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 »

During college, I had bad luck with roommates. I also lived in dorms or campus apartments for all four years, so I always had to have a female roommate. Which may have been part of the problem.

That’s why, when I moved halfway across the country for grad school and had to find a random stranger to share a new apartment with, I decided to look for a male roommate.

Via Craigslist, I found a guy who was looking to sublet his apartment because he was leaving the state. The three-bedroom apartment was about five miles from campus, fully-furnished, and coed-friendly, though the guys had never lived with a girl before me. Since I was scarred from several traumatic roommate encounters, I was hesitant at first, but really had no other choice. I met all of the guys for beers one night, and they seemed nice enough, so I moved in. Best decision of my grad school life.

Before I go into detail about why living with two guys ROCKED, let me first mention that it wasn’t all sunshine and lollipops. These guys were slobs. I was usually the only one who did the dishes, and I cleaned up after them a few times a week. I also frequently woke up craving leftover pizza from the night before, only to find that the boys had eaten it. And left the empty box in the fridge. But, that being said, it was more than worth it, because we had a fantastic time. Read More »