How Many Roommates Should You Have Next Year?

Whether you live with one roommate, five roommates or no roommate during your first year at school, you’ll be faced with a critical decision midway through: how many people should you live with next year, and who should they be? Of course, you’ll want to live with a friend, or even a few friends. But living with one person compared to a group of people creates a very different environment.

So what’s the magic number for you? Well, that depends. As you’d guess, a dorm suite or apartment full of people means there’ll be a lot more activity at all times. Friends will be coming and going, staying up late or eating who knows what at all hours of the day. If you’re someone who’s always on the go and hates the very concept of boredom, a suite full of friends is the way to go. If you have only one roommate, and that roommate happens to be studying, he probably won’t want to go the gym with you. But if you have five roommates, someone’s bound to be looking for a study break.

Living with a big group also gives you greater potential to meet new people. College itself is one big opportunity to meet new faces and friends, but it’s easier to strike up a conversation with someone when he or she is standing right in your living room. As is also often the case during college, people seem more open to meeting new people. Perhaps you stuck to your same group of friends in high school; you’ll see this is much less common in college.

Conversely, living with only one or two roommates has its own advantages. Since school work comes first (right?), what type of studier are you? If you prefer to study in your dorm room and you need that quiet, peaceful setting, a house full of roommates just won’t be ideal. Sure, maybe they will all be your friends, but it would be asking a lot of them to have to live around your schedule. With just one roommate, you guys can each go about your schedules without much interference. Plus, it’s that much easier to ask only one roommate to turn down his music rather than asking five.

With only one roommate, you’ll assuredly choose someone who you trust. Students can be apt to want to live with a bunch of other students, believing in the old saying, the more the merrier. But you might find yourself living with a few friends, and then some friends’ friends, other students you might hardly know. Living with people involves trust, or even just the reassurance that a fellow roommate won’t eat your stash of Oreos! With just one roommate, trust really shouldn’t be an issue—you’re definitely good friends if you’re living together.

Alas, as any reality show reveals, there’s bound to be some drama with a whole house or dorm suite full of people. And with a large group, people are bound to start taking sides. While it would be senseless not to live with friends because of issues that haven’t even happened, it’s smart to take a moment to think how you and your potential roommates will interact as a group. Are there any grudges or conflicts already present? You’ll see your roommates every day, so make sure they’re people you can not only live with, but people whose company you thoroughly enjoy.