You might quickly tire of a roommate who always leaves dirty dishes in the sink.
Whether you are heading off to college for the first time, or finishing up your last year of grad school, the choice of living arrangements can be tough. If you've already decided on an apartment over the dorms, you might wonder if it's better to rent a one-bedroom apartment or share a two-bedroom with a roommate. The answer, of course, depends on your personality and finances.
Shared Expenses
Perhaps the biggest advantage to sharing an apartment is sharing all of the expenses. Typically, a two-bedroom apartment is less than double the cost of a one-bedroom, so when you split the cost, you'll save on rent alone. Depending on the apartment contract, though, there's likely to be even more that you'll save on, including the electricity bill, Internet, heating and air conditioning, water, garbage and possibly food expenses. Of course, this assumes that your roommate is trustworthy when it comes to money and will always pitch in a fair share. Otherwise, you could end up paying for an extra person. Most landlords don't care who's paying the rent, and won't necessarily be lenient if your roommate can't come up with the money.
Roommate Frustrations
In a one-bedroom apartment you don't have to deal with any of the frustrations that can come from having a roommate. When you live with someone else, you might clash over things like quiet time, overnight guests, expenses and shared items like the TV or stove. Some roommates might also have loose rules when it comes to boundaries and personal belongings -- borrowing something without permission, for example. Living alone, you can do what you want to do; no matter how odd that would seem to someone else.
Roommate Selection
The key to successfully living with another person is probably choosing the right person to live with. If you already have a particular friend in mind to act as your roommate, your decision could be easy. As long as you can work together to respect rules and boundaries, choose the two-bedroom. However, if you're in a situation where you don't have complete control over your roommate, it may be smarter to choose the one-bedroom. You'll typically be in the apartment lease for at least a year, which is a long time to live with someone you don't like.
Lifestyle Choices
Ultimately, if there aren't financial necessities, the decision comes down to the type of lifestyle you want to lead. If you're a quiet introvert who wants to spend time at home studying and don't mind being alone, the one-bedroom is probably the right move. On the other hand, if you enjoy being around others and can find a roommate similar to you -- whether that's another partier who loves to stay up late and sleep in or a fitness buff who's up at the crack of dawn to run a few miles -- you'll probably do best with sharing a two-bedroom.
Tags: your roommate, live with, live with someone, one-bedroom apartment, someone else, when comes, with someone