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Roommate self-defense: know it or...Jun 29 '00 (Updated Sep 03 '00) Write an essay on this topic.Bubba's a fun guy. Likes the same music, picks up girls for both of you, and kills a six-pack in 5 minutes. Great guy to party with. Sounds like an ideal roomie for The Best Years Of Your Life. *IS* he? The fun hours spent on Friday night will not be the same fun hours spent on Tuesday afternoon explaining to the electric company that your payment is late because Bubba is still unemployed after week nine and "borrowed" your money to fund his beer intake research. There are MANY parameters to consider in choosing an ideal roommate. In some situations a choice is made for you, for example, signing in blind at a dorm. Eventually, though, we reach a station in life that allows us to make our choices and ditch the drooling tech nerd we were assigned last year by the manevolent RA. One key factor all too many times overlooked is reliability. Does Bubba have adequate financial backing behind him? Does he hold a job for longer than a day? Can he be found in time when (not if) an emergency situation arises? Take an objective look at how he does business. If he's always borrowing money and talking about his unpaid bills, then this is a red flag. How he treats others is an excellent indicator of how YOU will be treated. Your roommate must carry his weight as you will depend on him when the bills come due. Eviction notices play havoc on grades, especially during finals week. Another subject is responsibility. Does he generally deliver on his promises? Hedge your bet by sharing the load. Put some of the bills in his name. It's better to have separate accounts for each utility and have a gentleman's agreement to cover your half. He now has a vested interest in at least some of the stake and if he decides to skip, he goes down with. If he does become a rat, you won't have any bills with your name that you are codependent on and can pay them off, thus keeping your credit intact. Integrity matters. Missing clothing, pilfered food, and emptied change drawers do not a good roommate make. If Bubba robs Peter to pay you, realize that one day you WILL be Peter. You'll also have the problem of fielding threats from the previous Peters and possibly bearing some of the brunt of their anger. Make a note of Bubba's schedules. Are you both more or less in sync? Differing schedules play havoc with home life as one might want to have a party while the other studies or sleeps. Can he be reached in a time of crisis? The ideal roommate is one who pays his share and is never home - at least until he needs to be found. Realistically, however, you and he are going to spend a considerable amount of time in each other's presence and how that time is spent can make a difference between home and hell. The final aspect is tolerance. Realize that both of you are different and that some things, like what food is put where in the refrigerator, really doesn't matter as long as it's IN the refrigerator and not left out to rot. Large issues such as integrity and responsibility should not be overlooked, but don't get into draining territorial battles over small matters. Let them go. Be tolerant of his minor eccentricities because he's got to tolerate YOURS. If all of these aspects line up, then you have a good candidate. Realize that all of these apply to YOU as well, so do an honest self-assessment. And stock up on a case of beer so Bubba will be occupied for at least the next 20 minutes...  |
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