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How do you find a good roommate in an area 1,000 miles from home? Any tips?
Med School Housing and Roommates
- Thread starter Doctora Foxy
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check with your school-- many times they have bulletin boards and lists of people who have graduating roommates and need a person to take over that person's spot.
take it easy
homonculus
take it easy
homonculus
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I will have a list of roommates to choose from, but do people usually meet them in person first? I'm a little wary of picking someone off a list. I guess I'll have to base it on a phone conversation. Have other people done it differently, and has choosing from a list worked out ok?
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consider living by yourself the first year. the extra money to live alone can be looked at as merely a drop in the bucket compared to the astronomical rates of borrowing. during that first year you'll probably be able to find compatible roommates to live with the 2nd year, if you so chose.
I agree w/ Psi. I lived by myself this year (1st year) and I was glad that I did. It gives you some time and space to kind of figure med school out. I've had bad roommates before, and I wouldn't have wanted to have to deal with that in addition to adjusting to med school. A lot of my classmates did the same thing for the same reasons.
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I lived with two med students for roommates this year. We met thru our school's "roommate wanted" listing. One of them I didn't meet until two days before I moved in. The other one I met once just to make sure she seemed normal.
Personally, I like living with other med students. It's nice after a long day of studying to come home to someone who knows what you're going thru, and also someone to ask questions to if you don't understand something. Also, it was good for me in that having my roommates ask me questions made me realize I knew more than I thought (or less...depending on the subject!
). I wasn't close friends with my roomies, so we all led separate lives and different things going on so it didn't get to be 'too much'.
Personally, I would recommend meeting any potential roommates in person before living with them...some people may sound perfectly normal on the phone, but don't seem quite right when you meet them face-to-face...there are some med students in my class who give me the creeps!
Personally, I like living with other med students. It's nice after a long day of studying to come home to someone who knows what you're going thru, and also someone to ask questions to if you don't understand something. Also, it was good for me in that having my roommates ask me questions made me realize I knew more than I thought (or less...depending on the subject!
). I wasn't close friends with my roomies, so we all led separate lives and different things going on so it didn't get to be 'too much'. Personally, I would recommend meeting any potential roommates in person before living with them...some people may sound perfectly normal on the phone, but don't seem quite right when you meet them face-to-face...there are some med students in my class who give me the creeps!
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I'd strongly encourage you to consider living solo year one. Again, it gives you the chance to get to know people as opposed to rolling the dice. For me, there's enough to worry about and juggle the first year without adding a dicey roommate situation to the mix. Home should be a place to relax and look forward to returning to after a long day.
That said, if you consider the roommate option, definitely meet people first and try to size them up. It's still an iffy proposition, but it's better than going in cold.
Good luck.
That said, if you consider the roommate option, definitely meet people first and try to size them up. It's still an iffy proposition, but it's better than going in cold.
Good luck.
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I agree with all the above posts about living alone. Med school is hectic enough. The last thing you need is to contend with possible roommate situations when going through a major transition in your life.
Consider the extra rent money an insurance policy on your sanity. You'll make friends in the upcoming year and will find a compatible roommate for the remaining 3 years, if you wish.
Consider the extra rent money an insurance policy on your sanity. You'll make friends in the upcoming year and will find a compatible roommate for the remaining 3 years, if you wish.
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Thank you thank you! I will be a first year and am looking for my own place. My parents are telling me to stick to dorm life because its cheap and that roomate incompatibility etc shouldn't even be an issue because I should be in the libary studying all day and that a dorm room is just somewhere where I can crash at the end of the dorm. I completely disagree. I've not had a roomate since 1996 and I completely enjoy having my own place and privacy. After spending a full day with my classmates who I am looking forward to meeting and everything, I do want to go home to my own quiet place. My only issue is that I can't afford a decent place to live in upper Manhattan Rents are astronomical... I've already gone $3000 above the budget that Sinai issues for housing. Well I shifted some other expenses around - that mere increase has done nothing for me in terms of finding a place to live though. I'd have to take out another 2k.... any advice?
Foxy does Finch have a housing office? Perhaps they might have bulletein boards (either at the school or via email list-servs) for students looking for roomates etc.
Rents are astronomical... I've already gone $3000 above the budget that Sinai issues for housing. Well I shifted some other expenses around - that mere increase has done nothing for me in terms of finding a place to live though. I'd have to take out another 2k.... any advice? Foxy does Finch have a housing office? Perhaps they might have bulletein boards (either at the school or via email list-servs) for students looking for roomates etc.
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•••quote:•••Originally posted by E'02:
•Thank you thank you! I will be a first year and am looking for my own place. My parents are telling me to stick to dorm life because its cheap and that roomate incompatibility etc shouldn't even be an issue because I should be in the libary studying all day and that a dorm room is just somewhere where I can crash at the end of the dorm. I completely disagree. I've not had a roomate since 1996 and I completely enjoy having my own place and privacy. After spending a full day with my classmates who I am looking forward to meeting and everything, I do want to go home to my own quiet place. My only issue is that I can't afford a decent place to live in upper Manhattan Rents are astronomical... I've already gone $3000 above the budget that Sinai issues for housing. Well I shifted some other expenses around - that mere increase has done nothing for me in terms of finding a place to live though. I'd have to take out another 2k.... any advice? •••••Good luck with that... The one time I would make the exception is if I was leaving in Manhattan. The rents are just way too high. Don't tiny studios go for almost $1700 there? Is it at anyway possible to live off the island and commute everyday. I have a friend who goes to opto school in Manhattan and lives in Queens. He still pays some absurd amount to share a 1-BR with someone.
•Thank you thank you! I will be a first year and am looking for my own place. My parents are telling me to stick to dorm life because its cheap and that roomate incompatibility etc shouldn't even be an issue because I should be in the libary studying all day and that a dorm room is just somewhere where I can crash at the end of the dorm. I completely disagree. I've not had a roomate since 1996 and I completely enjoy having my own place and privacy. After spending a full day with my classmates who I am looking forward to meeting and everything, I do want to go home to my own quiet place. My only issue is that I can't afford a decent place to live in upper Manhattan
Rents are astronomical... I've already gone $3000 above the budget that Sinai issues for housing. Well I shifted some other expenses around - that mere increase has done nothing for me in terms of finding a place to live though. I'd have to take out another 2k.... any advice? •••••Good luck with that... The one time I would make the exception is if I was leaving in Manhattan. The rents are just way too high. Don't tiny studios go for almost $1700 there? Is it at anyway possible to live off the island and commute everyday. I have a friend who goes to opto school in Manhattan and lives in Queens. He still pays some absurd amount to share a 1-BR with someone.
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I totally understand your hesitation here!
I have been living alone for the past year. Unfortunately, to get closer to my medical school, I needed to take on a roommate.
So I found this guy who is a student at another school in Philly, lets call him "proffit" to protect his identity... well now that I've already signed the lease, I've found out all this stuff about him.. he is SO sarcastic and I just don't get his humor at all! Friends of his tell me he is a completely sex-fueled jerk! How am I to live with this guy now?
Fearful of waking up to lots of moaning and sarcasm in the bedroom across the hall,
phllystyl
I have been living alone for the past year. Unfortunately, to get closer to my medical school, I needed to take on a roommate.
So I found this guy who is a student at another school in Philly, lets call him "proffit" to protect his identity... well now that I've already signed the lease, I've found out all this stuff about him.. he is SO sarcastic and I just don't get his humor at all! Friends of his tell me he is a completely sex-fueled jerk! How am I to live with this guy now?
Fearful of waking up to lots of moaning and sarcasm in the bedroom across the hall,
phllystyl
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•••quote:•••Originally posted by phllystyl:
•I totally understand your hesitation here!
Fearful of waking up to lots of moaning and sarcasm in the bedroom across the hall,
phllystyl•••••LOL.... <img border="0" alt="[Laughy]" title="" src="graemlins/laughy.gif" /> <img border="0" alt="[Laughy]" title="" src="graemlins/laughy.gif" />
I never signed a lease before. You can always lie and break the lease....right?????
•I totally understand your hesitation here!
Fearful of waking up to lots of moaning and sarcasm in the bedroom across the hall,
phllystyl•••••LOL.... <img border="0" alt="[Laughy]" title="" src="graemlins/laughy.gif" /> <img border="0" alt="[Laughy]" title="" src="graemlins/laughy.gif" />
I never signed a lease before. You can always lie and break the lease....right?????
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•••quote:•••Originally posted by Hercules:
•Leases are pretty hard to get out of, and it usually costs you a pretty penny to do so.•••••Well it depends, nothing is written in stone. You haven't moved in yet. You can break the lease but you lose your security deposit I believe. Since both of you have different personalities it just might be worth the pretty penny of breaking the lease instead of living with someone you really can't stand.
•Leases are pretty hard to get out of, and it usually costs you a pretty penny to do so.•••••Well it depends, nothing is written in stone. You haven't moved in yet. You can break the lease but you lose your security deposit I believe. Since both of you have different personalities it just might be worth the pretty penny of breaking the lease instead of living with someone you really can't stand.
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•••quote:•••Originally posted by phllystyl:
•I totally understand your hesitation here!
I have been living alone for the past year. Unfortunately, to get closer to my medical school, I needed to take on a roommate.
So I found this guy who is a student at another school in Philly, lets call him "proffit" to protect his identity... well now that I've already signed the lease, I've found out all this stuff about him.. he is SO sarcastic and I just don't get his humor at all! Friends of his tell me he is a completely sex-fueled jerk! How am I to live with this guy now?
Fearful of waking up to lots of moaning and sarcasm in the bedroom across the hall,
phllystyl•••••Really? Now I'm a little hesitant to move into Steve's tank... :wink:
Anyway, I totally forgot I made this thread. I come back five days later to a majority of posts telling me to live alone. I definitely want a roomate--I wasn't posting the question of whether or not to get one. I lived alone for the past 2 years and I get lonely--I like to be around people.
I'm on the roomate list at Finch and it will be handed out when it is complete in a week or so. I think I would like to meet my roommate during orientation week. Hopefully I can find someone who was recently accepted and doesn't have housing yet---that way I can make sure they are normal first. :wink:
Thanks for the replies everyone---keep 'em coming!
•I totally understand your hesitation here!
I have been living alone for the past year. Unfortunately, to get closer to my medical school, I needed to take on a roommate.
So I found this guy who is a student at another school in Philly, lets call him "proffit" to protect his identity... well now that I've already signed the lease, I've found out all this stuff about him.. he is SO sarcastic and I just don't get his humor at all! Friends of his tell me he is a completely sex-fueled jerk! How am I to live with this guy now?
Fearful of waking up to lots of moaning and sarcasm in the bedroom across the hall,
phllystyl•••••Really? Now I'm a little hesitant to move into Steve's tank... :wink:
Anyway, I totally forgot I made this thread. I come back five days later to a majority of posts telling me to live alone. I definitely want a roomate--I wasn't posting the question of whether or not to get one.
I lived alone for the past 2 years and I get lonely--I like to be around people. I'm on the roomate list at Finch and it will be handed out when it is complete in a week or so. I think I would like to meet my roommate during orientation week. Hopefully I can find someone who was recently accepted and doesn't have housing yet---that way I can make sure they are normal first. :wink:
Thanks for the replies everyone---keep 'em coming!
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Whoa...go for Mount Sinai's housing! Yes, there are a lot of places where you could reasonably afford to live by yourself...NYC is not one of them! There IS a reason the vast majority of Sinai students live in the campus housing! Personally, I haven't lived off campus since moving out of my parents house and I really have no desire to start now. Campus housing is closer, cheaper, has ethernet connections, and an army of janitorial staff to fix any problems.
