which is better?
You may not have that choice if you are at an impacted campus. Most schools take into account your preference and fees are based on that, but it really depends on the school.
I, personally liked having one roommate, as did my daughter (who was stuck in a triple). But, then she roomed with 6 other roommates off campus, and really liked that as well.
3 is often an awkward number, & it’s likely 2 will get close and go against the third.
Whenever my kids had playdates, it always worked out better to have 2 than 3. One roommate is better than 2.
One. Triples are very cramped. But you may not have a choice.
I agree-- 3 is a rough number. Inevitably, two will get along better, and the 3rd will feel left outt.
If you have a choice, go for a double.
I would always go for the double vs. a triple. Having to deal with learning to live with one stranger is enough - two is just that much more complicated. Maybe even a regular triple (space to actually accommodate 3 humans) would be better than a forced triple (space for 2, with a 3rd squeezed in, because they can).
I’ve never heard of anyone preferring a triple over a double. The thought that I might have two roommates instead of only one hadn’t crossed my mind until I got my first year room assignment last summer, when I found out I would be living in a triple.
We were super lucky in that our room was HUGE. The triple that we lived in was, I believe, originally a quad, so our space consisted of a single and a double, with a kitchen connecting the two and our own bathroom. I (along with everyone else who hung out in our room) was shocked at our luck, especially since we’d been randomly assigned each other and the room.
The arrangement luckily worked out (I lived in the double with one of my roommates, and our third took the single), no major issues or anything. The huge space helped, I’m sure that if we’d been in a forced triple there might have been more conflict. The only regret I have is, like what has been stated above, I became really close with one of my roommates (not the one I directly roomed with, ironically), and I sometimes worried that our other roommate felt left out.
My triple experience hasn’t exactly been typical, but I just thought I’d give my perspective as someone who just moved out of her triple about a month ago. If you have any more questions, let me know!
My D was in a forced triple her freshman year. The room was tiny. Two small closets and two of the desks were in the center of the room so no floor space at all. They made it work. They were respectful and considerate towards one another. Little things like taking phone calls outside the room if someone was studying, bringing back tea from the dining hall if someone was sick, etc. One roommate stayed in a friend’s room when my other D visited so she could sleep in her bed, etc. They all got along great in the room but weren’t in the same friend groups outside the room. I had visions of her becoming bffs with her roommates but in hindsight, their situation was much better.
D14 (new college grad!) had two roommates in a very small suite (more like two standard rooms with a shared bathroom) freshman year (4th never showed.) All three were great friends. One left at end of year for non-roommate related reasons and may still chat occasionally, and D and the third roommate are best friends to this day (currently on a last hurrah girls’ trip together before they both leave for jobs in different cities.) Maybe random and lucky, but that third roomie was among the best things to happen to D at college.
The fewer roommates, the better. My vote is for zero, but it depends on the school and the roommates. It’d be pretty high in my weighted guidelines for college selection, but I was a commuter back in the Dark Ages.
@thecolourist kind of confirmed what I suspected in that a triple might not be so bad if you have enough room. My D was in a forced triple her first year: aging building, very tight quarters, one roommate who was not particularly considerate and the other kept vampire’s hours. Never any time to herself in the room, and the room was constantly a mess.