Every week, Marysa gives great advice about how to live with a roommate. She’s helped you solve just about any problem you could run into when sharing a room with someone. But how do you get a roommate in the first place? If you’re living in a dorm, a lot of the time you don’t have much choice in the matter. As weird as it can be to get a random room assignment, it actually makes life a lot easier. Whether you’re graduating soon or just looking to move off campus, how do you let people know that you’re available to their roommate?

Finding a roommate is a little bit like what your mom probably told you about dating – you just have to put yourself out there. But it’s not always quite that simple. See how Marysa suggests you make the connections you need to find the perfect roommate! Read More »

I had the most awkward roommate my first year of college. Like everyone under the sun suggested, I tried my best to stick it out and get to know her. Keyword: tried.

After a failed trip to Canada that almost got me killed, five-week-old leftover Indian food in my mini-fridge, taking and wearing my jeans without asking, puking all over her bed and then shutting the windows…I finally had to count my loses and accept that my roommate was absolutely CRAZY and our relationship was going nowhere.

Thank God.

But, since hindsight is always 20/20, if I had the chance to choose who my freshman year roomie would have been, you know who I would have picked? Celebrities. Big time celebs. Not the Indie films stars (even though I still find them incredibly talented and way more interesting than me). I’m talkin’ Hollywood A-list, top-of-the-line, million-dollar-making, still warm from their last vacation, celebrities!

I’ll admit, not all of my top 10 celeb picks were motivated by everlasting friendship: Read More »

In The Roommate, Leighton Meester plays Rebecca, who befriends her dorm-mate Sara. It seems like they’re becoming besties until Rebecca gets obsessed with Sara, putting both her and her friends in some serious danger. While we all have our roommate drama, Rebecca is seriously, one crazy roommate. Promise, yours will look like a saint next to her!

Can’t wait for the movie? You’ll have to wait till it hits theaters February 4, but in the meantime, you can enter to win a grand prize of $1000 in gift cards so you can give your dorm or bedroom the ultimate makeover! Read More »

Dear everyone who has made this semester possible,

In light of all the Thanksgiving warm-and-fuzzies people are exchanging, I would like to take a moment and thank you for helping me strive for my goals, both academic and otherwise, and assisting me in my greatest endeavors.  Excelling this year is crucial, I understand that, and I’m just so grateful you all have decided to invest your efforts in my future.

And where would my manners be if I didn’t take the time to thank you all individually?

To my roommate: You.  You, you, you.  You’re one crazy mothereffer, you know that?  When we first met, I didn’t think I’d last thirty seconds in your lair of crazy.  Then you took me under your wing.  You introduced me to Jager bombs and insisted that it was only suggested that students attend 8 a.m. lectures.  You knew the entire men’s swim team.  Now we’re the best of besties.  Where would I be without you?  Probably in some library wasting my life away.  Or hanging out with the intramural chess geeks.

To my Poli-Sci TA: When I showed up forty minutes late to the midterm with a hangover and a severe case of sex hair, thank you for pretending not to notice.  Also, thank you for providing me with a No. 2 pencil, an extra ScanTron in case I threw up on the first, and seat right next to you.  You smell delicious and I really dig your beard. Read More »

The Huffington Post created this gem of a slideshow several days ago.  Liz O’Neill claims that the usual reasons your roommates loathe you (you’re a slob, a mooch, etc.) are veils for deeper, subtler issues. Actually, they hate you because you are prettier than them. And, you’re going to make more money than them in a few years!

As I read this, I felt like I was listening to a mother stroke her child’s ego. The different hate-causing categories of behavior Ms. O’Neill gives are bizarre. And, based on my own college experiences, totally ludicrous (I mean, seriously? My roommates don’t like me because I have a diary? Seriously?).

So, here are the REAL 7 reasons your college roommates hate you. And sorry – we’re not going to sugar-coat these bad boys. Read More »

Going in knowing everything about the other person- their music tastes, eating habits, hobbies, and favorite causes- sometimes sounds like a good idea.  You think you’ll have so much in common with someone.  Someone you’re about to have a serious relationship with, one that could potentially last a lifetime.  But what happens if you decide you don’t like them?  What’s left to learn at that point?  What if you get bored?  What if they secretly love the Jonas Brothers?

No, I’m not talking about how Facebook is actively ruining the dating world.  I’m referring to all the potholes you’ll encounter by selecting your own college roommate.

Trending on campuses all over the country are websites that allow you to cherry pick the “perfect” roommate.  Gone are the days where the punky goth ends up living with the preppy, bubbly cheerleader.  No longer will the study bug bunk with the party animal.  The revolution is upon us, and now you can select your own freshman fate.

Think answering a questionnaire and having your personality matched with another’s sounds great?  Well, to me it sounds as accurate as an “Are You Robert Pattinson’s Soul Mate?” quiz pulled from the pages of Teen Beat.  Here are all the things you’re going to be doing for yourself simply by going rando:

Diversifying your day-to-day.
Yeah, I said it.  If you live with your friends, or even someone who’s got similar tastes, you miss out on the whole “getting to know you” experience.  Finding out that your roomie likes to wake up at 5 a.m. for a little Incan meditation and chanting, or sharing your fear of avocados with a girl who loves making guacamole on her desk- these are the situations that help you learn two very important life lessons: not everyone is you and not everyone gets along all the time. Read More »

It's all smiles when you communicate openly.

It’s back-to-school season and that should mean you’ve figured out your living situation for next year.  Regardless of where you’re living – be it in a 10X10 cell in the dorms or a dingy old apartment off campus – or who you’re living with, now’s the time to set ground rules and figure out how to make your living situation work for the school year.

I’ve had a lot of roommates – nine in four years to be exact.  I’ve also had varying degrees of success with roommates, and the common factor that determines whether things are good or bad in all situations is the level of communication.  If you communicate early on about what you want your living situation to look like, it will make things easier in the long run, guaranteed.

To help you start the conversation with your roommate, here is a list of questions you should be sure to ask. Will it be weird to bring these up with the stranger assigned to you by the school? Maybe, but 3 months from now, you’ll be glad you had the awkward convo.

1.  What’s your stance on overnight guests?
This question can refer to both friends visiting and people you are hooking up with.  Figuring out your policy on this question is probably one of the most important.  You’ll want to figure out how often people can stay, if it’s okay if anyone stays over on a school night, and, if you share a bedroom, what the roommate is supposed to do. I don’t think I need to tell you this, but it is NOT okay to hook up while the other person is sleeping in the same room, even if they’re passed out.

2. Do you smoke – cigarettes or otherwise?
Most residences try to keep smokers and non-smokers apart.  If you are a non-smoker living with a smoker, try and set up a designated smoke area outside, and have rules about cigarette butts.  Finding out if your roommates do drugs is also important, as you should make them aware if you are not comfortable having them use (or bring their shady lady friends over) in your place of residence. Read More »

Got some college questions? Unsure of a decision? Not sure how to balance school and fun? Just wanna chat it up with some really awesome chics? We’ve got the girls for you. Hit them up in the comments or shoot them an email with the subject “College Q&A”! They’ve got all the answers you need, no matter who you are.

Question:
I’m leaving for college in like 4 weeks and I’m so excited. (But that might be because my summer job is so boring haha.) I am living in a single next year and I couldn’t be happier. I didn’t want to live with someone random and my friends aren’t going to school with me so I went with a single instead.  Now that school is getting closer I’m getting worried that might have been a bad idea. Without a roommate how will I meet people? Was a single a bad idea? Not that I can change it….. Do you have any advice for meeting people?

Busy Bee:
First off, getting a single was not a bad idea. You will meet tons of people on your floor, through classes, and my favorite…by joining clubs! I can’t stress this enough. People are always concerned about having friends, but what they often forget is that 1) You will always be your own best friend, and 2) You gotta put yourself out there to have friends. One of my life philosophies is that what you put out into the world, you will receive back. If you want friends, then be charismatic. That’s all it takes – people are attracted to positive energy. Anyway, you’ll be fine – just don’t be shy. Start by friending someone who does have a roommate. That way, you’ll have automatic invite whenever a group of people go out. Just put yourself out there and most importantly, HAVE FUN! Read More »

It’s time, ladies and gents.

We gave you a week to tell us what makes you the best roommate and, adorably enough, many of you submitted stories on what makes your roommate the best. Awwww.

Our hearts melted, we got a little jealous (our current roommate is on Ambien and eats our food in the middle of the night….) and now it’s time to exercise our rights and vote for the best roommate of all time. Below are the top 6 entries (as voted by us at CollegeCandy HQ). Read ‘em, then scroll down and vote for who YOU think is most deserving of the total room makeover from TJ Maxx and Marshalls.

Remember:

1. Voting ends at 5pm EDT on Wednesday, July 21st.

2. That means that you have until then to get your peeps to hop on over here and vote for you! (Click here to give your friends a little nudge….)

3. You can only vote once, so no cheating!

4. We’re awarding prizes to the top three vote-getters. The top dawg gets the big makeover, but 2nd and 3rd place each get a $50 gift card to TJ Maxx/Marshalls to help outfit their new rooms! Read More »

#7: Slob-ka-bob

Okay, so here at CollegeCandy we are all about rewarding good roommate behavior. But this little contest got me thinking about all the problematic things that roommates do.

I know I’m not 100% perfect as a roommate, and I’ve been guilty of being a hot mess roommate (Sarah, if you’re reading this, I’m still sorry I never filled the ice cube trays. Or scrubbed the bathroom like you did!) as well. But come on, there are just some unforgivable awful roommates. Let’s count ‘em down, and share your worst roommate (or how you’re not exactly worthy of a hot TJ Maxx room) stories in the comments.

10. Sorority of One
Okay, so we all know that “no man is an island,” but no matter how hard you try, you can’t seem to get this girl to have a social life. Friday night? Time to play computer games. Saturday night? In bed by 8:00. This roommate just does not want to have fun, socialize or involve herself in any curricular activities. Even worse, she just plain never leaves your dorm/apartment. Ugh!

9. The ghost
Sometimes a blessing, the ghost is never in the apartment. Sure, she pays rent, the cable and electric bills but you would never even know she’s a resident. As for her whereabouts, who knows where she is? She doesn’t divulge details and is a completely MIA roomie. Read More »