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<p>I think the reason people say this so much is that it really sucks when you lose a good friend because the two of you just can’t handle living together. In all honesty, you will have friends that would make a great roommate for you, and others that would make a rather poor roommate. The same is the case with rooming with someone that you are not friends with.</p>
<p>So the odds of getting a crappy roommate are equally bad if you are choosing someone you are already friends with as if you are choosing someone you don’t know. It doesn’t seem like a real big deal if you room with a stranger and you guys don’t get along, whereas if you room with a friend and end up hating each other, it seems worse. </p>
<p>It basically comes down to “losing a friend” vs. “not gaining a new friend”.</p>
<p>At least that’s the way I see it.</p>