Vet School: What's YOUR Living situation?

[ThePiedPiper]

I know there's a thread already on the pros and cons of living alone or with roommates, but I'm more curious as to what's your current living situation, as a veterinary student, or what your planned living situation is when you enter in the fall.

I am finding that apartments are much more affordable in at least the areas of my IS schools than the apartments in the area I live now, and I've been thinking a lot about what I plan to do once I'm accepted into vet school. It's a few years off, but I'm allowed to think and dream as much until then, right?

So what's your current living situation? Why did you choose it?

And the big question, as I have two furbabies, did you have any pets, and did you bring them along with you? Whether yes or no, why did you make the decision to either bring them or leave them at home?

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[dovelover]

I'm definitely planning on finding a roommate or two for the fall! Financial reasons aside, I really think that for the first year at least, living with someone else is a good thing emotionally, even if you want to kill them by the end of the year. I lived by myself for two years in undergrad and the first year after (living with my parents now...) While it definitely had its advantages, I think in hindsight it was very detrimental to me and my overall happiness. I got lonely, I found it hard to find the motivation to go to class, and I had no social life outside of work. It kinda sucked. Granted, that was me. Some people are better at staying involved than I was. I think it will definitely be easier in vet school as you spend so much time in class and activities with these people, and you really don't spend enough time at home to get lonely! But I think in terms of adjusting to a new city and getting through the difficult transition, it will be useful to have someone else along for the ride, even if they're as clueless a first year as I am. They may not wind up being my best friend, and we may end up getting totally sick of each other, but I'll risk it. After all, it's not like you have to sit next to your roommate in class.

As for pets, I had my cat (and snake, and some other critters I had at the time) with me in college (the major reason why I ended up living alone), so bringing him and my other current pets to vet school is a no brainer. Most vet students have pets, so it's not like you'll be the only one struggling to afford/find the time for your pets. I kind of think of having pets as part of the vet school experience They're generally a big stress reliever for most people, that is until they get mysteriously ill and you have hundreds of dollars or more in vet bills on your hands.

 

[Filly Bay]

Also planning on having a roommate! I have been an RA for the past three years and and therefore have not had a roommate for most of college and I'm ready to live with someone. Living in a dorm/on campus in my own room isnt bad since I can go in the hallway to see people I know or walk to someone else's house, but living off campus I'd like to have a housemate or two so I have someone to talk to at night, preferably a vet student.

I also plan on bringing my cat. She's about 11 but still very healthy and I've missed the last four years with her! I also have two fish tanks that I've acquired through undergrad (being the only pet I could have in dorms...). I may or may not get a small to medium sized dog but I want to find housing first and figure out their pet restrictions before limiting myself to my housing options.

 

[ThePiedPiper]

@dovelover: Haha. I lived with roommates for the first year in university and even staying a few days a week (home is 20-30 minutes from campus), I was driven absolutely mental. Granted, I was paired with a roommate who ended up failing out of school because she rarely went to class, studied or even left the room, not to mention she constantly had people over, so I never had any alone time. My best experience with living on campus was when they failed to find a roommate for me for the first half of the year.

I have two cats that I'm definitely bringing with me, potentially three, depending (but this will also depend on if I'm able to find a suitable apartment that will bend the usual 2 cats maximum rule...), so it's nice to hear that it's manageable. There are days I get nervous about the idea of being forced to leave them behind, even though I'm completely willing to pay pet rent on them if I have to! They're my babies and I can't imagine going anywhere without them.

@stb1473: Sounds like a plan. I have been fortunate enough to live at home with no dorm arrangement the past couple years. Sometimes I worry about getting lonely, but at other times I realise how hard it is to live with other people! I suppose I'll think about it more seriously when the time comes. My mother has pretty much claimed custody over my dog, which I have reluctantly relented to, mostly because she's more my mother's dog anyway and has been since I got her. She and my mother have a bond I feel it'd be terrible to strip either of them of. I don't think I'd get another while in vet school, though. What breeds do/would you like?

 

[primatevetjess]

I've lived by myself the whole four years. I'm 31 and married, and although my husband and I have lived 6 hours apart all of vet school, when he comes to visit... well... I don't want roommates around. Plus, at my age, I really just wanted my place to be wholly my place. That said, I don't get lonely when I live by myself and I have no problem going to class and getting out to hang with friends.

As for pets, I have kitties and there is no way I will ever move anywhere without them.

 

[Filly Bay]

@stb1473: Sounds like a plan. I have been fortunate enough to live at home with no dorm arrangement the past couple years. Sometimes I worry about getting lonely, but at other times I realise how hard it is to live with other people! I suppose I'll think about it more seriously when the time comes. My mother has pretty much claimed custody over my dog, which I have reluctantly relented to, mostly because she's more my mother's dog anyway and has been since I got her. She and my mother have a bond I feel it'd be terrible to strip either of them of!

My cat is pretty friendly with everyone (she's not normal haha) but I'm lucky that she is still most attached to me. When I come home she never leaves my side and when I leave again she sleeps in my bedroom all day for days My mom had me on speaker phone today and my cat jumped on the bed and began rubbing her head on the phone and purring when I spoke...made me want to go home for spring break asap!

 

[ThePiedPiper]

I've lived by myself the whole four years. I'm 31 and married, and although my husband and I have lived 6 hours apart all of vet school, when he comes to visit... well... I don't want roommates around. Plus, at my age, I really just wanted my place to be wholly my place. That said, I don't get lonely when I live by myself and I have no problem going to class and getting out to hang with friends.

As for pets, I have kitties and there is no way I will ever move anywhere without them.

You sound like me. Sometimes I worry about being able to afford it but Davis and Pomona (both my IS) seem pretty affordable. I live in the bay area, though, so I feel like almost everywhere is affordable compared to here...

My cat is pretty friendly with everyone (she's not normal haha) but I'm lucky that she is still most attached to me. When I come home she never leaves my side and when I leave again she sleeps in my bedroom all day for days My mom had me on speaker phone today and my cat jumped on the bed and began rubbing her head on the phone and purring when I spoke...made me want to go home for spring break asap!

Aww, that's super sweet! I had a cat like that who I had to euthanize in October. Definitely an extremely difficult experience to go through but also exactly my motivation for seeking to find a place that will allow me to keep my two with me. Both are fairly bonded, especially Maslow, who I refer to as my "furry Sphynx" (he has a Sphynx temperament to a T). Your cat sounds like a real darling though. Feel free to spam me with pictures. *

*Am I allowed to derail my own threads and ask for pictures of people's pets? Haha.

 

[Filly Bay]

Aww, that's super sweet! I had a cat like that who I had to euthanize in October. Definitely an extremely difficult experience to go through but also exactly my motivation for seeking to find a place that will allow me to keep my two with me. Both are fairly bonded, especially Maslow, who I refer to as my "furry Sphynx" (he has a Sphynx temperament to a T). Your cat sounds like a real darling though. Feel free to spam me with pictures. *

*Am I allowed to derail my own threads and ask for pictures of people's pets? Haha.

I'll post them over in the "All about our pets" thread so we don't get yelled at

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=972982&page=5

 

[Minnerbelle]

I lived in 3 different situations, 1 for each year of vet school (for once I will not be moving for next year...)

First year: 3 bed 3 bath house owned by a second year student.

Pros: Own bathroom, and pretty much my own wing of house. Utilities and heat included. Less than half rent/utilities of if I lived alone. Nice that roomie could help take care of my cat if I needed to be gone (but the load sharing was rather unequal compared to my 1 cat vs. her 2 dogs 2 cats and yardwork...). Laundry in unit. Street parking, which was fine since rather secluded area.

Cons: Roommate owned 2 dogs and 2 cats, and 2 of them didn't get along well with my cat. The 2 dogs were very ill-behaved (happens often with vet students so beware... esp if fellow roomie is thinking about acquiring one right before or during vet school) and trashed my room every time they set foot in it. My cat tried to sure that the 1 dog and 1 cat she didn't like never set foot in my room. My cat and the enemy cat would fight, and it wasn't pretty. 1 Roomie was nice, but rather an "offensive" religious person, and talked way too much (too needy in that regard... I had to try and avoid as much as possible, which wasn't especially pleasant. But being caught with her such that she gave me her play by play of every moment she was awake since the last time I saw her was way more unpleasant). The other roomie was messy but was rarely home.

Second year: 2 bed 1 bath owned by woman in her 50's of a totally different occupation

Pros: Utilities and heat included. Less than half rent/utilities of if I lived alone. Roomie was not affiliated with vet school at all, so I could just go home and leave school behind. House cleaner every other week. Laundry in unit.

Cons: Roomie very gross (My room is super messy, but I'm not OSHA hazard dirty, and esp not in common areas). So gross I had to keep sponge for my dishes, emergency paper plates/plastic cutlery, small fridge, and coffee maker in my room. Roomie eccentric, but that was not a big deal. I'm weird too. Roomie had no respect for personal space/boundaries. Would go into my room while I was gone and search in my closet for extra cat food. I'm not someone who needs much privacy so it didn't bother me too much, but it was a bit unsettling. Wasn't the nicest of neighborhoods, and roomie insisted on never locking our doors... Roomie disabled every single fire alarm and carbon monoxide (She's also absent minded and almost exploded us by leaving gas stove on without fire. When I yelled for her when I realized after I came to kitchen with headache, her first instinct was to turn the stove back on. NOOOOOO!!!!). Across street neighbor sketchy older guy who seem to know my schedule and would come across the street to greet me when I came home and would insist I come and watch a DVD at his place. Was kinda worried my cat or I would die inadvertently... and hence the second move. Water was never hot enough... and it would run out.

Third year: 2 bed 1 bath managed apartment. Classmate that I know pretty well, and have a mostly I leave you alone you leave me alone relationship with (though we do eat together and talk pretty regularly)

Pros: Heat/hot water included. Forever supply of scalding hot water. Well managed, and management responsive. Laundry in unit. Still more than half price of what it would cost me to have my own place. Great that this place is just as "mine" as it is my roomie's, which wasn't the case in the previous 2 places. Finally, a sane and normal and considerate roomie. Nice to have someone who can medicate my cat on random days I leave early or don't come home til late. Trash is easy to take out any day of the week. Lots of offstreet parking space. Love love love this apt. If I could live here forever I would.

Cons: Don't really have any. Situation is as good as it could possibly be given that I'm living with roomie. I wish I had my own bathroom, but whatevs.

 

[bunnity]

I live with my girlfriend. We decided on a nice place in a sketchy neighborhood versus a small place in the nicer university area. Between all the pets we wanted to have a big place that we could still afford.

I brought my rabbit (only pet at the time) to school with me... there really wasn't a decision to make as he goes wherever I go. (I can see how it would be different if it was a family pet and had always lived at the parents' house, but I got him after I moved out). Have since acquired another rabbit, live with my girlfriend's dog, and have had many fosters over the past few years. Of course, they all do their best to have health emergencies the nights before important exams

 

[Rainheart]

I'm still debating weather or not I want a roommate for vet school. I would love to find one if I can find a great roomie, but since I don't really know anyone, how do you know? I was in an apartment my senior year with my Golden and things were alright. She was just messy and never cleaned up the kitchen which really bothered me. Other than that, she was a pretty good roommate.

It would be really nice to split the rent, and since I'm only going to be bringing my Golden (he will be 2 in March and we are working on obedience and rally titles. He has his RN and CGC as of now). I am leaning towards Mizzou but still waiting to hear from my IS VMRCVM if anyone wants to send me a message. I'd like to find a place with a fenced in yard or at the very least a very close fenced in area he can run around in. Also, he is really great with cats

 

[SocialStigma]

I have always lived with housemates throughout university, partly because I would go crazy living alone and partly because I'm a poor 22 year old student that can't afford rent otherwise.

One of my housemates is also my best friend and classmate (we were in the same program in undergrad and only knew each other coming into vet school). In 1st year, we lived with a Master's student and a 4th year undergrad student - both were awesome and we became good friends with them. This year (2nd year), we're living in a different house with a 3rd year undergrad - she is quiet/shy but very nice.

 

[Jamr0ckin]

My parents and I bought a house: 3 bedroom, 2 bath.

The boyfriend and I live together, and he pays the mortgage every month ($400) which is way cheaper than renting a house in a college town.

If we ever broke up ( I'm shuddering at the thought) I would get a roomie help pay the mortgage, but I would get a lower classmen. Think the only people I could live with in my class are married or ... No those 2 are the only ones I could live with.

 

[squirrelsrule]

I live in a 360 square foot studio with my Boston Terrier and no roommates .

Pros: Quiet because I live in a building of all studios and am on the 3rd floor. Occasionally in the fall there will be people moving in making a lot of racket, but for the most part it is really quiet.

All new appliances, counters, cupboards, and hardwood floor.

Gas, electric, cable, and internet all included in rent, so I pay $740 total a month for everything including my dog.

Close to school (a huge plus as my anatomy group goes in at least once a week outside class time so it's nice to be close, plus if I wanna meet up to study with friends I'm not far from school. Also, can run home at lunch to let the dog out if it's gonna be a long day.

Cons: Small space, but really I don't mind that, means less to clean . Plus the bathroom isn't new, but isn't horrible either.

I am staying next year, and hoping to stay all 4 years of vet school, I really like my apartment.

A lot of other people in my class have roommates and have had issues with their roommates to the point where they are miserable. My plan was to live alone first year then maybe get a roommate if there was someone I got along well with. Super glad I decided to room alone, I have found that I enjoy the peace and quiet and like to leave things my way. I wouldn't do well with a roommate, even if it was my best friend.

 

[dovelover]

It would be really nice to split the rent, and since I'm only going to be bringing my Golden (he will be 2 in March and we are working on obedience and rally titles. He has his RN and CGC as of now). I am leaning towards Mizzou but still waiting to hear from my IS VMRCVM if anyone wants to send me a message. I'd like to find a place with a fenced in yard or at the very least a very close fenced in area he can run around in. Also, he is really great with cats

I think it's a sad (in a good way though) commentary on the lives of vet students how our roommate seeking ads always start with how well (or not) our pets get along with other pets. I'm in the unfortunate situation where my cat doesn't get along with, well, anything else that's furry and has four legs and could possibly be competition for mommy's attention. (Oddly enough he doesn't mind the bird, who is really his biggest competition) At least spending the last year living with my parent's cats has mellowed him out a bit in that department and in fact he's actually pretty good buds with one of the other cats now (they protect each other from the dog...) On the other hand, my cat absolutely antagonizes the dog, which is frightening at times as the dog is 3-4 times his size and doesn't appreciate being hissed and growled at. So a no dog household will be a necessity for me, sadly

 

[cowgirla]

I've got a small-ish 2 bedroom/1 bath house with a decent sized kitchen, fenced in backyard, washer/dryer/dishwasher/garbage disposal/garage/carport/central heat and air. Walking distance to school. Landlord leaves me alone unless I call her for something (and I only call for major issues I can't deal with myself - IE, floods, electricity, major appliances not working and roof caving in type of things). All for less money than I used to pay for my studio back home Electric bill gets a little scary in the summer with the AC working its *** off, but other than that, my bills are reasonable- electric/gas/internet/cell phone. No cable for me. It's not the prettiest house around but it's home.

I live alone. I like my quiet. I like having somewhere to go at the end of the day where I don't have to be social and talkative. I have a lot of crap so the 2nd bedroom is mostly storage haha. Having to do all the yardwork gets old sometimes. I enjoy it but don't always have the time.

I moved out here with one dog and acquired another a couple weeks before school started. I don't have to pay pet rent or fees and didn't have any extra deposits or anything, which was nice, especially compared to some of the other places I looked at.

I've been here for three years now and have no intentions of moving before I graduate. The little bit of money I could save by having a roommate just isn't worth it to me in the long run. I really really need my own space to go home to.

 

[bbeventer]

I currently live by myself in a 1 bed room 1 bath apartment with W/D included. The W/D for me was essential, there was no way I was going to make laundry mat runs! I choose to live alone due to not really knowing anyone coming to vet school, and I have played roommate roulette before and did not want to gamble when my sanity counted the most. I have gotten a little "lonely" but I think that is just first year of vet school, and living with a roommate would not have helped that feeling at all. I left my horse behind, my best friend, and all my riding buddies. Friends in school are great, but they are going through the same thing you are, so they aren't always the best support net, hence I think first year= lonely.

Pros: My apartment is great, I have a nice size kitchen and a W/D and obviously I don't have to share my space. I currently have two pets so I don't have to worry about them getting along with roommates furbies (and it is true vet students acquire pets while in school).

Cons: It is a little more on the pricier side. I pay internet, water, and electric My apartment has a shared secure hallway, so neighbor noise can sometimes be an issue (but I am really sensitive to any noise, especially when studying).

I have considered finding a roommate and moving into a house for next year. I lived in a house for my last year of UG with a good friend and loved it! It was always quite (this is really a big thing for me), it had a back yard for my doggie, and it was actually reasonable priced.

We will see though, I hate moving lol.

 

[StartingoverVet]

Most people here have roommates, and I would recommend it unless you really are anti-social.
1) It saves a lot of money, or you can a get a much better place in general.
2) The horror that sometimes is vet school is best shared with others. I don't like to think of people unhappy and alone.
3) Whenever these threads come up there is always the "I had the horror roommate when I was a freshman/sophomore" etc. Those stories really don't apply as much. People are a little more mature in vet school and that little bit makes a big difference. Plus most people need to study a lot so it tones down some of the other issues.

First 2 years I lived in a house with my wife, and there were times I wished I was living with a fellow vet student. This past semester I have lived alone during the week and I think it can get a bit depressing.

Pets is definitely an issue, but most people don't start out with pets 1st year.... so that is a plus...

Anyway, that is how I feel.

 

[DVMDream]

I live alone in a small one bedroom flat by myself and I love it! I need to have my own space/place to get away. If I want to go hang out with other vet students, I can; if I don't then I don't have to. I eventually want to bring my cat over from the states, but not sure when or even if that is going to happen. I have two rats right now. Other than wanting to move a bit closer to the school, I am quite happy with my living situation. It is a nice quiet place where I don't have to be with the people that I see all the time every day during the week. (No offence to classmates, they are all great, it is just nice to have time away from them. ) I have also found that overall, I am really not spending that much more on rent/utilities than my classmates are living with others.

 

[orca2011]

I live with a roommate and it's been great so far except for a couple landlord issues, so we're planning on moving into a 3 BR with another friend for the next year.

But she and I had never met before and only talked on Facebook and it really couldn't have gone better. She actually ends up studying at home more, while I'll stick around campus to study because I don't work well if it's someplace I live. We're both messy (not in the leaving food out kind of way) so that works well and then we do a huge cleaning at least once a week. Also, without a roomie, there is no way I would have been able to afford the surprisingly expensive gas bill last month, which we're convinced is do to an inefficiently working heater since it was more than my two story house at home...

We're a little sad to be moving out of apartment though because it's a pretty nice size and they don't care if we have pets or not (we only have a rabbit and a guinea pig), so we've now kind of been spoiled and we haven't found any great 3 BR apartments yet...at least ones that are in our price range.

 

[Coquette22]

I'm on my own (except for the cat). I've tried roommates, I just can't relax. I end up hiding in my room no matter how much I like them, because I feel like if I hang around in the kitchen or living room, I'm monopolizing it. I'm an introvert by nature, so it's nice to have the place to myself when I get home in the evening.

 

[primatevetjess]

You sound like me. Sometimes I worry about being able to afford it but Davis and Pomona (both my IS) seem pretty affordable. I live in the bay area, though, so I feel like almost everywhere is affordable compared to here...

If you do end up coming to Davis, live in Sacramento. It's only 15-20 minutes, and you'll save a ton. I lived in Davis the first two years, and then I moved to Sac right before third year. I'm paying $200 less, and have twice the space (literally) plus a washer/dryer in unit. It's amazing how much they jack up the prices in a college town.

Also, SOV, I don't think the only reason you'd happily live alone in vet school is if you're really anti-social... it's just a difference of personalities. I'm very social and do tons of stuff with my friends. But I like having my own place. I like my privacy and complete independence (if I wanna watch TV for three hours on the couch in my undies... I can) and I just don't get lonely by myself. Everyone's different.

 

[hpequalslove]

Although I've loved having roomies my four years in college, I do have a dog (she's one year, an absolute sweetheart, gets along with everyone and loves cats too) who I'm not worried about and I also have a cat who's much pickier about who she likes (very well behaved just not fond of any dog but mine... bad experiences with a husky we're living with now). My animals plus the fact that I've been yearning for a place of my own has led me to the decision that although I know it's "smart" to live with other vet students at least your first year, that's really not the path for me. Although I know it'll be more expensive, maybe lonelier, I know I'll make the effort to socialize. But since I know the majority of my time at home will be spent sleeping, studying, and hanging out with my animals, I'm not too worried ... Now to pick a school to go to and find a place!

 

[kakurubird]

I am SO EXCITED to live on my own. I lived in dorms (triple, then double, then single) freshman/sophomore year of undergrad, then in a 4 bedroom house with 2 others (and we got along great, it was a good situation, no major problems) for the last two years. I'm now living at home with my parents (yay saving money). I have a dog who is fine with cats and may or may not get along with other dogs, but, honestly, that doesn't really factor into my decision.

I am a more reserved person who really enjoys having my own space where I don't feel like I'm forced to stay in my room to have some privacy. I like doing social things, etc., don't mind having people over, like to study out of the house, but I really do well having my own place to go back to. To me the extra I'll have to pay is worth that for me. (Plus, I WANT to be somewhere small. I can be really lazy about cleaning and small spaces make me tidier/more likely to clean.)

 

[MommaFox]

I'm so happy to see that people have brought their dogs with them. I would never leave my 2 dogs behind but was so worried about what the living situation was going to be.

 

[StartingoverVet]

Also, SOV, I don't think the only reason you'd happily live alone in vet school is if you're really anti-social... it's just a difference of personalities. I'm very social and do tons of stuff with my friends. But I like having my own place. I like my privacy and complete independence (if I wanna watch TV for three hours on the couch in my undies... I can) and I just don't get lonely by myself. Everyone's different.

Point taken... i exaggerate, but too many people hear or have one bad experience and generalize, especially since having a college roommate in a dorm is miles away from having your own room in a house or apartment. I still think for the majority, having someone around is a lot healthier given the generally poor emotional state most people are in throughout school.

(I should admit that I have NOT had a roommate - spouse excluded - since junior year in college clearly I am a hypocrite).

 

[hygebeorht]

I'm planning to buy wherever I go. The SO and I will be there, and we aren't super-picky. A condo or townhouse or house will be fine. If we find a 2 bed 2 bath or 3 bed 2 bath in our price range, we may pick up roommates, but it can be super hit-or-miss with roommates, and my SO is really not excited at the prospect. We've had our own place together for four years now, and it might be hard getting back into the shared-spaces thing.

Can anyone talk about buying a place, and does anyone live somewhere with an SO and roommates as well? Curious about how that works for you...

 

[DVMDream]

Point taken... i exaggerate, but too many people hear or have one bad experience and generalize, especially since having a college roommate in a dorm is miles away from having your own room in a house or apartment. I still think for the majority, having someone around is a lot healthier given the generally poor emotional state most people are in throughout school.

(I should admit that I have NOT had a roommate - spouse excluded - since junior year in college clearly I am a hypocrite).

Yes, to an extent.... I did both. Honestly, the space makes no difference for me... I like being able to sit in a common area and study how I want, with whatever distractions I want or don't want and not having to hear someone else complain about it.... I don't want to have to hide into a bedroom to study or have to be sure I keep music quiet or the tv volume down or worry about if my talking things out while I study is bothering my roommate, etc, etc.

It is just nice to be able to go home at the end of the day and not having to worry about or deal with other people... I am very much an independent person and very much an introvert...so I am happier on my own than with someone and if I want to socialize there is always something going on and we have all been really good about including everyone in social events. I am happy.

 

[MommaFox]

SO and I live with a roomate right now in a 3/2. SO and I pay half the morgage and our roomate (the homeowner) pays the other half. We were great friends with our roomate for several years before we moved in. We still are great friends but I can't lie and say that I'm not ready for us to live on our own. Roomate goes out of town for 4 or 5 days regularly so that's nice.

We had one dog when we moved in and got another one a little less than a year ago. At first our roomate was very difficult to live with because he had never lived with dogs before...we had to eventually have a sit down talk (roomate and I) where I told him if he couldn't live with the fact that dogs will shed, bark, play, and poop in the yard, then SO and I will need to move out.

I'm the kind of person who avoids conflict and just felt horrible because I felt like he was miserable living with us. I also had to be clear with him that SO and I are both in school full time, and work part time, so we would not be able to clean like he does (obsessively, all day when he's home) and if he couldn't handle that, we will leave. I am an extremely clean and organized person, but its hard when you're gone so much.

I think having a roomate has worked out very well as long as you set CLEAR BOUNDARIES. My dogs adore him and as much as he likes to lie and say he doesn't, he loves them too.

In vet school I think SO and I will live alone. Not sure how the logistics will work out with the dogs, but I guess we will see.

 

[zanydogz]

I currently live with 3rd year vet student in a 3/2 house that is owned by her parents in Bryan, so its outside of main College Station. Honestly, I couldn't have found a better living situation. The rent is very affordable and I avoid all the undergrad traffic (there's like 45K+ undergrads here). I personally wouldn't have minded living on my own, but it's nice to have someone to talk to, especially an upperclassman who's been through it. She does have one dog that I take care of whenever she has to go out of town and we pretty much leave each other to do their own thing. I don't have any pets right now, but more than likely I'll be getting a dog by then end of the semester and my roomie is perfectly fine with it.

One thing I'm personally glad about is not rooming with a classmate or someone of my year. We see each other enough as is and to also live with them would be too much for me to handle. I need my space. My roommate can give me advice on classes and has been super helpful with lending me her old notes/study guides.

 

[Hotfillyky]

When I was in undergrad initially, I had 4 different roommates in my first semester of college. Then I lived off campus with someone (hated it). I have lived with a spouse (or spouse + children) since then so frankly, I am looking forward to being alone. Besides I'm too old and set in my ways now. I will also be bringing a menagerie of animals with me so as to keep myself from acquiring while there.

At least that is the plan.

 

[equineconstant]

I think I probably want to have housemates when I go to vet school. I'm not entirely sure I want to live with a classmate because I'll be seeing my classmates all the time anyway and especially since I won't know them going in...but I don't really want to start living on my own right away. I've also lived pretty much alone in Ireland for the summer and it did get a bit lonely. I've lived on campus all 4 years in undergrad, and between studying and being further from everyone else in vet school I expect it won't be so convenient to have a social life.

I'm currently living in a house on campus with 2 of my friends, and I love it. It didn't work out so well last semester, though (one of my housemates was different). I really like that the three of us have dinner together most nights--especially since it means we get yummy cooking and whoever cooks doesn't have to do the dishes. I'm much less hide-in-my-room-so-I-don't-bother-people this semester...but I did that a ton last semester. So basically I'm saying I'm kind of ambivalent about the whole living with other people thing?

Also, I won't be moving with pets but I fully expect to acquire one in vet school.

 

[Cider]

I am most likely attending Mizzou in the fall and have been going back and forth about this, I would love a roomate or two not only for cost reasons but also so I could have some company. I know I will get lonely and bored, plus it would be great to have someone to study with. However I do have two cats whom are both very laid back and get along with anything as well as a 4 yr old rat terrier who is the the nicest boy. He is not at all possessive of anything nor has any guarding behaviors and likes all other animals (her currently lives with three other dogs) yet is very respectful of there space if they would like it. I am just worried that I could end up with roomate that may have an aggressive dog (even if the owner thinks they are fantastic) that would end up injuring him. I know I am obviously worrying over something that has not occured and is probably a nonissue, and I think I am a little jaded from seeing too many big/little dog run ins at the clinic I work at. Is anyone else worried about their pets melding well in a household? Or did anyone have major issues?

 

[twelvetigers]

I live in a house with the hubs, so yanno.

But if I were to live with a roomie, I would search far and wide for someone *not* in my class. You are gonna spend all day with these people. You might not want to live with them too. Yeah, maybe you get lucky and find someone that you get along with so well that it doesn't matter, but I've seen it where the person just ends up wanting distance more than anything.

 

[ShibaMom]

The SO and I are looking for a house to rent. We come with two dogs and three vehicles. The house we own in TX will be rented out during the duration of vet school and we would like to apply some of the money left from the rent towards our house in KS.

Having roommates is not in our agenda as we're both older than most traditional students (I'll be 33 come August and he'll be 53). In no way, shape or form are we anti-social, and I rather look forward to having study groups/cookouts/whatever at our home, but when we want our privacy we don't want to have to deal with extra pairs of ears, apart from the canine variety

 

[StartingoverVet]

Can anyone talk about buying a place, and does anyone live somewhere with an SO and roommates as well? Curious about how that works for you...

I bought my place, although I am not sure it is the best decision. Make sure you buy before you quit any jobs as that helps the mortgage situation (unless you can do a cash transaction). These days it is hard to get a mortgage without a paycheck (even if you could afford to buy it outright).

Sometimes I wish I had a landlord to take care of all the problems that inevitably arise, or to shovel snow or take out the garbage, but none of it is that much of a problem.

try to buy a place that won't need much work, because that dragged on until after school started and that was no bueno. Hard to study when some guy is hammering on your walls! (or you can't use your bathroom), and if you are doing work yourself, definitely don't want to have THAT drag on.

All in all, not sure there is a huge amount of difference either way, except when you finish school you have to sell the place.

 

[Minnerbelle]

try to buy a place that won't need much work, because that dragged on until after school started and that was no bueno. Hard to study when some guy is hammering on your walls! (or you can't use your bathroom),

totally forgot about that! to top it off, didn't your kitty end up trapped in the tub or the dry wall or something like that?

 

[StartingoverVet]

totally forgot about that! to top it off, didn't your kitty end up trapped in the tub or the dry wall or something like that?

Yes! She was "entombed" under the tub.... I had to smash the tiles to get her out because the stupid contractor "forgot" to put an access door to the pipes etc.

 

[kernel]

Yes! She was "entombed" under the tub.... I had to smash the tiles to get her out because the stupid contractor "forgot" to put an access door to the pipes etc.

Whoa! Intense.

 

[ThePiedPiper]

Yes! She was "entombed" under the tub.... I had to smash the tiles to get her out because the stupid contractor "forgot" to put an access door to the pipes etc.

Wow, that's terrible! And a scary thought.

@Cider: We have one rehabilitated dog reactive dog and one dog who is in training to rehabilitate her reaction to men, people with hats and anyone who leans over to pet her without her permission. The dog is as much my mother's dog as mine so she will probably end up staying home. I have had people with the "animals love me" mentality try and approach her and almost lose their fingers in the process, so animals (and people!) melding well has always been something I have worried about. My cats are pretty good with other animals at this point, however, and one cat is fine with other people, cats, dogs, etc. I am hoping that this can only serve me well, but it's also another reason I want to live on my own. I understand that the help will be necessary at certain times, but I tend to have an issue with trusting people with my animals. Granted it'd probably be different with other veterinary students who, well, should know how to manage animals, but still. Perhaps you could consider rooming with someone who doesn't have dogs?

 

[ThePiedPiper]

If you do end up coming to Davis, live in Sacramento. It's only 15-20 minutes, and you'll save a ton. I lived in Davis the first two years, and then I moved to Sac right before third year. I'm paying $200 less, and have twice the space (literally) plus a washer/dryer in unit. It's amazing how much they jack up the prices in a college town.

Also, SOV, I don't think the only reason you'd happily live alone in vet school is if you're really anti-social... it's just a difference of personalities. I'm very social and do tons of stuff with my friends. But I like having my own place. I like my privacy and complete independence (if I wanna watch TV for three hours on the couch in my undies... I can) and I just don't get lonely by myself. Everyone's different.

Thank you for the tip! That's really good to know! I tend to be a huge space person, as well, even though I enjoy going out and spending time with people and participating in classes. I mostly miss my family when I'm out on my own, but have always appreciated the absence of a roommate.

 

[485501]

Does anyone live somewhere with an SO and roommates as well? Curious about how that works for you...

I don't currently, but my SO and I lived together in a house with two other roommates senior year of college, and then in an apartment with one other roommate the next year. It worked fine for us, but I think part of that is that all the roommates involved knew us well, and had always known us as a couple - so they took it for granted that we would snuggle on the couch and such.

As for more private matters.... We made sure to have our bedroom as far from the others as possible - not very far in the apartment, but they didn't share walls at least. And we were quiet.

We also made sure to talk to roommates before we moved in together about how we would much rather have an embarassing conversation with them if they were bothered by anything we did than bother them for the whole time we lived together. Or have them write us a note, etc.

I'm not sure that I would want to live in a situation like that for four years, though. We live just the two of us right now, and it's really nice - and not just for privacy reasons. We've been together long enough that we know each other's patterns and habits and stuff, and so we can work around each other really easily in the office, the kitchen, when doing DIY projects, and so on. I think at this point having someone else live with us who hasn't known us for at least a couple of years would just feel weird. Like there was a guest in the house (or we were guests in someone's house) all the time.

 

[Indigo10]

I guess I can share my living experience! I live in a three bedroom 2 bathroom duplex. Its a pretty nice duplex and the neighborhood is generally a nice place to live as well. I live with two roommates and my dog It is super cheap, and because of having roommates my budget is down to 500 dollars a month for ALL living expenses. I know a lot of people prefer to live alone and I would LOVE to live alone too. But since vet school is so expensive I have taken the approach to "save every penny!!!" I know a lot of people spend 500-600 dollars a month just on rent! I wish I had the money to do that but oh well

In total I expect to graduate with a lot less debt then most people. Living off 6,000 dollars a year is hard. VERY HARD. Especially because I would love to live alone. But my parents do pay my insurance and phone so that helps a lot.

I hope in the end suffering through being poor is worth it. If you can live with roommates I would strongly advise it. And try to live with someone not in your class. Its good to get away from vet school once in a while

 

[NStarz]

I am living with a roommate this year. She's nice, but we're just different people. So we're going to split next year. I'm going to get a 1 br with a den so I have somewhere for my family to stay when they visit. And I can get another pet (a foster)

 

[equinelvr]

The SO and I plan on living by ourselves when we move. Plus hopefully he will have a full-time job that will pay for our living situation, but will choose the place conservatively the first year just in case it takes him a little while to get a good job in this wonderful economy.
I personally just like my own space and I think I would get tired of people. I enjoy having my own place to go back to that is quiet and not having to worry about what I may or may not be able to do at certain times. Also, I really just want to be alone with my SO for once. (haha I love this one!)

We will also be bringing our two cats along, which is another reason for us to live alone. One of the cats is extremely picky in what animals he gets along with, so it is best if nothing new comes along to piss him off.


If he wasn't coming with me I might have been open to getting a roommate just because I would not like to live COMPLETELY alone.

 

[pooter]

I live in a big 'ole house with a crapton of roommates (all vet students, all but one in my year). It's basically a frat house without the initiation rituals and wild parties.

Pros: There's always somebody to study with. We have a decent amount of "common space." Since we're splitting all the bills, we got the cable package with ALL THE CHANNELS for like ten bucks apiece. We have a backyard, which is a big deal in Philly. We have our own basement gym with a treadmill and dumbbells. Since we're all drowning under the weight of the same exams, we get each other, so we don't have to deal with the crap that comes from, say, living with undergrads. Most of the time, roommate drama is diluted down, since it's harder to be mad at nine people for not taking out the trash than to be mad at one person.

Cons: That's most of the time. When real drama does hit, it hits like a sucker punch to the nose from George Foreman. Plus, since we all weigh in on decisions affecting the house, changing anything is complicated. "House meetings" can run for over an hour while we bicker over how to split utilities checks and who needs to shop for paper towels next. We also have cats popping out of the woodwork, which would be great if it weren't for the fact that they're always at war with each other. And my dog kind of wants to eat them. If you want your place to be spotless, this is not the house for you. We have a chore wheel, but it's sadly neglected most of the time. And, we never have clean forks.

 

[ThePiedPiper]

Haha. My only living experiences have been with roommates in freshman and sophomore year (someone already pointed out that that's a bad reference point) and with my ex-boyfriend who lived with his brother after their mother passed away, and I had to learn to become careful even entering the bathroom because I routinely stepped in the piss his brother left on the floor. They also never had clean dishes because the brother was fine using dishes with mould on them, and my ex refused to do all of the cleaning because he did most of it. Safe to say that after living with two boys - one who never brushed his teeth, showered, wiped, etc. - I have been turned off of the idea of trying to live with anyone but cats ever again. Then again, perhaps anything would be doable compared to that experience. Nice to hear that some of you have had pretty good roommate experiences, all things considered. I think the one benefit of roommates would be they'd up my living situation from an apartment to a house, which would allow me to have custody of the dog sometimes.

 

[nyanko]

I live in a big 'ole house with a crapton of roommates (all vet students, all but one in my year).

This sounds like my worst nightmare and a situation where I would surely not be able to keep my New Year's resolution of not being incarcerated during this year.

 

[kaydubs]

I share a house with 2 other first years. Each have a dog and I have a cat. We get along pretty well and I plan on living them for the unforeseeable future. I definitely feel lucked out. I've had some nightmarish living arrangements in the past....

 

[ShibaMom]

This sounds like my worst nightmare and a situation where I would surely not be able to keep my New Year's resolution of not being incarcerated during this year.

Makes me want to Lysol everything.