Live alone or with a roomate?

[jas2346]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I was just wondering if it most people prefer to live alone 1st yr of med school or room with a random person whom you have never met. I have never lived alone before, but maybe this is a good time to start?! What do you think? Are any Drexel students looking for a roomate still?

 

[Luck]

I would advise living alone. If you get a roommate that eats your food, doesn't wash his or her dishes, never takes out the trash, always has friends over and is loud, or leaves cumstains on the floor, you may not like it. I know I wouldn't. 😀

 

[Medikit]

I would do it on the condition that I can get out of it if it's apparent that it's not working out.

 

[Alexander99]

Live by yourself. It'll be the best money you spend. You won't feel the need to thank me when you do though cause you'll never experience the hell that is having bad roommates.

 

[nuclearrabbit77]

....or leaves cumstains on the floor,. 😀

that reminds me of my roommate in college who left a used condom on top of the mini-fridge right next to my bed. i'm not kidding!

 

[SaltySqueegee]

Alone!

You can meet up with your classmates at school, or invite them over if you want to. Either way, you can leave or make them leave when things get dumb...

...Good luck in apt hunting.

 

[ForensicPath]

I am a Drexel student as of now and I am living alone for the first year. I will consider living with other students after this year in order to save money and get a larger place (the studio I will be renting now is kind of small), but only after I meet a befriend people after school starts. I've done the random roommate thing before, and it just seems like some unnecessary stress added onto settling into med school.

 

[Tiki]

I can't afford to live alone or I would.

 

[Neuronix]

I lived with a roommate my first year of med school. This comes from someone who has lived on their own since the age of 16. I did it partially out of necessity (better apartment, roommate provided alot of the furniture and stuff) and partially because I don't think it's a big deal. It's too personal a decision though, so I just wanted to throw in a counter to all those "LIVE ALONE" opinions 🙂

 

[avicoo]

Neuronix,

Why have you lived on your own since you were sixteen? 😕
I am just being nosy 😳 and curious so feel free to say rude things and ignore my question.

 

[Termwean]

I can always get along with people.....but if you are in the least bit ANAL.....live alone!

 

[woobadger]

I've lived on my own since I was about 16 as well, so it's not all that uncommon.

Thing is, especially in med school, how the hell could you afford it?

 

[lisa13579]

My alloted living expenses are enough to live alone. If yours aren't, you could probably take out private loans right?

I'm definitely living alone. I know I will need a place that I can be alone in med school-whether it's to study or just find some peace.

 

[Eraserhead]

I think you can adjust your FA budget based on how much your rent is. Like, on campus budgets tend to be lower but if the rent for on-campus is the same as a typical off-campus apartment, don't they change your loans to reflect this? I sure hope so because I requested a studio or 1BR on campus and I know they can be really pricey...

 

[kilroth]

You should live alone if you have a girlfriend or plan on getting one. 😉 Besides, you can find a good deal on a 1-bedroom apt. if you look hard enough.

 

[Lefty McFish]

Obviously this is a very personal decision, but as for me, I'm currently debating the same thing and leaning very much towards living alone. It seems like a big crap shoot to risk having a bad roommate vibe just as you're trying to adjust to the start of med school. On the other hand, having a roommate does make things much cheaper. If you can afford it for one year, or even one semester, I'd suggest living alone, just for the peace of mind while you acclimate to school, and then you can find a place with someone from your class who you think you'll get along well with.

Just my $.02. Best of luck!

 

[Eraserhead]

Yes, for me its worth the 200 bucks or so a month to spring for a 1 bedroom... its hard to know about roomates unless you've met the person first...

 

[Tiki]

I recieved my financial aid award and they only allow a certain amount for rent. I don't know if this number is different for different schools, but for my school it is 610 dollars a month. In NJ, 610 dollars a month will not get you a one bedroom apartment. It won't even get you a roach infested shack. 🙂

So I really have no choice. I need a roommate.

 

[lisa13579]

Oh, Rush gives us a "living expense" allotment of almost $1600/month. This includes food, utilities, rent, and whatever else you need to live on. Of course rent is probably more expensive in Chicago, but this is going to be more than enough. If you decide you really want to live alone, try calling your financial aid office and see what they say. It can't hurt.

 

[Neuronix]

Why have you lived on your own since you were sixteen? 😕 I am just being nosy 😳 and curious so feel free to say rude things and ignore my question.

Rude things and ignore my question!

Haha, oldest pun in the book. Seriously though, I don't mind, I've always been pretty open about my background. There are a number of factors that lead to me leaving home so soon:

1) My parents both have long-term illnesses that have affected their ability to work and provide for their family.
2) My parents are divorced and I never got along with my step-mother, even though I had to live with my father and her. My mother was a never an option as she is mentally unstable and lived in her car for a long time.
3) As a result of 1, I lived in a bad part of the city and went to a worthless high school. I dropped out when I was 15 becuase I thought it was pointless to stay.
4) My second job (when I was 16) was about an hour away from where I was living, but offered me more than double minimum wage. I jumped on it and started renting a room near there in a co-worker's house.

From then on I worked, ended up getting my GED, and I took a back door route to undergrad. Sometimes I lived with various family members, friends, or girlfriends while in college (I've always moved around alot), but nothing real permanent.

 

[Lefty McFish]

I recieved my financial aid award and they only allow a certain amount for rent. I don't know if this number is different for different schools, but for my school it is 610 dollars a month. In NJ, 610 dollars a month will not get you a one bedroom apartment. It won't even get you a roach infested shack. 🙂

So I really have no choice. I need a roommate.

Tiki, you may have more options than that. Sometimes schools will increase the approved student budget on a case-by-case basis, if you can provide reasonable evidence that you couldn't find a livable one-bedroom apartment as cheaply as $610. And even if you can't get them to increase your budget, that only limits the funds you get through scholarship and federal loans. If you end up having to take on private loans anyway--unfortunately very common--it should be easy enough to increase the amount so that you can afford your own place.

Hope that helps.

 

[ForensicPath]

I figured out my living expenses with my financial aid money and a studio in philly will leave ~$500 a month after rent, utilities, cable, and internet. For me that is plenty of money for food, fun, and transportation (I'm living in Center City so i can walk/bike to most places). Granted, the studio is kind of smaller than what I'm used to coming from the suburbs and all, but I figure I won't be there that often (to sleep and relax). I can get along with almost anyone, since I am pretty laid back and responsible, but the added expense is worth it to avoid any potential hassles during my first year of med school. I still hope to find potential roommates for my second year during my first year though.

 

[bkmonkey]

Roommates can be great, or absolute hell. I had the same roommate for all four years of my undergrad and he was great. Unfortunately, I also had some other random roomies thrown in there. Waking up at 3 am to The Doors blasting the night before a midterm is not my idea of a good time. Access to the kitchen sink has always seemed pretty normal to me, but with roommates you just never know (dependent upon the volume of unwashed dishes). It can be a lot of fun to hang out with someone all the time, but after my experiences, I'm definitely opting for the solo route.

 

[Peachy720]

Obviously this is a very personal decision, but as for me, I'm currently debating the same thing and leaning very much towards living alone. It seems like a big crap shoot to risk having a bad roommate vibe just as you're trying to adjust to the start of med school. On the other hand, having a roommate does make things much cheaper. If you can afford it for one year, or even one semester, I'd suggest living alone, just for the peace of mind while you acclimate to school, and then you can find a place with someone from your class who you think you'll get along well with.

Just my $.02. Best of luck!

Okay, first let me be random by saying, Lefty, I LOVE your new avatar! 😍

Okay, now if/when I get into med school, I'm going to do everything possible to live on my own. First, I have a dog I am NOT willing to leave behind in order to live on campus. Second, I've had two roomates, and both have been psychotic. The first was bad enough to make me leave after my first semester at Millsaps, which was actually one of the best schools/experiences of my life other than that. Then, when I got home, and got into it with the parents, moved out with a co-worker's girlfriend. She turned out to be a witch (literally, she was Wiccan).

good look in whatever you decide!! 😀

 

[missmod]

So far, it seems that most people agree that living alone is better, but having a roommate (apartment-mate, suite-mate) saves you some money...

But for everybody who lives alone--do you guys ever feel lonely coming home to an empty room? I've always had roommates or housemates as an undergrad so for me, it's nice to have someone to talk to when you get back from a long day of studying or classes. I guess being in medical school is different and maybe living alone is just a part of growing up and being a mature adult.

 

[exmike]

So far, it seems that most people agree that living alone is better, but having a roommate (apartment-mate, suite-mate) saves you some money...

But for everybody who lives alone--do you guys ever feel lonely coming home to an empty room? I've always had roommates or housemates as an undergrad so for me, it's nice to have someone to talk to when you get back from a long day of studying or classes. I guess being in medical school is different and maybe living alone is just a part of growing up and being a mature adult.

I've only lived "alone" once in the last eight years - i've alway's had some type of apartment mate. Even if we were not close or even good friends, having another human in the vicinity was comforting. That is one reason I am OK with having an apartmentmate. However, I really hate loud music late and dishes in the sink so... hmmm. dunno.

 

[docchick]

I've lived with people and alone before and prefer living with people... so I'm getting a roommate for the fall... they can't be that bad - can they? 😉

 

[Eraserhead]

So far, it seems that most people agree that living alone is better, but having a roommate (apartment-mate, suite-mate) saves you some money...

But for everybody who lives alone--do you guys ever feel lonely coming home to an empty room? I've always had roommates or housemates as an undergrad so for me, it's nice to have someone to talk to when you get back from a long day of studying or classes. I guess being in medical school is different and maybe living alone is just a part of growing up and being a mature adult.

Most of the time I'm too exhausted/busy to talk to roomates anyway. I think if you don't talk to people otherwise its a good idea to always have someone around, but if you have time with friends/classmates during the day its nice to come home to the quiet place where everything is where its supposed to be, etc. When you are stressed out, its much more comforting. You just have to plan things with people more.

 

[Cuteasaurus]

But for everybody who lives alone--do you guys ever feel lonely coming home to an empty room? I've always had roommates or housemates as an undergrad so for me, it's nice to have someone to talk to when you get back from a long day of studying or classes. I guess being in medical school is different and maybe living alone is just a part of growing up and being a mature adult.

I only had a roommate one semester during my undergrad.. Maybe some ppl unwind by talking to roommates when they come home, but I've found that I get plenty of social interaction during the day at school and in the evenings with friends. Is living with ppl "bad?" Nah, but I have never been lonely living by myself. (Keep in mind that this is true because I had a well-established network of friends.)

In any case, don't let being "lonely" be your reason for not-living alone if you never really have. If "quiet" bothers you, I suggest keeping a tv or radio on...

 

[bkmonkey]

I've lived with people and alone before and prefer living with people... so I'm getting a roommate for the fall... they can't be that bad - can they? 😉

Oh yes, they can be that bad.

 

[Tone2002]

The only consolation I have is the fact, that if you are rooming with a medical student everyone will pretty much be on the same schedule; in class at the same time, same exam schedule and blah blah... Unlike undergrad where everyone has a whole different schedule. So that means when I'm getting ready to sleep roughly the next person will also. When I'm studying for a test my roomie will also. Well theorectically anyway...

However I'm sure the cleanliness issue and not wanting to turn the lights off when they aren't using them will still pop up.

 

[godmode]

if youre going to have a roomate, make sure you know the person/people beforehand. signing a lease and then having to deal with idiots for a year is hell. trust me, i know. my current roomates suck more than you can believe (didnt know them beforehand). the loud music, the incessant gossip, the behind-the-back machinations, the pilfering of food in the fridge; the list goes on and on.... and im an easygoing guy who gets along great with ppl, but this has been my most ridiculous experience to date.

its gotten to the point where i dont even remember my last conversation with them. LEARN FROM OTHERS. dont make the same mistake that i did.

thank god my lease is coming to an end. for next year, im making it a priority to find a place where i dont have to be bogged down with drama other than med school

 

[LvlyBlkPreMed]

I think it depends on your personality. I am the type that likes to live alone. I simply do not deal well with dealing with someone else's mercurial emotions on a daily basis (ESPECIALLY WOMEN!!) If i had to live with someone for financial reasons I actually would rather live with a man. However, I think for med school I'd rather borrow another 2K a year and live by myself. You really don't save THAT much money for it to really be worth the hassle IMHO. I mean what's an extra 8K (for 4 years) when you're already 100K in debt????

 

[pekq]

A lot of you are posting undergrad roommate from hell as reasons for not getting a roomate. What if your roommate is also attending the same med school as you? Wouldn't the chances of roommate from hell be smaller? For one thing, med students study 24/7 and the type of people who successfully enter medicine probably are not likely candidates for psychotic roommate.

 

[wends]

what pekq said could be true...but it could also lead to competion among the roomates...this is what happened to my friend in under grad where she lived in a house of premeds....even the pass/fail system can't erradicate all competition among med students

but from personal experience, i enjoy living with my 3 housemates. as long as the house has rules that everyone respects and follows, like cleaning etc. i personally would live with people, to save money and to have people to talk about stupid stuff like britney's new video etc

 

[merlin17]

Hmm, personally I would advocate living with someone during 1st year. I live in Boston so no one lives alone...but I wouldn't even if I could. It is really easy to become very anti social when you are in medical school...sure you need to study, but no one needs to study all day long! I personally find living alone surrounded by all my books with only a tv to talk to, to be very lonely indeed!

As far as my class goes, nearly everyone who isn't married is moving off campus with other classmates or into an apartment with roommates for second year.

A lot of schools in cities expect that you will live with roommates when they calculate their budgets and do not consider your desire to live alone to be a reason to increase your aid.

what pekq said could be true...but it could also lead to competion among the roomates...this is what happened to my friend in under grad where she lived in a house of premeds....even the pass/fail system can't erradicate all competition among med students

but from personal experience, i enjoy living with my 3 housemates. as long as the house has rules that everyone respects and follows, like cleaning etc. i personally would live with people, to save money and to have people to talk about stupid stuff like britney's new video etc

 

[ForensicPath]

this is what happened to my friend in under grad where she lived in a house of premeds....even the pass/fail system can't erradicate all competition among med students

I hear about premed competition all the time, but I must say that I have never witnessed it. I'm not even sure what it is. Maybe it's just that I don't associate with these type of people, but honestly in my 4 years of undergrad I never came across another student that was "competitive." I have, on the other hand, seen a fair share of dorks.

 

[junathon]

I've lived with roommates and alone, I prefer alone. No matter how great the roommates are, sometimes I just wished to be alone. The great thing about having your own place is that if you ever feel lonely, you can always invite friends over. Also, I like watching scary movies in the dark by myself and scream senseless.

 

[Violinrose]

what pekq said could be true...but it could also lead to competion among the roomates...this is what happened to my friend in under grad where she lived in a house of premeds....even the pass/fail system can't erradicate all competition among med students

but from personal experience, i enjoy living with my 3 housemates. as long as the house has rules that everyone respects and follows, like cleaning etc. i personally would live with people, to save money and to have people to talk about stupid stuff like britney's new video etc

Well, premeds are competing to get into medical school. But once you are in medical school, doesn't that competitiveness generally decrease. it is such a bigger playing field in the long run.

 

[CanuckPAGirl]

From then on I worked, ended up getting my GED, and I took a back door route to undergrad. Sometimes I lived with various family members, friends, or girlfriends while in college (I've always moved around alot), but nothing real permanent.

Off topic but...
Way to go Neuronix, it's really nice to see someone coming through such hardships and dropping out of hs to make it to med school. Inspiring, I too was a hs drop out for years and had a few family problems. I hope to climb back up the food chain too. It's nice to see someone in a somewhat similar situation that made it so far.

 

[CanuckPAGirl]

Oh yes, they can be that bad.

Ditto that.
It can be much worse than you imagine. Aside from annoying habits that you never fathomed could exist, there is just the total loss of privacy, which I for one, value so dearly.

 

[Spitting Camel]

I think I'll be living alone 🙂 Thanks everyone!

 

[vscarlet27]

just wanted to share what i did to find my housing at Pitt ... i actually looked online at the university's housing website, which allows people (grad students, undergrads, students from other pittsburgh schools) to post on a forum looking for roommates or housing or what have you. So I ended up finding something that sounded good, emailed and talked to them on the phone a few times, googled them to be safe 🙂 and moved in soon after. My rationale at the time was that, if I was going to move in with random people, it'd be better if they weren't in my class so that if we didn't get along I wouldn't have to spend every day in class with them. So I moved in with these 4 random girls (grad students and "young working professionals"). Turns out we get along famously and I'm ever-so-grateful for having that social outlet apart from med students. Just another option to consider if you want ...

 

[avicoo]

From then on I worked, ended up getting my GED, and I took a back door route to undergrad. Sometimes I lived with various family members, friends, or girlfriends while in college (I've always moved around alot), but nothing real permanent.

WOW. Thank you for your candor. As someone else said this is very inspiring and hearing stories like this really puts things into perspective. Especially considering how much time you spend helping other people on this site through the process.

Apparently, you're funny too . . . maybe you should sell the movie rights to your life 😉