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? Making the big college transition? 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:
My half-sister and I (by dad) are going to the same college. My dad wants us to share a room so he can buy one TV and one fridge. Cheap. Anyways I was just wondering if I am wrong for speaking up for myself about not wanting to live in a dorm my first year of college with my sister?! I mean, come on now; first of all she annoys me, second she’s messy, and third she annoys me. As consequence for not wanting to live with my sister my dad is giving everything (TV, fridge, etc.) to her and not to me.

Am I wrong for wanting to have a good freshman year without having to bitch at my sister and sacrifice our relationship over stupid things I know for a FACT were going to argue about? Read More »

Like  many of you, my freshman year of college, I roomed with my best friend from high school. We were two of only a handful of people to come to this school, and we were so excited to be able to live with a friend! Alas, it wasn’t meant to be and we drove each other crazy. So for sophomore year, I opted for the pot-luck roommate draw. I couldn’t be happier. She’s possibly the best roommate I could’ve asked for.

But before I start sounding like a fairy-tale, she does have some, ahem, quirks that some may find annoying, but I personally find endearing. This girl has taught me how to get along with almost anyone, especially complete strangers. (But for her sake, or mine, I’m not going to mention her name. She may do something to me in my sleep)

She Talks In Her Sleep. Even better, she talks in Spanish in her sleep since she’s from Mexico and that’s her native language. Many of you may find this difficult to deal with when trying to sleep, but I just laugh at her and roll over. I usually tease her in the morning for it too.

She Talks to Her Boyfriend on the Phone 24/7. She even has a specific phone just for talking to him because she uses so many minutes. Who knew one person could talk so much to their significant other? But I’ve learned to tune it out. I understand it can be hard having a boyfriend who lives 3 hours away. They have such a good relationship too, so it’s hard to get mad at her. They’re so cute together! Plus he’s a lot of fun to hang around with when he comes to visit. Read More »

[The following is the third of a five-part series I'm calling "The Top 5 Things You MUST Do In College." Everyone's already heard about buying flip-flops for the shower, stocking up on veggies to avoid the Freshman 15, and to steer clear of mojitos before midterms, but there are other tips for enjoying college that the experts might have neglected to tell you about.

This series is meant to provide advice for getting the most out of college, rather than just getting through it. So far we've already discussed having a professor as a BFF, checking out what's going on in your college town, joining new clubs, and now it's time to really settle down--with strangers!]

Okay, okay, some of you are already thinking that I’m a nutjob for telling you to move in with strangers. No, I don’t intend for you to scope Craigslist for an apartment with locals, but I think there’s something to be gained from living with other students who aren’t necessarily your closest pals.

For one thing, if you live with the people who are in your primary social group, it’s possible you might start to get on one another’s nerves. If you’re sharing living space with your best friends (who you also go out with, take classes with and eat in the caf with), you’re bound to find something about each other that annoys you. And it’s totally possible that your best bud can share your opinions on guys, style, and music but absolutely disagree with you about study habits, cleanliness, and noise levels– factors that make or break a good roommate relationship. Read More »

Part of the excitement of moving up to college is meeting that awesome roommate and becoming BFF for life: you party together, study together, laugh together…stand up at each other’s weddings and throw each other baby showers down the road. It happens for some people.

And it couldn’t be further from reality for many others, which is why many students opt for the sweet, glorious single.

At Princeton, singles are rarely occupied by freshmen, but they’re the absolute hottest real estate for older, wiser sophomores, juniors, and seniors. I’m surprised by how many freshmen claim they would never want a single and then end up wishing they had one by the end of the year. Here are a few reasons why you should consider the sweet single life for next year.

Odds are your roommate will not be your BFF.

While my roommate and I didn’t have any major clashes, we were from different worlds and ended up parting ways at the end of the year without staying in touch. And this was the case for most of my friends. Don’t worry about missing out on a close friend by gettin’ your own place; your closest friends will be the people who share your interests and activities, not your sleeping space. And there’s no chance of having those worst-case scenario roommates you so often hear about. You know the ones: the guys and gals who leave moldy food under the bed, get in crying fits on the phone at 3am, want to hold wild room parties every weekend, or leave their alarms set for five in the morning and just. keep. hitting. the snooze. for hours. Read More »