Roommate Question

[ajndersn]

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I will be attending CCOM this upcoming year and will be moving into an apartment nearby. I have two options for roommates but do not know which I should choose. First, I can use this site and facebook to randomly meet with people and eventually live with a random member of my class. My next choice is that I can live with one of my good friends who has a legit job in the real world. Obviously, each side has their pros and cons, but I'm not sure if living with a member of my class will be more beneficial to me in terms of studying and going over material (but I will be within a 10 minute drive of most people around campus anyways)? On the other hand, it may be good to live with someone unrelated to med school just to get my mind away sometimes. I talked to my friend about it already and he already said that he would keep the place quiet in terms of me being able to get all of my stuff done. What would everybody else do if they were in my shoes!? Thanks all!

 

[Chocolate Bear]

If it were me, I'd hands-down go with a good friend over a random classmate as a roommate, just because living with someone you know can be a huge compatibility gamble. Plus it's nice to be able to spend all day at school, then when it's finally time to unwind, you can actually do that. Your med school roomie might be an up-all-nighter, while you're more of a 6-8er, in which case you might never get a second without thinking about school, unless you physically leave the apartment. Which would suck.

I'm sure others might focus on the pros of a classmate roommate, though.

 

[211519]

As long as you trust your friend to be responsible as a roomie, I would also definitely go with the friend that you know.

We all have horror stories about heinous roommates from college, usually the randomly assigned ones from freshman year. Don't do it. Med school is stressful enough without walking in on some travesty when you just want to relax after class.

 

[BabyKangaroo]

Option 3:
You could find a 6 month or month-to-month lease , or just hash it out for one year, on a cheap (in Chicago?) one-bedroom apartment. Then you could get an idea of who all of the med-students are and maybe someone else living in a one-bedroom would want to pair up at the end of year one, or needs someone to move into their apt/house in the middle of the year?

Option 4:
Find one of those "one-bedroom" apartments that are really two bedrooms with a living area between the two apts. if you are concerned about your friend not having the same schedule as you and thus maybe having ppl over to his/her place when studying.

 

[Bleurberry]

Congrat's on your acceptance to Chicago.
If I were you, and how strange would that be if I was... but I digress;
If I was even entertaining the idea of staying with a friend who I have known for awhile and knew we were compatible living buddies, I'd jump at the chance, particularly if they weren't studying with me. Now in the name of full disclosure, I'm not a big "roomate" fan, and I live alone now. I'm entering class of 2013, too, but I decided on forking over the extra expense this year until I get a lay of the land. But hey, my situation is quite different, and my move was only 1.5 miles from a 1 bedroom in South Philly to a studio a short drive outside of center city. A friend of mine advised me, however, that moving in with a fellow 1st year could easily take a turn for the worse: besides the normal stresses of not knowing/having fully explored compatibility, having different senses of boundaries, and what-have-you, there's also the stress of school adjustment, and how that can be amplified when 1st years live together

For my part, I'm absolutely open to the idea of living with some of my peers next year, after we study together, bleed together, etc., and we orient ourselves to the new environs. But if you've got a pal in the wings who's stable and ready to have you as a roomie, I'd take advantage of the opportunity.

I will be attending CCOM this upcoming year and will be moving into an apartment nearby. I have two options for roommates but do not know which I should choose. First, I can use this site and facebook to randomly meet with people and eventually live with a random member of my class. My next choice is that I can live with one of my good friends who has a legit job in the real world. Obviously, each side has their pros and cons, but I'm not sure if living with a member of my class will be more beneficial to me in terms of studying and going over material (but I will be within a 10 minute drive of most people around campus anyways)? On the other hand, it may be good to live with someone unrelated to med school just to get my mind away sometimes. I talked to my friend about it already and he already said that he would keep the place quiet in terms of me being able to get all of my stuff done. What would everybody else do if they were in my shoes!? Thanks all!

 

[milehigh]

As a first year with some experience in the "random" med student - roommate population - I would go with the advice I was given but didn't take - Just pay the extra and don't get a roomie the first year. Having a roommate isn't worth the headache.

I met a classmate on facebook and moved in with them which turned out to be one of the biggest mistakes I have made. On a positive note I will have horror stories to tell my children one day.

 

[3shtr]

Med students are pains to live with. Type A's, high strung, crazy. You'll sweat, bleed, laugh, complain, cry, and work hard enough with your classmates next year.

It's nice to get away from it all when you go home to your apartment. Choose the friend.

 

[ajndersn]

I have in fact decided to live with my buddy!! Thanks a ton for all of the responses, I appreciate all of your help!!!