I decided to get roommates(ended up with 3) in grad school and liked them at first, but it went downhill fast. I'm sure I had a somewhat unusual experience(moved abruptly 2 months into the first lease, and kicked another roommate out a few months later, etc), but last month I finally got my own apartment and still think I am recovering from the last 14 months or so. I will never have roommates again while I am in graduate school(and hopefully not after I'm done either). For me, the problem seemed to be that everyone wanted to live with roommates to save on costs, but when it came to actually sharing a space with others, there was a "screw everyone I'm doing what I want because I pay rent" attitude. I'm also in the DC metro area and was prepared to shell out $1500 for my own apt if necessary but luckily got a uni-subsidized studio for $900 including utilities. I feel like that's my bit of luck for having such a crappy year otherwise. Anyway, not everyone has that type of experience, but for me it's just not worth the risk again. I'd rather live in my car...