10 Reasons Why Having A Roommate Rocks
I’ve had my fair share of roommates. Some of them were terrible (as in, I learned that I can’t live with someone who’s totally racist!) but most of them were fantastic (dance parties in the college dorm!). After I graduated college and found a job, I figured it was time for me to live on my own. And boy – was it lonely.
Like, really lonely. Soon after signing the lease, I fell victim to the economy and had even more time to spend in silence. Alongside the job search, I spent my time solely with the internet and How I Met Your Mother DVDs. I tried to envision stories about my loud neighbors upstairs, who loved stomping on the floor whenever a football game was on. And even worse, I let myself pile dishes in the sink because nobody was there to stop me. I think I partially forgot how to interact with other humans, and celebrated myself for still having the motivation to take a shower. But enough about how disgusting I am – let’s get to the point. Having roommates is awesome. Here are ten reasons why sharing the rent can be a glorious experience.
1. You always have someone to share your day with. Bad day? Great day? You’ll always come home to a friend. If something happened at work, you have a fresh perspective that you trust in order to keep your emotions in check. (Pets don’t count. While they’re amazing listeners, they can’t help you analyze why Janice in accounting gave you an attitude about your time card.)
2. Cooking for one stinks. It really does. And while one could survive on SpaghettiO’s, it’s not a great or healthy life to live. When you cook with a friend, you won’t have the dreaded “it took me a half hour to make this, and five minutes to quietly eat this!” feeling of guilt. Even if you and your roommate cook separately, chances are that you’ll at least have the ability for him or her to taste that fantastic lasagna you made. You might even become a better chef with an audience!
3. You have the chance to make new friends. When you grow up, making new friends isn’t impossible, but it becomes more and more difficult. If your roommate invites one of his or her coworkers over, there’s a chance that your friend group will expand. After all – if they’re invited over, they’re probably a pretty cool person.
4. Life won’t seem too scheduled. When you’re by yourself, you probably have a routine. Eat at 5:30, TV at 8, and sleep at 9:30. With a roommate, you’re more likely to stock up on Doritos at Target at 10 PM, or stay up late watching horror films. Simply put, a roommate can help take you out of your comfort zone.
5. You’ll feel really secure. Sure, your roommate might snore occasionally. But you can take that over the weird, creepy noises that “silence” brings. When you’re alone in bed, every creak sounds suspicious, and your brain can’t focus on anything other than the worst case scenario. Is that someone trying to break in? Are those people who are having a loud argument outside going to get violent? When someone else is around, it’s just easy to tune it all out and get to bed without fear that there’s a man hiding in your closet with a knife.
6. You’ll learn more about yourself as a person. It sounds dorky, but living with a roommate can easily clue you into what you expect out of cohabitation. It can also give you insight on your own weird quirks that might be a bit irritating to others. When you’re ready to move in with a significant other, it’d be good to let them know about your sleep-eating, your habit of turning your actions into songs, or your compulsive laugh-snort when your favorite sitcom is on prior to the big move. (Hint: The keepers won’t think it’s annoying. They’ll think it’s adorable.)
7. More inside jokes! Even if you and your roommate aren’t BFFs, there will be certain situations that happen around the house that both of you will find to be hilarious. Even if you and your roomie lose touch as the years go on, those jokes will be the go-to stories the second you get a chance to reconnect with them.
8. You’ll become more financially responsible. Since you’re splitting bills, you’ll realize that people depend on you to get your act together and pay in a timely manner. You’ll also realize how much electricity you’re wasting by keeping the lights on 24/7. You can learn a lot from bills.
9. Your movie and music knowledge just might double. Because, hey – two sets of DVD collections, under one roof! It’s like your own personal Blockbuster, right in your home! (Okay, let’s just take a moment of silence to think about Blockbuster. Just forget Netflix exists, and think of those blue boxes that racked up so many late fees.) The one negative? When one of you moves out, you’ll have to remember who owned what. But who knows when that’ll happen. Enjoy what you have today.
10. You have your own, automatic key-buddy. Chances are, you’ll lock yourself out. Don’t be embarrassed, as it happens to everyone. Instead of having the house key hidden under a “secret rock” in the back woods by your apartment complex, you have your roommate. Let’s just hope your roommate didn’t decide to take a week-long trip out of the country when you managed to goof up. (Okay, maybe it’s cool to have a secondary key buddy.)
Do you love your roomie? What are some of your best roommate stories?
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