready for bed. Prepare to be judged, not be able to drink in your room, and/or have to hide stuff, which is annoying in your own room. If you hate partying and your roommate is a party animal, it's the opposite: prepare to have them come in late and make noise while you're trying to sleep, etc.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>If I could do it all again, I'd get a single.</p>
<p>Your roommate is most likely NOT going to be "some jerk who hates you" or "the bestest friend you'll ever have." Most likely they will be someone who you can get along with and tolerate, but maybe don't have a ton in common with, or don't hang out with frequently. I guess you never know...I was one of the lucky ones who roomed blind and ended up with a fantastic roommate (who I will be living with 3 out of 4 years at college and is pretty much my best friend). </p>
<p>Is having a roommate an essential college experience...not really, from my perspective. But it does teach you a lot of things, whether they are a good, decent, or horrible roommate. Like how to accomodate to someone else. How to be respectful. How interesting it is to live with your peers. How much fun it can be. How little/much personal space matters to you. How to learn to tolerate someone else's habits that may bother you...some people find out that it is harder than they expect. Many learn that they cannot really live with others, and are perfectly happy with a single the following year. </p>
<p>For me - I hated living in a single/on a singles floor (as I did this year). But for many people it is the right decision. I would say the major thing you would be "missing out" on, living in a single, is the social aspect. Yes, many students in singles can be very social and have a ton of friends and have perfectly normal college experiences. But especially coming in as a freshman, it is way easier to make friends when you have a roommate at least at first. It also helps you be more social (if that is something you have a hard time with now in high school, but want to change to be more social in college...living with a roommate helps make you more socially competent). Students in singles dorms are not nearly as friendly as those in shared room situations as a general rule (there are certainly exceptions). But if you are perfectly capable of making friends with others, there is nothing wrong with being in a single if that is really what your heart desires.</p>
<p>I didn't go away to school but after sharing a room with my sister most of my life, I decided I was never going to have a roommate. I lived in smaller apartments for which I paid more in order to not have to share. To this day, I still need my private space which can be tough when you live with 7 other people and a bunch of pets. However, I pay the mortgage, so I do get my own space.</p>
<p>My H had roommmates at college and loved it. </p>
<p>My D had a roommate first year and then became an RA so she shouldn't have to have one again. Ironically, her former roomie, who was a very nice kid that she got along with, and D's friend from home became good friends and they roomed together last year and will off campus together this year.</p>
<p>My 11th grade son is another crave privacy kid though he has shared a tent at scout camp for the past few years (up to 7 weeks as staff). I am encouraging him to have a roomie first year and will reassess after that to see if a single is needed. He's not really the RA type.</p>
<p>I loved having a roommate my freshman year. I think it really is an integral part of the 'freshman experience' that everyone always talks about. Having a roommate can really open your eyes to new things and experiences that make you a more well rounded person.
I would have been terribly lonely in a single. </p>
<p>I would definitely go for the double in your place.</p>
<p>I had a terrible roommate experience. We were polar opposites and he loved anything social, but nothing academic. Pray that you get a good roommate.</p>
<p>LOL noooooo. Almost everyone I knew who had a roommate my freshman year hated their roommate. One of my friends even moved out. Unless you are one of those people who gets along with everyone, the option of a single is a privilege not to be passed up.</p>