Living With Other Med Students: Did it work for you?

[chevaliermalfet]

Starting medical school in the fall and starting to think about living arrangements, I am curious as to your experiences living with other medical students. Overall, was it a good choice, or would you have preferred some other arrangement? Also, if you live alone, or with non-med students, were you satisfied, or would you have preferred med student roomies?

Personally, I would think it would be a good idea to live together, so you can ask questions while you study, have similar schedules, have roomies who understand that you need to study, etc etc. Thanks for your input!

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[GuzzyRon]

Starting medical school in the fall and starting to think about living arrangements, I am curious as to your experiences living with other medical students. Overall, was it a good choice, or would you have preferred some other arrangement? Also, if you live alone, or with non-med students, were you satisfied, or would you have preferred med student roomies?

Personally, I would think it would be a good idea to live together, so you can ask questions while you study, have similar schedules, have roomies who understand that you need to study, etc etc. Thanks for your input!

There are pros and cons to everything in life. And it's up to you to determine what is most important to you. Like you rightly stated, there are tons of advantages to having a roommate but if you're unlucky to have a roommate from hell, your life is going to be...umm...well, hell.

 

[Critical Mass]

I considered it but thought better of myself. The need to control your own quiet space is paramount.

 

[Dr.Inviz]

I considered it but thought better of myself. The need to control your own quiet space is paramount.

Please PM me your study method.

 

[shantster]

I considered it but thought better of myself. The need to control your own quiet space is paramount.

I've wavered back and forth about having a roommate for a while, and this was the big thing for me. I'm going to live on my own next year, and I've thought that if I met someone I'm compatible with, I'd live with someone else next year, but I think that having this control for a year will make me not have a roommate. I will miss the randomness of having a roommate because it does provide a much needed study break, but I'm not a fan of coming home from somewhere and then finding out that someone is over.

 

[Medikit]

You can always move later if it doesn't work out

 

[naegleria brain]

i say its a good idea to live with them at least a semester. seeing him/her study will make you feel guilty and you'll hit the books as well.

eventually you'll stop caring

 

[yalla22]

depends how sensitive you are..think back to college rooming experiences and that should give you an idea...

 

[Jack Daniel]

I live with other medical students. It has worked well for me because I don't spend as much time on campus as other students in my class do. So living with other med students has been a great way to stay connected.

Perhaps if I did all my studying at school and ate all my meals there, I would prefer different company at home.

 

[Sophie]

I live with med students, and am really glad I do. If you don't go to class very often it would get REALLY lonely living by yourself. At least for me, 'controlling my own quiet space' has never been an issue - our house is silent practically 24/7. That's definitely one of the huge differences between living with med students versus living with non-med students. I also like being able to ask my roommates questions about lectures, work on assignments together, borrow handouts when I lose my copy, have people to commiserate with, be able to take study breaks and hang out with people without having to get in my car and drive somewhere, be around people who are stressed when I'm stressed and celebrating/relaxing when I am too.

And like naegleria said, at the beginning of school, when you see your roommates studying at all hours of the day and night, it's an excellent motivator.

 

[The Buff]

I live with med students, and am really glad I do. If you don't go to class very often it would get REALLY lonely living by yourself. At least for me, 'controlling my own quiet space' has never been an issue - our house is silent practically 24/7. That's definitely one of the huge differences between living with med students versus living with non-med students. I also like being able to ask my roommates questions about lectures, work on assignments together, borrow handouts when I lose my copy, have people to commiserate with, be able to take study breaks and hang out with people without having to get in my car and drive somewhere, be around people who are stressed when I'm stressed and celebrating/relaxing when I am too.

Seconded

 

[8o8o8o8]

I didn't want to live with a random med student in my class the 1st year just in case, so i lived with a law student. It was great because I got to get away from all med all the time. My second year, once I had a set group of friends, I moved in w. other med students. It;s been great.

 

[Critical Mass]

Please PM me your study method.

No need for PM. I'm easily the biggest slacker in my class. I just cram the week before my exam blocks like undergrad.

It's just that while I'm cramming, I don't like to be disturbed.

I also still work ~20 hours/week and live in a cheap area, so maybe saving money isn't a big concern for me.

 

[mules05]

I live with another grad student who's in a different program at a different school (we live halfway between the two schools). This works out best for me because I spend all my time during the day in the library studying with friends from my class. When I go home I'm done studying for the day, and it's nice to have someone to talk to about something other than what went on in class that day. So while for me living with another med student wouldn't be ideal, I think living with another grad student is key- she has to study just as much as I do, and understands when I don't do the dishes for a week before an exam, because she'll be doing the same thing the next week.

 

[LJDHC05]

I live in apartment-style housing on campus. It has its definite benefits and drawbacks...

Benefits: you always have other people to b!tch/moan at about school, you feel a little bit less isolated, you can share expenses, and get to be good friends with them

Drawbacks: they b!tch too usually more than I'd like to hear, I've never seen male-PMS until it manifested itself before out first exams, you can't escape from med school when you go home, and the drama of med school is only amplified by living with other med students (Their random hooking up/interpersonal clashes/competitive personalities are all dragged into my personal space)

 

[nightowl]

Be honest with yourself. It mainly comes down to how you get along with your potential roommate under pressure. When they get stressed out, do they react to stress in a way that you can handle? The main difference between just living with someone and living with another med student is that they're going to be under a lot of stress, and so are you. So if you're the type, or if they are the type, that would rather be alone or another personality emerges when they're worried about tests, it probably wouldn't be a good idea. Unless they are not clingy and they'll understand if you just need to be alone. The thing is, you won't totally know their "bad side" until you're already in school. Med school creates really strong bonds between people, but the catch is you see people at their worst as well as their best. So it comes down to the individual. It can be great. It can also be pretty terrible. So choose carefully

 

[Sondra]

Living alone has been great for me. No one interupts my schedule. I sleep, shower and study at any time of the day or night without worry about disturbing a room mate or having him disturb me. Plus, there is no drama and no hassles of room mate living. I have seen many people in my class argue when they are stressed about upcoming exams.

If I want to study with other people, I know where to find them on campus. In the classrooms, library, labs. You don't have to study alone if you don't want to, but if you do, you can just go home without any interuptions.

 

[deuist]

I've lived with another medical student for the previous two years. Everything's worked out well for us.

 

[marooner]

i would actually like to live with a non-med student. living with a med student gives me so much pressure to study, study and what else but to study. sometimes i just want to relax, chill and do nothing.

 

[UVABranch]

No need for PM. I'm easily the biggest slacker in my class. I just cram the week before my exam blocks like undergrad.

It's just that while I'm cramming, I don't like to be disturbed.

I also still work ~20 hours/week and live in a cheap area, so maybe saving money isn't a big concern for me.

what kind of job are you able to have while in school. I bartend now and if I get into school in this city I was thinking about continuing (2x/week).

 

[Critical Mass]

what kind of job are you able to have while in school. I bartend now and if I get into school in this city I was thinking about continuing (2x/week).

I am a medical technologist and continue the role that I had in the hospital before I started school. Pay rate is about $30/hour, pretty good for where I live. 20 or so hours/week covers rent/bills and a few extra meals with my homies on me. Not quite like the days when I used to make it rain at the gentleman's club, but I manage.

 

[UVABranch]

I am a medical technologist and continue the role that I had in the hospital before I started school. Pay rate is about $30/hour, pretty good for where I live. 20 or so hours/week covers rent/bills and a few extra meals with my homies on me. Not quite like the days when I used to make it rain at the gentleman's club, but I manage.

LOL, I haven't heard "make it rain" in a min! Especially in reference to the gent's club. If I were a guy I'd rather buy a drink and call it a day

 

[sunflwr85]

On a somewhat related to this thread note, I was wondering how those of you who are currently living with other students found your roommates. I had every intention of living alone going into this process, but I'm beginning to see that my financial situation may not allow for that. I'm coming around to the potential benefits of having a roommate, but I'm terrified at the prospect of having to chose one basically blind... I've had some rough roommate experiences thus far. How did you guys do it?

 

[Pontifex Maximus]

Its all very random unless you know the people, or luck out. I had kind of a combo of both. I live with 2 med students. Its been OK, no major problems. Plenty of space if you want it - if the people are sensible.

 

[Plankton]

No need for PM. I'm easily the biggest slacker in my class. I just cram the week before my exam blocks like undergrad.

It's just that while I'm cramming, I don't like to be disturbed.

I also still work ~20 hours/week and live in a cheap area, so maybe saving money isn't a big concern for me.

Where do you go to school?

 

[chevaliermalfet]

Its all very random unless you know the people, or luck out.

Well, I guess I feel a little better than. Davis hasn't yet put up a class message board, so I've been reduced to looking for roomies in the facebook group (the situation is complicated somewhat by the fact that I won't have regular access to phone or email over the summer). There's just something a little bit awkward about using facebook as the primary means of finding people to live with. lol.

 

[menaniac]

Well, I guess I feel a little better than. Davis hasn't yet put up a class message board, so I've been reduced to looking for roomies in the facebook group (the situation is complicated somewhat by the fact that I won't have regular access to phone or email over the summer). There's just something a little bit awkward about using facebook as the primary means of finding people to live with. lol.

I'm having the same problem, but using the class page on SDN. Needless to say its been difficult. We are having a "housing day" on June 1st, so I'm hoping that will yield some results. I've pretty much resigned myself to the idea of living alone the 1st year, and hopefully will find friends/roomates as the year progresses for next year. This is all complicated by the fact that our school hasn't issued final financial aid letters yet, so I don't know how much apartment I can afford. Its hard to sign a lease when you don't know how much you'll have in your pocket every month. Ugh. I'm sure it will all work out, though...

 

[Dart1516]

I've pretty much resigned myself to the idea of living alone the 1st year, and hopefully will find friends/roomates as the year progresses for next year. This is all complicated by the fact that our school hasn't issued final financial aid letters yet, so I don't know how much apartment I can afford. Its hard to sign a lease when you don't know how much you'll have in your pocket every month. Ugh. I'm sure it will all work out, though...

We're almost in the same boat except I'd much rather live alone. Would be nice to know what my award is though. I'm just hoping it's safe to assume I'll have at minimum, a monthly budget of $1500, which should allow me to spend $1000 in rent + utilities, monthly, so long as I stay on top of my budget. I've started looking for apartments, and the listings in the range I'm looking for are scarce, so I'm trying to lock something down soon. Sigh. Darn NJ prices.

 

[menaniac]

We're almost in the same boat except I'd much rather live alone. Would be nice to know what my award is though. I'm just hoping it's safe to assume I'll have at minimum, a monthly budget of $1500, which should allow me to spend $1000 in rent + utilities, monthly, so long as I stay on top of my budget. I've started looking for apartments, and the listings in the range I'm looking for are scarce, so I'm trying to lock something down soon. Sigh. Darn NJ prices.

Where in Jersey?