Though it may seem like a giant party, you don’t necessarily need to live with your best friends.
Especially for you freshmen, moving out of the dorms and finally renting your own home seems like an ideal opportunity to live with your best friends. Why not give it a shot? You have a whole lot of mutual friends, and it would make things easier.
This is not always the case. It may sound cliche, but living together can make or break a friendship. Plus, you may end up in a whirlwind of internal conflicts. As the workload piles up and stress builds, you may find yourself in a constantly torn between relaxing with friends and tending to your future success. It can add an unnecessary stress.
Living with someone you do not know makes it easier to have open communication. As much as roommates would like to believe they practice superb communication skills, there is still hidden tension in most cases.
If you do decide to take the next step with your friends, stress the importance of open communication.
Living far away isn’t as far as it actually seems
In fact, it could be better. That’s what bikes are for in Eugene. Students don’t always have the spare time to make it to the gym, so it’s a convenient way to incorporate an active routine into your hectic lifestyle.
Most neighborhoods, like deep downtown, Whiteaker, Amazon or Kinsrow, are only about a ten-minute bike ride from campus. Plus, houses far from campus tend to exhibit more unique qualities than nearer ones, and the distance can provide a sweet sanctuary. Dedicated friends will tackle the trek no matter how far away.
Find out the annoying quirks about the house
Once you land an appointment to view a place, there are certain things to be sure of. They may seem like minor details, but believe me: Any tediousness is certain to cause buildup.
Check the light switches. Do they work? What about the faucets? If any of them constantly drip, it could raise your water bill. Run the shower for a couple of minutes. Does the drain clog up? Does the toilet flush  thoroughly?
Being the temperate climate that Eugene is, mold tends to infest deep pockets hidden throughout the home. Check windowsills for drafty air. Loose windowsills lead to poor insulation, which can provoke roommates to privately flick on that heat switch, in blatant disregard to already agreed-upon conventions for appropriate heating methods (BLANKETS!).
If you decide to rent a house that tends to mold up easily, your landlords should inform you beforehand. Be sure to request a pamphlet explaining how best to combat the mold. Then have a discussion with your roommates. It’s a problem that should be addressed immediately, for mold is extremely toxic and can lead to severe illnesses.
Secure your place
When you and your roommates are on the search for a house, bring your completed housing applications and all necessary documentation with you.
This especially holds true now, as the influx of college students continues and new apartment buildings are still under construction.
Finding housing, especially through realty companies, can be extremely competitive. To stay on top of the game, bring your applications and all necessary documentation with you to the showing of the property. Often times, you are able to fill out one application for a realty company and it will show all of its housing options available.
Choose your property manager wisely
This not only places you first in line for the housing if you do so choose to move in, but it shows the company you and your roommates are timely and can be trusted, increasing the likelihood of your crew being chosen as the renters.
Have the talk
No, not the birds and the bees. Though it may be wise to bring that issue to the table as well, such as, “No sex in my bed, please.” But what I really mean is, how are you going to divvy up groceries? Will you each have your own cupboard, or should it be communal?
Get to know your roommates’ habits before you moving in together. It will help to determine the best possible solutions.
Talk about chores
Who likes to cook and clean? Who prefers to bleach the bathroom? Who’s the handyman? Each roommate, whether it’s evident or not, possesses some quirky skill useful to the whole crew. When you move in you’ll realize — discover what those are between you.
That way, when one roommate realizes another hasn’t done dishes for the whole week and slowly grows more infuriated, they can calm themselves by remembering that the same person switched all the lightbulbs, set up the basketball hoop and mowed the lawn the week before.
Assign each roommate a different bill to be responsible for
This doesn’t mean you can’t sit down together and divide them up evenly. But it gives all residents the opportunity to understand what it’s like to be in charge, and the result will be that each will be more sensitive to paying bills on time when they do come around.
It also teaches each person to sign up for an account, and is great for building credit. It’s a good suggestion, anyway. Arguments over bills are never fun, especially the silent ones.
Here’s one last bit of advice: If you intend to quit smoking, don’t live with people who smoke cigarettes. If you decide to, forget quitting. It will never happen.
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