by Victoria Tiegert

Created on: May 27, 2009

Having roommates can be a wonderful experience, or it can be a horrible nightmare. If you are considering getting a roommate, there are many things that you should consider before making your final decision. How your home-sharing experience will turn out will have to do with several aspects of your life. Your personality, your lifestyle, and your finances will all come into play. As with most situations, there are both good and bad aspects of having a roommate and I have experienced both.

*The Good Aspects

Financially, having a roommate is often the best way to go. With two people to share the bills, both rent and utilities, you will see a big savings. In today's financially stressful environment, this can be a huge benefit.

Some people really enjoy the camaraderie of sharing a home with someone, especially if they are doing so with a good friend or close family member. There is someone to talk to about your day and your relationships. You can plan activities together and generally just have fun.

Having a roommate is also a safety measure, especially for young women who may be more susceptible to danger living alone. You won't be home alone and you'll have someone who knows where you are and when to expect you to arrive home.

During the college years, roommates can be great study partners as well as providing the opportunity to share books, thus saving substantial money, if you have some classes together.

Even if you begin with a roommate as strangers, or just acquaintances, you have the chance to develop a great relationship that will last well after the living arrangement comes to an end.

*The Bad Aspects

Financially, an irresponsible roommate can lead to your own poor mark on your credit and leave you stuck in a lease that you can't fulfill on your own if your roommate decides to back out suddenly. Dealing with a financially irresponsible roommate is not fun and often leaves you stuck cleaning up their monetary messes.

If you are a private person, you may not appreciate having someone constantly around, knowing your every move and seeing all of your possessions.

Roommates usually become sharers of their things. If you do not like to borrow, lend, or swap, this is not going to appeal to you in the least. Your roommate, however, may assume that what's yours is theirs and vice versa.

Bringing dates home can be uncomfortable, to say the least, when there is a roommate in the next room.

Having had roommates myself, I have found the experiences to all be very different, depending on the individual. Some have been wonderful, making memories and friendships that I still enjoy today. Others, though, have been terrible and short-lived. If you are considering getting a roommate, really think it through before committing. If you still decide that it's for you, make your selection even more carefully. You may find that it's much harder to get rid of a roommate than it is to get one in the first place.

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