It’s unlikely your roommate planned an elaborate date to pop the question: “Will you live with me next year?”
But if such a thing did happen to you — before cracking open a bottle of champagne — think about what it means. The relationship you are considering is nothing short of a sexless marriage.
Keep the following vows in mind as you contemplate if roommate living is the life for you.
To have and to hold
With a roommate, you always have someone around in case you should need someone to talk to, a shoulder to cry on or guidance to the bathroom after a long night. Though this sounds like a desirable support system, there is always a worse half.
Just as a couple is often viewed as a package deal, friends might view you and your roommates similarly. Maintain a social life with some kind of escape from the people you are around day-in and day-out.
Keep in mind that if you have a quick-to-cling roommate, your friends might distance themselves to get away from the two-for-one special.
From this day forward
While we all have heard 50 percent of marriages end in divorce, let’s hope your household can keep the peace for at least 12 months.
Enjoy your personal honeymoon during the summer, and use this time with family to practice living with others.
Disagreements and things that make you tick are inevitable. The key to a happy home is letting some of that go.
Try to think of your issues long-term, communicate openly and outlast the 72-day marriage of Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries.
For better, for worse
Whether you are living with your best friend or someone you hardly know, you’ll live through both good and bad experiences.
Hope for the best, but don’t expect it. If you expect your roommate to be your preconceived idea of a perfect one, of course you’ll be let down a time or two.
Realize you are living with another human being, and embrace the imperfections.
After the lease has ended, you might be relieved, or maybe you’ll be grieving. Either way, toast to how this learning experience has made you a better person.
For richer, for poorer
There is no need to run an intensive credit check on your future roommates. Still, consider finances when signing your lease.
Not only will you be paying monthly rent, but remember utility bills. Unless you want to be your roomie’s sugar daddy, plan for these costs ahead of time.
Decide if one person will collect money for all bills or if you will split the responsibility.
Chances are slim that you’ll find yourself living with a gold digger, but still, a prenuptial agreement is a must.
In sickness and in health
College students are not the cleanest bunch. Piles of dirty dishes, an old, unclaimed pizza box and a basement full of sprickets and mice are all-too-common amenities.
It’s going to take the effort of you and your roommates to avoid slipping into this sickening lifestyle.
You don’t have to be Mr. or Mrs. Clean to keep your home healthy. Take the extra few minutes to clean your dishes, and use regular cleaning tasks as excuses to procrastinate.
Maybe you’ll even enjoy your reading assignment with a lemony-fresh scent in the air.
