College Roommates Part II – Life After Dorms
Most incoming first-year college students live in dorms for the first year. In my opinion, this is a wise decision and an excellent opportunity to experience new things. However, not all freshmen live in dormitories. Some move directly into apartments, condos, or houses. In College Roommates Part II, I’ll talk about my experiences living with roommates in an apartment. Not all are good, but overall apartment life is 100 times better than a bedroom.
I moved into my first apartment in August of my sophomore year. I decided to find a place with a friend (we’ll call him Mike) We asked several of our other friends from high school to live with us, but no one was available. We’re drastically looking for two more roommates. We wanted to live in a four-bedroom apartment because of the social atmosphere, but mostly because it is cheaper than living in a two-bedroom. We finally found two boys to live with us. They happened to live in the dorms with Mike, so they were his friends, but strangers to me. He wasn’t worried one bit. After living with Kraut in the bedrooms, nothing could be worse, after all, in the apartment I would have my own room and my own bathroom.
The apartments are much better than the bedrooms. Take back your privacy (well, most of it), you get more space, and you get a better sense of independence. I had my own desk and my own computer. I had my own mini fridge in my room and my own dresser. The only things we had to share were the things in the living room. We chose to stay in one of the more social apartment complexes known for its parties and fun times. We had a furnished apartment that included all utilities and cable with the rent. We also had our own washer and dryer.
Living in my first apartment was one of the best years of my life. My new roommates turned out to be amazing people. We have all been friends to this day. Having four men in an apartment has its positives and negatives. Some of the positives are always having people to play sports with (I can’t count how many times we play 2v2 basketball), always having someone to play video games with, having friends to hang out with, and just being able to have fun with friends. But when you live with three other guys, things can get complicated. Trash piles up every day, no one cleans the kitchen, and someone always wants to party the night you have an exam to study.
Overall, my first (and only) apartment experience was good. I made two good friends there, although I didn’t meet many other people in the apartment complex. We have good times, especially when we buy a ping pong table for the living room, and great memories. I highly recommend everyone to live in an apartment for at least a year during their college career, unless they have a nice condo or house.
In my junior and senior year of college, my friend Mike and I decided to move into a condo with two of our friends from home. Our flatmates in the apartment were fine with it, and they both went to live with two other friends from their country. We chose to move into the condo because A. it was cheaper and B. we needed a new scene. By moving in with a friend whose parents owned the condo, we did not have to pay a security deposit or hidden fees. Our rent was simple and included all utilities. We had everything from the apartment and more.
The only downside to living in the condo was that it was old. Things got moldy and things fell apart. It wasn’t all normal wear and tear. During my stay at the condo, I survived 4 hurricanes, one of which was a direct hit. Florida was hit in August of my senior year. Those hurricanes wrecked the condo complex and the condo association did nothing to fix it. Trees were everywhere, ceilings and siding came off, and mold and leaks grew in our rooms. Luckily we were able to control it.
We also had a dog while we lived in the condo. One of my roommates brought it home because it was abandoned. She was a sweet little dog in the end, but a pain when she was a puppy. He chewed everything and urinated on everything he didn’t chew.
If I had to choose to live in an apartment or live in a condo, I would choose the condo probably 8/10 times. They both have their pros and they both have their cons. I met some of my best friends who lived in both the apartment and the condo. I met my girlfriend through one of my roommates and Mike met his girlfriend because she lived next door. You can’t go wrong in any way. Anything is better than living in a bedroom. I never lived in a house so I can’t touch that topic so much. In the next section I will discuss the pros and cons of apartments and condos.
Pros and cons of the apartment:
Pro-social environment
Pro- Maintenance is quick (usually)
Pro- Fixed bills (utilities, TV and telephone included)
Pro- Already furnished
Pro- More space and privacy
With- There is nowhere to study
Con- Having to drive / take a bus to school
Con- Roommates steal your food
With- Nobody cleans
With- Can be expensive
Pros and cons of condos / houses:
Protect your furniture earned
Pro- Utilities included in rent
Pro- You can have pets
Pro- Good parking
Prosocial aspects
Pro- Generally cheaper
Con- You have to provide maintenance
With- There is nowhere to study
With- It can be noisy living with 3 other people.
Con- Roommates steal your food
If you have any questions about college life (be it dorm or apartment) feel free to email me at [email protected]
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