Living alone or w/ roommates during Vet school

[NittanyKitty]

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I would, in all honesty, like to live alone but am more than willing to share a place to reduce my costs. I'm pretty easy-going and as long as I have my own bedroom to retreat to and close the door, I'd be fine with a roommate. I'm definitely only accepting grad or professional students as roomies in the hopes that they'll be more focused and work-motivated than undergrads or "regular adults". My dad is hoping to invest in a condo next year for me to live in, so my future roomie will have their own space (bedroom and bathroom) with only the kitchen and living room as shared areas. This will be the first "non-dorm" place I've lived besides home and I really hope everything goes well; needless to say, the selection process for a roommate will be picky. 🙄

 

[Poochlover11]

Kind of along these lines I was wondering how people that live on their own handle letting out their dogs to do their business. I grew up with an outside dog, but I am currently looking at finding my own apartment and adopting a dog. My one concern is, since I'll be in a single, working out the bathroom schedule. How do you guys handle that? How often should they be let out during the day?

 

[SaintSamson]

Poochlover:

Honestly, it depends on the dog. My dog is fine going out to potty only 3-4 times a day. He lets me know by smacking the door handle with his nose. Although sometimes he does it just to go out and play instead of potty.
I'd say most are along the lines of: potty after breakfast, potty in middle of day, potty after dinner, potty before bed. Some can go longer or shorter periods. I would suggest getting the dog when you have a more flexible schedule for a week or two to try and determine how often that dog would like to go potty.

 

[Tobysgirl81]

I might be crazy for considering it, but I do plan on getting another dog at some point. She's so much happier when there's another dog in the household, but I really really want to live alone. I'm holding out for the right dog though!

I just have to chuckle about this, only because I've been there and then ended up with my crazy dog situation 😛 I officially just wanted two dogs so they could keep each other company during the day. Initially it was my big dog, and my little dorkie. However, when my ex moved back to the area he wanted the big dog back which was fine, but I got another dog to keep my dorkie company during the day. A month and a half later, ex decides he no longer wants big dog because he's got some issues (mostly inconvenient problems, nothing animal people would consider serious). Well, big dog was our "baby" so I'm sure as heck not going to let him be rehomed... And now I have 3. Which is genuinely too many in my single room. But it all started with "Just getting another dog to keep the first one company"

 

[HandD42]

Well I have three dogs right now but some of them are the bf's. I honestly think that would be a little too much to handle if I was living alone.

If I do have to move out for school I will just be taking my springer and he is a rockstar at surviving most of the day without potty breaks. I really do prefer having another person home so he gets out a few more times during the day, honestly I have an ideal schedule with the bf so it would be great if I could get into my IS so we wouldn't have to change anything.

 

[bunnity]

Since we're talking about dogs and doggie doors, just wanted to say that in Philadelphia I would recommend very strongly against dogs being outdoors unsupervised. People do steal dogs here - I see people at the shelter every week looking for their stolen dogs - and I would hate for it to happen to any of you! Please be careful - it is very easy to entice a dog with a treat and then grab it up and over a fence with a control stick. I'm not trying to make it sound like Philadelphia is a lawless jungle. I feel very safe where I live. But I would not put it past someone trying to steal an animal from me.

 

[Laur7114]

Good call Bunnity. I'm living in Philly right now too and am horrified at the rise in dog-stealing that's been happening here over the past few years. This could be happening all over the country- I'm not sure, but it's a terrible trend. It's been predominitley affecting small breeds, puppies and pit bulls- but anyone with pets should use caution.

When I was living close to Penn's campus I had my dog connected to a long lead that only permitted him to be on my front porch while I was also sitting on the porch reading. I was sitting in a corner of the porch that was difficult to view from the sidewalk and my dog was laying in full view. Some neighborhood teenagers walked up and attempted to leash my dog and walk away with him. I heard them saying what a great "trophy" he would be- (he's a rescued pit). I obviously stopped them and called the police about the incident, but it was scary to think about how many other dogs they could have done this with before. Scary stuff.

 

[luplodw]

When I was younger, the people who pick up my trash stole my golden retriever puppy. We caught the suckers though grrr!! Got my beautiful dog back!

 

[lmscout]

What did they mean by "trophy"?? What is people's motives in Philly for stealing dogs?? 😕

 

[StartingoverVet]

Must be a lot of Michael Vick wannabes. Pretty scary.

 

[Laur7114]

Dog fighting is on the rise here- as many other urban areas, so I can only assume that they were referring to using my dog as a fighter, or just as a tool to make them look tougher.


Without going too much into the dog-fighting issue- in recent years urban areas have seen a rise in dogfighting (or at least a rise in dog-fighting arrests, with increased public awareness to the problem). At one time largescale "professional" dog-fighting was the main target- with the people involved throwing huge sums of money into the practice. But now, urban areas are seeing more amature, "street-fighting" type issues- where its common for young urban men to acquire a dog (mostly pit bulls or other bully breeds), and walk it around the streets with them looking for improptu fights with others. Whethers its over drugs, money, territory, or just plain ego.

When it comes to stealing pit bulls- I think dog fighting is often the motive. When it comes to puppies and small breed dogs (and even cats), its possible that dog fighting is the motive- and they are using these as bait for their fighting dogs to practice on. But mostly I think that small breed dogs, and puppies are being stolen and sold, or breed for money.

 

[Whyevernot55]

Literally one of my BIGGEST fears is that my apartment will be broken into when no one is home, and the cats will end up loose in the streets and DIE. Especially my deaf kitten. Gaaaaah.

This would be my main reason for living with people, but then again I used to have problems with roommates being careless about the doors and the cats getting out anyways. *throws hands in the air*

 

[BlacKAT33]

Literally one of my BIGGEST fears is that my apartment will be broken into when no one is home, and the cats will end up loose in the streets and DIE. Especially my deaf kitten. Gaaaaah.

This would be my main reason for living with people, but then again I used to have problems with roommates being careless about the doors and the cats getting out anyways. *throws hands in the air*

i feel guilty because every time i read about your deaf cat i laugh 🙁 lol but just reading your text in my mind as if you were saying it out loud sounds so funny ex. Gaaah Anyway, I think i would be more concerned about extra people in the house opening the door all the time (and maybe not closing it) than someone breaking into your house. Just seems like the chances are higher. Maybe get all roomies with other cats so they are worried about the same thing, and then ur friends can name your crib the Crazy Cat House

 

[Whyevernot55]

i feel guilty because every time i read about your deaf cat i laugh 🙁 lol but just reading your text in my mind as if you were saying it out loud sounds so funny ex. Gaaah Anyway, I think i would be more concerned about extra people in the house opening the door all the time (and maybe not closing it) than someone breaking into your house. Just seems like the chances are higher. Maybe get all roomies with other cats so they are worried about the same thing, and then ur friends can name your crib the Crazy Cat House

One time when he was little, I couldn't find him for LITERALLY half an hour - I checked every room, behind and under furniture, inside the back of the stove where he liked to sleep. I was in TEARS because I was convinced he had gotten outside somehow and because you can't CALL a deaf cat, well, what the hell do you do when you can't find him?
As it turns out, he was sleeping on the windowsill, behind a box fan. Sill and fan are both white. So is the kitten. Oh my god I felt so stupid.

ANYWAYS. Yes, I'm paranoid because my house was burglarized twice when I was a kid. Boyfriend has finally learned how to block kitties, so cats escaping is less concerning. And I think with 4 cats, we're already the crazy cat house. 🙄 That's what I get for working in a vet clinic.

 

[Breezyte]

I see a lot of people talking about housing, are there any current vet students who live with roommates that may have suggestions about what to ask ahead of time?

I am currently in the process of looking into Y2 and Y3 vet students to live with but since I'm so easy going and have been an RA for the past 3 years, I can't really think of the important personality questions to ask!

Anythings you wish you would have asked or are glad you did?

 

[BlacKAT33]

I see a lot of people talking about housing, are there any current vet students who live with roommates that may have suggestions about what to ask ahead of time?

I am currently in the process of looking into Y2 and Y3 vet students to live with but since I'm so easy going and have been an RA for the past 3 years, I can't really think of the important personality questions to ask!

Anythings you wish you would have asked or are glad you did?

I don't live with other students (id probably end up hating them lol). But I can tell u a problem that happened this year with a group of my classmates.
I would ask about what animals they have and what additional animals are allowed to come in. Especially if you're moving into a place with students already, you may be at the "bottom" in terms of seniority for the place and if these people have dogs/cats and one or more of them only gets along with __ or __ species then it will limit you later if you want or need to bring a pet home.
What happened with my classmates was that there were already cats and a dog living in the house. One roommate moved in with no pets at first, but later in the year she had to take her dog back from her parents or boyfriend or something like this... anyway, the owner of the first dog did not want another dog in the house because she was still trying to train hers and get him to behave properly. In the end, the girl with the additional dog moved out mid year to another place. Not sure what happened with the lease.

I don't even know if those facts are right lol but however that situation happened, you can see why its important to ask ahead of time what is "allowed" in terms of pets. Even if you decide you dont want any pets, you never know what will happen in an emergency situation at your parents house or somewhere else, and you may have to take in an animal that u didn't predict ahead of time.

 

[AngSchmange]

Another thing to add is cleanliness, and how one feels about dishes. I had one roommate who NEVER did dishes, then would get mad at me for not doing mine...when HERS were all in the sink and I couldn't have possibly had room to do my own darn dishes. And I was always mopping/sweeping, and she never did any of that either. A 3rd roommate wasn't home too often but when she was she was cleanly (not in her room haha but that's ok) and really helped me with the cleaning. If you like a clean and organized house, make sure you find someone who feels the same. If you don't really care, then you might not want to room with a clean-freak such as myself!

Also ask maybe how they feel about a sleep schedule; I know we'll all be sleep deprived, but I like to be in bed by 1 at the LATEST and I'm usually in bed earlier, I would hate living with someone who was up (well...if they made a racket...if they were quiet I wouldn't really care) till like 4 am that might end up a problem. This could also connect to social life, ask what they do for fun or on the weekends. My roommate used to come home sunday nights at 2 am trashed with friends and play Guitar hero above my room...kill me now. Feel free to lay out some ground rules that you both can agree on so that you can understand each other and be on the same page. Also might want to ask how each other feel about friends staying over on the couch or something as I'm sure we'll all have visitors at vet school.

Also ask how one feels about food; if you're ok with sharing food figure that out in the beginning, otherwise dedicate spots for each other's food like you get one shelf and she gets the other, or something. I also hate notes and labelling things...these are things you'd want to talk to a roommate about in the beginning. The pets question is also a huge one to consider. And cable/internet...I don't plan on getting cable, so I wouldn't want to live with someone who DID want it and then expected me to pay half or something...you know how much drama that could start.

I also would advise like having a sit down with each other after the first few weeks or so and talk about how it's working out and if it's what you expected. Jeesh...I have way too much experience with good and bad roommates! Ha.

 

[that redhead]

I'm struggling with this dilemma right now, as well. It's obviously far cheaper to live with roommates but I spent this past year living alone and I have loved it - so much better than having three roommates like the year before! The decision will come down to cost, of course, but in the end I think I'd rather splurge a little on living alone. I prefer to study on my own at home, so having other vet school roommates doesn't really appeal in the sense of study buddies to me. Just my $0.02 of course, since everyone is different!

 

[Coquette22]

I'm there with you, redhead. I just prefer things on my own. I am now, and besides the costs, I'm happy. So far housemates have been...

1) 2008-2009 - A friend, C, and her boyfriend. Boyfriend was frequently gone for a few weeks at a time on navy exercises. Friend was fine, but when the boyfriend was home... Well, he was lazy. Wouldn't do his share of the dishes, wouldn't take the garbage out when it was his turn, left dishes all over the house... And she wouldn't pick up the slack because she didn't want to cover his ass. Which I can understand, but it left me in the position of having no clean dishes, mess all around, etc. Not cool.

2) 2009-2010 - Moved into an apartment with best friend, D. She was fine to live with, for the most part, except when her boyfriend was around. He was great too, but they were like kids. Dishes in the living room, lights left on, they'd regularly forget to lock the door at night. And they're both happy B/C students, no real extra-curriculars. So they'd sit in the living room and play video games for hours while I was cramming and doing assignments and writing papers. It's really frustrating to be working your ass off while your friends are in the next room playing Super Mario Bros.😳

So, I think I could live with someone, but I'd need to be really specific about who it was. They'd have to be reasonably hard working, somewhat quiet, respectful, mostly clean (I don't mind clutter, but I dislike dirt; I don't want to have to brush crumbs off the sofa before I sit down).

 

[Angelo84]

I recommend living with people a year ahead of you. That way you are not in class with them all day and living with them. Also they can be a usefull source of info.

Also be clear on expectations for common areas, visitors, expected sleep patterns etc.

 

[Ben and Me]

I have really enjoyed living with a first year! 🙂

 

[peachykeenies]

I feel like roommates are hit-or-miss... My first year, my housemates ended up having pot and hookah parties in the apt until 6 am at least once every other week. One signed us up for Couch Surfers unbeknownst to me, and we had strangers from Europe crashing in our living room for weeks at a time.

The second year was even worse. One of my housemates refused to take out the trash and told me that I was "disgusting" for not cleaning up... and then told me she wasn't being condescending, but she couldn't help that she was a better and cleaner person than me. She also left a dirty tampon on the bathroom sink and denied that it was hers (in a 2 person bathroom.....)

My advice is to REALLY get to know who you will have to live with for the next year. It's not worth your sanity to live with people who won't be good housemates/roommates.

 

[Goatherdess14]

I have a different issue entirely... Gah.

My best friend from second grade (and continuing...lol. Not like I haven't seen her since I was seven) goes to the same school I will be attending. Except she is in her undergrad right now. I called her to tell her the good news-- that I got in-- and while she was doing her happy-screamy dance, I caught something about "now I can look for housing." I didn't really pay attention.

And now she is sending me dozens of listings for apartments, and has her sister-in-law looking for apartments for the two of us.

Gah. I don't know how it will work out for me to live with her. I love her dearly and honestly, I doubt we would have the typical roommate/housemate issues, because we both have similar cleaning skills and living preferences.

However... she is undergrad and I'm not. I will not allow that to bother ME; if I need to study and she wants to go out, then she'll have to go alone or find someone else. I just don't want her to be upset with me.

The biggest issue I see is her parents. I have always planned to get a trailer, so it is MINE and I can have my big dog (102 lbs of HAIR... a lot of apartments turn green when I mention him) and my parrot. Her parents want her to have a nice little apartment in a nice part of town.

So I figure, as soon as I locate a couple of ideal trailers, I am going to just straight up tell her what I need/want to do. And if she is good with it, then wonderful. And if she isn't, then I guess she's on her own.

It's just that it makes me sad that she is so dang excited... and I never really told her that we were going to do this. Oh well.

 

[bre8162]

My thoughts..

Well I am living alone next year due to the fact my one roomie needed to sign cause she will still be an undergrad and didn't know if I would be accepted. My other = nightmare and going away anyways.

I would love to live with someone else to split utilities, but I have found apartments that include some utilities in rent with no cap and allows to me to use away. I figured my first year I can be a loner and then hopefully find someone that I could get along with.

Also debating having the father signing for a super cheap house and paying with my loans and then having people rent out a room, cause then I make the rules BWAHAH. But no really... cheap house with no pet deposits and the same as rent.... umm maybe.

 

[BlacKAT33]

I have a different issue entirely... Gah.

My best friend from second grade (and continuing...lol. Not like I haven't seen her since I was seven) goes to the same school I will be attending. Except she is in her undergrad right now. I called her to tell her the good news-- that I got in-- and while she was doing her happy-screamy dance, I caught something about "now I can look for housing." I didn't really pay attention.

And now she is sending me dozens of listings for apartments, and has her sister-in-law looking for apartments for the two of us.

Gah. I don't know how it will work out for me to live with her. I love her dearly and honestly, I doubt we would have the typical roommate/housemate issues, because we both have similar cleaning skills and living preferences.

However... she is undergrad and I'm not. I will not allow that to bother ME; if I need to study and she wants to go out, then she'll have to go alone or find someone else. I just don't want her to be upset with me.

The biggest issue I see is her parents. I have always planned to get a trailer, so it is MINE and I can have my big dog (102 lbs of HAIR... a lot of apartments turn green when I mention him) and my parrot. Her parents want her to have a nice little apartment in a nice part of town.

So I figure, as soon as I locate a couple of ideal trailers, I am going to just straight up tell her what I need/want to do. And if she is good with it, then wonderful. And if she isn't, then I guess she's on her own.

It's just that it makes me sad that she is so dang excited... and I never really told her that we were going to do this. Oh well.

You should clear this up right away! If you have any doubts, then it is not a good idea. And whether she claims that she doesn't party much...undergrads ALWAYS do more than vet students lol. Even just the smallest hangouts can be really annoying if you are trying to study and you have 7 subjects and hundreds of pages of notes to go through. You will really be studying soooo much more than you can even be prepared for. I really can't see a vet studet and an undergrad working out at all. Maybe 1% of the cases if the undergrad truly doesnt party and has no friends to invite over lol I mean think about it, in undergrad you have basically the whole day free to goof around because classes don't take up much time haha

hopefully she will understand :-\

 

[twelvetigers]

Be very, very careful about living with friends. It can backfire like crazy unless you really are certain that you can live with someone long term. I had a rather unpleasant experience with a highschool friend as college dormmates...

Thankfully, I only have one roomie now, and I'm pretty used to him. Plus, I can boss him around. 😀

 

[obi0688]

yea this is a good question, because I was going to ask the same thing since I'm currently looking for different places to stay and whether or not to stay by myself or not. If I would have a roommate Id definitely prefer one who is serious about studies and we can help each other out.

 

[goldnretrivrgrl]

I'm living by myself next year. I was really happy with my undergrad experience until this year. One of my roommates has experienced an extreme personality change and now no longer cleans, is rude and arrogant, and basically hates myself and my other roommate because we got mad when he and his girlfriend got drunk and made noise on a night we asked them to be quiet (we had an 8 am anatomy practical!) His girlfriend is even worse- disrespectful, ALWAYS at the house, and loud. It's turned into such a nightmare that both my nice roommate and I have become very wary of rooming with other people next year and beyond. This guy was a really good friend before we moved in together and I can already tell that we will not leave this house as friends. 🙁

 

[Goatherdess14]

You should clear this up right away! If you have any doubts, then it is not a good idea. And whether she claims that she doesn't party much...undergrads ALWAYS do more than vet students lol. Even just the smallest hangouts can be really annoying if you are trying to study and you have 7 subjects and hundreds of pages of notes to go through. You will really be studying soooo much more than you can even be prepared for. I really can't see a vet studet and an undergrad working out at all. Maybe 1% of the cases if the undergrad truly doesnt party and has no friends to invite over lol I mean think about it, in undergrad you have basically the whole day free to goof around because classes don't take up much time haha

hopefully she will understand :-\

🙁 Yeah, it's sort of a mess. I'm going to wait until the open house the ninth to bring it up, because it's awkward to try to discuss it over the phone or messaging. She's going to be there (her dorm is practically next door to the vet school) and I think I'm just going to talk about it over lunch.

I truly didn't party in undergrad-- ever-- and had a friend over ONCE, but I know she enjoys going out. Which I think is the only way it would work... if she went OUT. As in, no partying in the apartment/house/whatever.

The only way I see that I can make it work is to get my own place, and let her pay me rent with the understanding that I MAKE THE RULES concerning visitors/partying/etc. And if that isn't kosher with her, then we'll just be friends 🙂

 

[Breezyte]

I am already investigating a house with 4 bedrooms. The one girl is a 1st year this year and lived with 3 undergrads this year. She and one of them are the only two staying and shes that since they weren't really around a lot it wasn't a problem.
Luckily the one undergrad who is staying is a busy student and easy to live with. So the make up of the house should be one Y2 student and two first years (me and whoever else takes her up on the empty room). I think it will be pretty fun and since I have my own room... I can handle most things as long as I have my own space.
I refused to live with my brother though. I love him and he wanted to live with me, but he is an undergrad and I want to keep loving him 🙂

 

[skittles12]

I actually live with 2 undergraduates right now. However, I have lived with them for the past 2 years, so we know what's expected. Not all undergrads are party animals, lol. One of them works 20+ hours a week in a research lab along with full time school, so she understands if I have to hide away in my room for days on end.

Another positive is that they kind of give me a break from vet school. But I do get a little jealous when I remember how easy some undergrad classes were!

 

[goldielocks137]

🙁 Yeah, it's sort of a mess. I'm going to wait until the open house the ninth to bring it up, because it's awkward to try to discuss it over the phone or messaging. She's going to be there (her dorm is practically next door to the vet school) and I think I'm just going to talk about it over lunch.

I truly didn't party in undergrad-- ever-- and had a friend over ONCE, but I know she enjoys going out. Which I think is the only way it would work... if she went OUT. As in, no partying in the apartment/house/whatever.

The only way I see that I can make it work is to get my own place, and let her pay me rent with the understanding that I MAKE THE RULES concerning visitors/partying/etc. And if that isn't kosher with her, then we'll just be friends 🙂

Yeah, but even if she goes out to party, that doesn't mean you won't be bothered. There have been so many times when my roommates would go out, but I'd hear them come home in a drunken state, or they'd come back with some people really quick because they forgot something. My worst experience, though (and this was with my best roommate!) was about a week after I'd moved in: she came home with some friends and two of her guy friends burst into my room while I was sleeping, turned on the light and asked me if I was the new roommate. They then tried to have a conversation with me. I was SO disoriented. I didn't have my contacts in, I'd been sleeping, and on top of that, I was trying to make sure I wasn't flashing them.

 

[Cautionary Tail]

Living alone as a first year is important to me. I've been living by myself for years, I'm a little older, I have a medication-dependent pet that would die if a careless roommate allowed him to escape (this would not be forgiven), and I need my personal space. Go through my stuff and I keeeel you. I don't care if there's nothing sensitive in there and you know it.

(I am also not a neat freak, am very much a "night person", and can't deal with things being overly quiet... at all... so most people probably wouldn't want to room with me anyway. ) I'm open to possibly having a roommate at my own discretion further down the road, but it's not something I want to go into blind.

My biggest concern is finding affordable housing that will allow me to have four cats. Housing's kind of the most nerve-wracking part of the process right now.

 

[withoutane]

Where are all of these awful roommates coming from? Seriously, I'd like to see how they lived at home with their parents. I had a terrible experience with my freshman roommate and that was enough - I decided I would only live alone, with family, or with my fiancee. I don't need bs like that...I would rather pay a little more every month than invite stressful people (who might injure my grades!) into my life.

...

Ok so maybe I'm still a little mad. 😳

 

[libster06]

I think it depends on your personality type. I know people who can't be alone. I know myself who NEEDS independence. I value "me" time highly. I also would get sick of seeing vet school people in general for 6-8 hours every day then coming home to them... even if I didn't talk to them. Several people I know of are rooming with people that are not necessarily in our class (are in higher years or are rooming with people still in undergrad or in a different profession). This has seemed to work out half and half. I think it just comes down to the kind of person you are and how well you tolerate roommates. I just don't do well with roommates, so I live by myself. Financial situations also play a role... luckily I am at a place where I can afford to live on my own by myself.

 

[SouthJerseyBell]

So I have to put my opinions in here cause I feel like I absolutely CANNOT live alone! I wouldn't call myself a social butterfly or needs attention, but I need some sort of human interaction to break the studying. This stems from one freezing winter finals session where all my other roommates were done on a thursday and I had my last exam the next monday. For three days I studied, ate, studied and ate *ALONE* 😱 None of my other friends were around either and simply going to the campus center to be "around" other people or watching tv wasn't the same. I went crazy . I didn't have any animals in the apartment, but that might have helped a smidge.

And I had the crazy roommate as well, we had all the same interests, but our personalities clashed in addition to her denial of her problems (poor dining etiquette, disrespect, immaturity, etc.) she did move out mid year. However, I will say my other roommate was the best thing ever and we had nothing in common when we first met. We lived quite well all 4 years of undergrad. We definitely were not shy about calling each other out about problems and that was a big help. I also believe that time apart was necessary. I watched two good friends split because they spent all day going to the same classes and then living together (shared bedroom). No matter how well you get together, the little things will rub you the wrong way eventually.

My ideal situation would be with two older vet students and one other first year so that we could ask each other questions when studying for the same exams, but there would be other people to help us.

 

[bbeventer]

Another thing to add is cleanliness, and how one feels about dishes. I had one roommate who NEVER did dishes, then would get mad at me for not doing mine...when HERS were all in the sink and I couldn't have possibly had room to do my own darn dishes. And I was always mopping/sweeping, and she never did any of that either.

Wow you must of roomed with my current roommate.

 

[Teknikscian]

Negative on the roommate. I'll eat spam and tissue paper if I have to, just do I dont have to share a place with anyone. I enjoy a nice clean and tidy living space... that generally gets effed up when living with someone.

/brat

 

[laitmanvet]

I had roommates in college and had very few problems (well very few major problems.) I guess any issues we had with one another we managed to sort out. When I moved away after college I lived alone for almost a year before moving in with a friend. Now I knew at the time she was a little crazy (and lots of people told me I shouldn't live with her) but this apartment was AMAZING! Seriously amazing and seriously cheap for what we were getting (her dad knew the owner & got us a deal.)
But as it turned out, I couldn't live with her for more than our year lease. She came home one day after working in lab and told me she had spilled radioactive waste on herself. She went to the hospital to get decontaminated so she had some sweats on and her clothes she was wearing in a bag. She then wanted to wash them in our laundry machines. I told her "hell no" and then asked what she spilled on herself. We determined it was mostly p32 so I told her to keep those clothes in the bag, put them in the bottom of her closet and don't take them out for at least 2 months (the half life of P32 is ~2wks.)

However, despite this ordeal and the many other ways she drove me crazy I think I want to live with people in vet school. I just remember in undergrad being very supported by my roommates. It was also super convenient when we took the same classes and we could work/study together.

 

[StartingoverVet]

I have really enjoyed living with a first year! 🙂

Wow. Didn't know that.

If I lived with a 2nd year I would be bugging them all the time for info!

 

[Minnerbelle]

I'm living with a second year now, and it's working out a-w-e-s-o-m-e! She's also my big-sib and it's sooooo nice to have someone there to ask questions, esp about logistical things that the admin always seems to fail to communicate with the 1st year class.

It works out great, because the house has a really big shared living space (giant kitchen too). And it's 3 br 3 bathroom, so no one has to share! Our 3rd roommate is a grad student and everything is very handy handy. The 2nd year roommate has 2 cats and 2 dogs, and I have a kitty, so it's really nice that my cat never gets lonely. It's also really nice because I have ready access to so many animals when I need them for school. And, we help each other out with feeding and such when the other is really busy, or out travelling. I never have to worry about finding a pet sitter, and I can leave knowing that my cat will be super comfortable with her friends and daily routine intact.

The best part of it all is that for all those advantages (and really not many disadvantages at all, since there are times where I don't see my roomies for daaays at a time), I pay 2/3 to 1/2 what I would be paying if I lived alone.

 

[flyhi]

Literally one of my BIGGEST fears is that my apartment will be broken into when no one is home, and the cats will end up loose in the streets and DIE. Especially my deaf kitten. Gaaaaah.

This would be my main reason for living with people, but then again I used to have problems with roommates being careless about the doors and the cats getting out anyways. *throws hands in the air*

Besides the fact I in no way want a roommate, this reason alone was enough for me to completely rule it out when I started thinking how nice it would be for someone to share the cost of living and have a built in 'pet sitter'.

My biggest fear, like you, is carelessness with the door and letting one (or both) of my tiny guys slip out and be run over, stolen, lifted away by a hungry hawk...the list goes on.

I also ruled out apartment complexes, fully-furnished long-term hotel type studios, or places that had a cleaning service come in. Any place that is was normally acceptable to enter the premises on a regular basis by strangers who had a key, were a no-go. I always tell my landlords that my dogs very well may bite (even though they are 6 pounds) anyone who enters without my permission, so to protect us both from a liability standpoint, I need notice and must be present for any work being done in my flat/house. I figured that alone may be enough that they don't violate this and think it's OK 'just once' to let a service guy in while i'm not there.

 

[Whyevernot55]

Besides the fact I in no way want a roommate, this reason alone was enough for me to completely rule it out when I started thinking how nice it would be for someone to share the cost of living and have a built in 'pet sitter'.

My biggest fear, like you, is carelessness with the door and letting one (or both) of my tiny guys slip out and be run over, stolen, lifted away by a hungry hawk...the list goes on.

I also ruled out apartment complexes, fully-furnished long-term hotel type studios, or places that had a cleaning service come in. Any place that is was normally acceptable to enter the premises on a regular basis by strangers who had a key, were a no-go. I always tell my landlords that my dogs very well may bite (even though they are 6 pounds) anyone who enters without my permission, so to protect us both from a liability standpoint, I need notice and must be present for any work being done in my flat/house. I figured that alone may be enough that they don't violate this and think it's OK 'just once' to let a service guy in while i'm not there.

I'm going to be coming to you for advice on places to live when I come over there this summer. 😀

 

[LabLove3]

My ideal situation would be with two older vet students and one other first year so that we could ask each other questions when studying for the same exams, but there would be other people to help us.

Thats what I want too. One of my eLORs did this while she was in school and she highly recommended it.

 

[lareinesoleil]

Besides the fact I in no way want a roommate, this reason alone was enough for me to completely rule it out when I started thinking how nice it would be for someone to share the cost of living and have a built in 'pet sitter'.

My biggest fear, like you, is carelessness with the door and letting one (or both) of my tiny guys slip out and be run over, stolen, lifted away by a hungry hawk...the list goes on.

I also ruled out apartment complexes, fully-furnished long-term hotel type studios, or places that had a cleaning service come in. Any place that is was normally acceptable to enter the premises on a regular basis by strangers who had a key, were a no-go. I always tell my landlords that my dogs very well may bite (even though they are 6 pounds) anyone who enters without my permission, so to protect us both from a liability standpoint, I need notice and must be present for any work being done in my flat/house. I figured that alone may be enough that they don't violate this and think it's OK 'just once' to let a service guy in while i'm not there.

This is my biggest fear too. I'd have to find somebody as OCD as I am! My cat and dog are both under 10 pounds. The dog is never outside alone and the cat is never outside, period. Them getting out would be a huge concern - especially the cat.

I thought that in apartment complexes they had to give you notice if they were gonna enter? I'd be more worried about a private landlord with a key having a "just this once" attitude. Either way this will be a question I'll be asking before I sign anything.

 

[equitate]

Disclaimer: I swear I am a pleasant person but this might make me sound grouchy, haha.

Re: living with an undergrad (or other stereotypical "partier" and/or "dependent"): I spent my last year of undergrad living in an apartment with an English major who didn't care about her grades and partied nearly every night from Tuesday - Saturday. Even though I wasn't going out WITH her, I found her patterns very disruptive. For example:
- When she was home, she was always blasting the TV or music on her computer.
- She was very loud at night when she would be getting primped to go out (during my prime study hours) --> she would come in my room and ask for opinions on her outfits, have friends over and talk very loudly and blare music, etc.
- Come home drunk and loud and make my little dog bark and wake me up at all hours of the night
Along with her party habits, she was a bit spoiled and way too dependent on her parents - so much so that I ended up feeling like one of her parents! I had to handle all of the bills (and she messed them up by adding additional services and stuff regularly), call for maintenance when something was broken, so on and so forth. Honestly, she couldn't handle A.N.Y.T.H.I.N.G. by herself and it really wore me out!

Re: sharing food: I strongly advise against it. You (or the other person) is bound to feel like the other is eating too much of x, finished y without your permission, forgot to buy z when it was their turn to shop, etc.. It is easy enough to buy your own groceries and will save you headaches in the long run. Assign your own cabinets/shelves. Make sure you have a rule that if your roommate wants to use something of yours that they ask permission and replace it (or however you want to handle it), but do not just give them unlimited access because people take advantage.
(Example: I put 3 of my chicken breasts in the fridge to thaw because I wanted to make a certain meal that night. Came home from work and my current housemate took the meat, seasoned it to her liking and grilled it. She ate one breast, fed one to her ex-husband, and left one for me. So I get 1/3 of the chicken that I purchased and didn't get to make the meal that I wanted? No, thanks.)

Re: things to ask potential roommates before living together: Ask about smoking! Do they smoke? When, where, how often? Get specific details. Especially if you are a nonsmoker, DO NOT live with someone who smokes indoors. If they say they only smoke inside once a day, be very skeptical (that's what I was told when I signed the lease but guess what? She smokes inside *all day long*). Just be very careful with this...

 

[Halebug]

Sooo...this forum has made me terrified to have roommates....and lets be honest I have been stressing about finding/having roommates since I was accepted.

 

[Bearby]

I'm super excited to go down to Gainesville this weekend to look at apartments. I will NOT be living with a roommate, and every vet I have spoken with has told me that they wish they had made that decision their 1st year.

 

[Chinola]

I'm super excited to go down to Gainesville this weekend to look at apartments. I will NOT be living with a roommate, and every vet I have spoken with has told me that they wish they had made that decision their 1st year.

I also plan on living alone in Gainesville for our first year. I won't be getting up there to look at apartments for a few more weeks. Let me know if you find any good complexes (or really terrible ones)! Maybe we can be neighbors! Good luck in your search

 

[sumstorm]

My roommate pointed out this thread to me.

So, a year after my last post, I have a classmate living with me. It works out fairly nicely; it really helps that our level of cleanliness matches, particularly when heavy exam/finals weeks occur.

We have the advantage of having completly seperate living areas; she is upstairs in a split level, I'm downstairs. The kitchen and laundry is the only really shared space. We visit each other's space on occassion. We are friends, but we both have other clusters of friends in and out of school, which helps alot. I'm sure there are times when one or the other of us locks ourselves away, but alot of the concerns I had don't exist. Within our class we have had a lot of folks live together and while some have moved out, there hasn't been a lot of drama.