Freshman Housing: Single or With Roommates

<p>DwightEisenhower needs to lay off a bit. Socializing may be a priority for some, but it doesn’t have to be for everyone. Based on your description of yourself, you sound like an introvert, which is fine. I don’t know why Dwight is being so aggressive – everyone is different. Having a roommate is best for some, being alone is best for others.</p>

<p>I requested to be with 4-5 suitemates - suites are awesome and I wouldn’t like to miss out on them!</p>

<p>I requested for two suitemates. I just submitted my housing app yesterday… was that really late:/?</p>

<p>@eliana</p>

<p>In all honesty, sometimes I myself don’t think I know myself very well - could be some sort of identity crisis (trying to work on fixing it at the moment). But, I think right now I would describe myself as an introvert/a little bit of extrovert (not total, I am still pretty socially capable, interact with people, hangout with friends, talk to coworkers etc.) that is trying to become more of an extrovert. But, I want to maintain/drastically improve my performance in academics, extracurrics, social sense, common sense, while not losing things that keep me sane like my sleep etc. I think just being in college 24/7 will help me to become a lot more independent, socially aware, hopefully develop more sense of the world and people, so I dont feel the need to actually live with them as I believe it may create a bit more stress/harder transition for me in the first year. I do plan to dorm with others 2nd-4th years.</p>

<p>I honestly don’t see anything wrong with requesting a single if you think that would be the best rooming arrangement. There’s nothing wrong with being introverted - a good percentage of the human population is introverted - it means that you sometimes need your space to think and reflect and are generally a little more reserved, not that you’re necessarily antisocial. Lol, I think I’m very introverted sometimes, but that doesn’t mean I stay in my room all the time, don’t have many friends, or can’t interact with people :rolleyes:.</p>

<p>On the other hand, you don’t necessarily get the type of dorm you ask for anyway. A single can be great, but I think it’ll be easier to adjust to college when you have roommate/suitemates who have similar lifestyle and interests.</p>

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<p>I’m introverted. Having a default attitude that other people are annoying and disruptive and thus I don’t want to live with them isn’t introverted, it’s a problem. Living with people is a life skill.</p>

<p>I really don’t think he/she implied that people are annoying and disruptive. It seemed clear to me that mediacaldoc just wants privacy and freedom from distractions, which is perfectly reasonable. You seemed to react negatively immediately upon hearing that mediacaldoc wants a single, and I don’t know why. There is a reason singles exist – some people function better living alone.</p>

<p>@mediacaldoc - I totally understand. I don’t feel that I know myself very well either. It’s tough. Humans are complex and almost no one is going to be a pure introvert/extrovert, type A/type B, etc. I think we will grow so much an learn a lot about ourselves after our first year. I think Harvard is the sort of place that will force us to be assertive, which is exactly what I need.</p>

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<p>Well let me enlighten you as to why. There’s no problem with wanting a single. A lot of people would prefer a single. If I were to ask my freshman year roommates, all 5 of us would probably say that we would prefer singles to doubles. What is alarming is the OP’s demonstrated unwillingness to live with others and the unrealistic and prejudicial assumptions upon which his unwillingness is based, at least insofar as he has expressed in this online message board to total strangers.</p>

<p>Example:

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<p>In other words, “I don’t want to room with others because there might be a roommate I don’t like.” That’s not a neutral preference; that’s a flaw that hopefully medicaldoc will eventually realize is a flaw, given that few careers (including health care) permit you to avoid working with people you don’t like.</p>

<p>I seriously wish I had lived in a single my freshman year, and i’m about as sociable as they come. And trust me, if you’re an extrovert, you will find a way to interact with people and make friends even if you live alone in the middle of nowhere. </p>

<p>One of my best friends also had problems with his suitemate and we spent a considerable amount of time during our freshman year *****ing about it and hoping that we had tried a little harder to get a single. Haha. You know, like writing a lengthy letter explaining a certain medical or psychological condition that requires us to live in a single. Freshman year housing is random and there IS a high risk of getting roomed with people whom you’re not gonna get along with. And you WILL make friends OUTSIDE of your room. Trust me on this one. </p>

<p>@DwightEisenhower: I understand your argument, and i’m not taking sides here. But i just wanted to point out that “working with people you don’t like” is very different from living with them. I for one don’t have a problem with working with people whose habitual antics and/or lifestyles and/or personalities i don’t like, but when i come home (which usually is late at night) I’d much rather just be by myself. </p>

<p>P/S: Some kid in China murdered his roommate earlier this year because he couldn’t stand the loud snoring. There’s someone who could have benefited from a single.</p>

<p>I decided on one roommate as my request. Less is more.</p>

<p>Don’t think about it too much.</p>