Living alone or with roommate(s)?

[guinevere29]

After 4 years of living with roommates, I'm going it alone my first year in grad school. I loved some of my roommates, others I had a few issues with, but for the most part I was an agreeable roommate. However, the thought of living with a completely random roommate my first year of graduate school didn't sit well with me. Heck, even if you do know someone you never know what it will be like to live with them. I'm considering getting a pet to help with the lonliness and hoping that there will be enough work do to and friends to make once I move in to school that I'll be pleased with my choice. What is everyone else doing their first year?

 

 

Edited July 19, 2013 by rising_star
edited to update the poll response choices

[nugget]

About 5 years ago, I decided to live alone. Having roommates is fine for a certain amount of time and the cost of rent goes down considerably. I've had a mixed bag of roommates over the years. Some were great, others were fine and a couple didn't work so well. I decided to live on my own so that when I arrive home tired from a long day of work, wanting nothing more than rest and quiet, I am not greeted with 10 people sitting in my living room or any other unwanted surprises.

 

In order to cut down on costs, I am going to have to live with a roommate for the next two years. When I met her, she seemed nice, a bit on the quiet side but friendly, and is also a grad student. Hopefully it will work out well. But I have to admit, it makes me a bit nervous to return to roommate living since I really value privacy, quiet and space. I'm hoping that in the end, things will turn out really well. 

[Biostat_Assistant_Prof]

Living with a roommate who is also an incoming grad student in a different department. Met him during one of the university visitation days back in the spring and we seemed to have pretty similar interests outside of academia...

 

Honestly, I'd prefer to live alone. I'm a rather introverted person and need my space and considerable time to be alone... While it was financially feasible for me to get single bedroom apartment, having a roommate gives me a cheaper overall rent and in a much nicer condo complex compared to what I could have afforded by myself. Not only that, but splitting the cost of utilities, car-pooling, sharing some groceries, etc. gives me even more additional money to put to other uses.... Overall, I still have my own bedroom and own bathroom I can retreat to when I need to get away, but it's probably good for me to have a roommate, as it will lead me to going out more and meeting people. If I were alone, I would definitely be less inclined to go out and do things in my free time.  

Edited July 19, 2013 by Noco7

[peternewman89]

You really should have another option in this for living with an SO.  I'll be moving down south with my girlfriend and we've got a nice little 2 bedroom place for ourselves.  I lived with roommates in college and then for my first year after graduating and never particularly enjoyed it, especially when a replacement roommate, a 30-somehing alcoholic unemployed lawyer, started to get rowdy and tried to be a bully. After living with my girlfriend for the past year, I really can't imagine living with roommates. She's applying to med school herself now to start in about a year, and if she does get in somewhere else and moves away, I'll move to a smaller place that I can afford on my own since I just wouldn't want to feel constrained living with roommates again, sharing personal space and everything else. 

[mewtoo]

I'm going to be living on my own for the first time (lived with family throughout UG) with my pet bird and dog. As others who commented, I am very introverted and abhor the thought of having roommates. My dog and my bird are enough company for me when I get home after a tiring day! Luckily the cost of living where I'm moving is really low so its not so bad. I'm basically getting a small townhouse like apartment (2 floors and 1.5 baths) for way less than half what one would pay for a small, crappy apartment with roommates in places like Boston (I almost had a RA job there and looked, so I know)!

[nugget]

BTW, I think a few more options should be added, such as living with a partner and living with other family members.

[michigan girl]

I lived with a roommate for four years. It's not the most ideal situation (clashes will occur often), but it made sense for me financially. I am now in the financial position where I can afford to live on my own. If you are independently wealthy, I say go for living on your own. If you want to set long-term goals and save money, go with roommates.

[mpheels]

I'm going to be an "older" PhD student (30 isn't old, but still older than many in my program). I've been working and living alone for 7 years. No way I can go back to having a roommate and keep my sanity. So I'm giving up a little square footage and walls, and will be living in a 600 sq foot studio.

[guinevere29]

BTW, I think a few more options should be added, such as living with a partner and living with other family members.

 

Is it possible to add options once I've posted it? Those are all good ideas, but I can't find where I would edit the poll.

[i.am.me]

I am single with no pets or family that live in the area and plan on living alone.

 

I just needs lots of space and alone time also.

[veggiez]

I am a rather introverted person as well, but I will be living with two roommates from my department in the fall. I lived alone through most of undergrad and I found that even though I love having my own space, I will get lonely not having anyone around when I want company. 

Most of us going to graduate school are introverts, so I feel like living together will be comfortable in that we will leave each other alone most of the time and still have people around if we don't feel like being alone.

In my situation, I am only 20 and I am moving 23 hours away from my family, my boyfriend, and all of my friends. Although I don't desire to come home to parties every night, I also think coming home to an empty apartment while so many others in my department are going home to significant others or roommates would make me very homesick, so just having someone around would make me feel a little better.

[Chai_latte]

I think it can be kind of nice having a fellow, grad student roommate if you're settling into a brand new town/city without a significant other.  It kind of helps ease the transition.  But, I've always had relatively positive roommate experiences (both in undergrad and grad).  I guess I'd sing a different tune if I had ever had a roommate from hell. 

[MsDarjeeling]

I'm going to be an "older" PhD student (30 isn't old, but still older than many in my program). I've been working and living alone for 7 years. No way I can go back to having a roommate and keep my sanity. So I'm giving up a little square footage and walls, and will be living in a 600 sq foot studio.

 

 

I'm like this too.  I hated having roommates and would rather starve than do it again.  I prefer a one bedroom, but could do a studio if thats all my budget allowed.

[nugget]

I'm with you. I'm a little older than you two and really value my privacy. But my program is unfunded so saving money and staying within budget are very important. Most likely I will spend most weekends visiting my boyfriend, rather than the other way around, since I'll be having a roommate. This way I'll get more privacy and feel more like I'm on my own turf (for lack of a better way of explaining it). Fortunately, he will be living withing a reasonable commuting distance from my school so weekend travel won't be too difficult.

 

The more I think about it,  I don't think having a "weekday roommate" will be so bad after all. She's a grad student too, so we'll both be busy and we should both be mindful of not being too noisy or inviting a whole bunch of people over in the middle of the week. I may also end up making a new friend in the process.   

 

I'm like this too.  I hated having roommates and would rather starve than do it again.  I prefer a one bedroom, but could do a studio if thats all my budget allowed.

Edited July 20, 2013 by jenste

[MissMoneyJenny]

None of the poll options apply to me. I am living in my own en-suite room in university halls designated for postgraduate students. No roommates, but I'm sharing a kitchen with several other people. 

[guinevere29]

Most likely I will spend most weekends visiting my boyfriend, rather than the other way around, since I'll be having a roommate.

This is another reason I chose to live alone. My boyfriend and I will be living 4 hours apart this first year, and we'll be alternating who visits whom since we both will have cars. So, when he comes to visit me my apartment will be our space.

[TheWB]

Living with some other incoming grad students, cause a one bedroom in D.C. on a grad stipend is not within the realm of possibility.

[baktrax]

I looked into getting a studio or 1 bedroom, but I really can't stomach spending that much more for my own apartment. I'll be renting a house with a couple other people. Not grad students but they work at my university. I'm used to sharing space, so hopefully it works out well.

[practical cat]

Living alone since I didn't really want to live with 3-4 strangers (I'd live with maybe one but a two bedroom in Boston does not do much to decrease rent) as I've had nothing but horrible roommate experiences in the past. I've also lived alone for the last two years and I really don't think I could go back to living with people now. I am way, way too used to having my own kitchen. I've also found that, as an introvert, I am actually more social and less lonely if I live alone because I am able to actually get the alone time that I need to recharge enough to handle socialization.

I realize I'm VERY lucky to have found a(n amazing) place I could afford on my stipend.

[DNAgyrase]

Just finished my first year and I lived alone. And will propably live alone till I get done.

[Tall Chai Latte]

I lived with a couple different roommates (one at a time) over the course of my undergrad, and one roommate during my first year of grad school. After sharing living space with another person for years, I decided to live alone 2 years ago. And it's been great! I need my alone time to decompress from a day's hard work and relax. 

[anumber1]

There should be a option for "back with my parents because I'm broke and have too many UG student loans"

 

Also, just wanted to add that my favorite year in undergrad was when I lived alone and my worst year was living with roommates (who were "friends" my my floor when I dormed freshmen year). Boy was that a disaster. If you want a pet, I'm a cat person myself but dogs make for more enthusiastic roommates.

Edited July 29, 2013 by anumber1

[vitaebella]

I'm living alone with my three rabbits this year, thank goodness.  I've never yet had a good roommate experience.  I started off with three different absolute nutters my first semester of college (I had to move three times in one semester because they were each so awful), I went to living alone until I graduated, then times were tough so I had to take on a roommate in my apartment last year.  We didn't know each other and made the decision more or less out of desperation, and it turned out terribly.  We were not compatible personalities at all, had very different ideas about what being a good roommate meant, and were just very uncomfortable for the whole year.  She moved out when the lease came up a few days ago, and now I'm back to being on my own. 

 

Honestly, it's very much worth the extra money to me.  I need alone time and quiet in order to get anything done.  The potential stress of a crappy living arrangement is just too much to compound on top of graduate work, especially for my first year.  I'm just lucky I've gotten enough funding to have this luxury.  I'm trying to steel myself for the possibility that I may have to take on a roomie when it comes time to do my PhD depending on the money coming in.

[mathnerd27]

I lived alone but am expecting to be married soon. I enjoyed having my own space of silence and solitude. That was huge for me as I navigated my first two years.

[TheChai]

This post is greatly encouraging. I need to show it to my parents in a couple months to convince them so I can live alone. 

 

I seriously hate roommates. And bad thing, I secretly hate them. But I appear to be a really nice person. So life has been hard for me.