<p>I wanted to get some opinions on this subject. My son wants to room with one of his best friends when he goes to college. They've been good friends since 1st grade and get along very well. They see each other frequently in Scout activities, somewhat less socially. They both have different interests as S is into soccer, sports, and writing for the newspaper, friend is very active in band. The college they are considering has about 5k students and S will be majoring in engineering, friend in music/business. They both insist that they want to room together. My concern is that living together may strain the friendship. I offered the possibility of requesting the same dorm and floor, allowing them to see each other on a regular basis, yet give them the space to develop new friendships. Any thoughts?</p>
<p>If they want to room together, let them room together.</p>
<p>There is always the next year if rooming together doesn't work out.</p>
<p>This is a good decision for him to make for himself.</p>
<p>Your thinking to deep into this. Granted, it may risk the relationship, but this should be/is his decision. Let him make his mistakes. You advised him, and thats good. He'll eventually see that your right (or you may end up being wrong, since their so different in their interests, they'll probably have different groups of friends, yet still have their own friendship). Let him learn and live.</p>
<p>if you talk him out of rooming with his friend, it will be your fault forever if random chance assigns him the Roommate From Hell. I wouldn't risk it.</p>
<p>Rooming together with a existing friend provides a built-in moral support system as they acclimate themselves to their new college experience. If it doesn't work out, they can always seek separate roommates or simply hang out with other dorm mates with similar interests. </p>
<p>I went through 3 roommates my first semester. The first one stole stuff from me. The 2nd was an upperclassman and annoying neat freak, which drove me crazy. The 3rd and final was a transfer student with a CAR !!! <hurray> Though he got on my nerves politically, he was cool and 100% trustworthy. We developed mutual as well as separate friends, which is the way it should be in college.</hurray></p>
<p>It sure would have been easier to start off with someone as a roomie that I already new, but it all worked out in the end.</p>
<p>I'm with barrons on this one. Had your son posted asking for advice or you posted that your son asked you for advice and you want to see what other people think, I'd trot out the arguments I've given against doing it. However since he wants to do it and doesn't seem to be asking for advice (and in fact insists he wants to do it) part of the job as a parent is to step back and let him do so. If he has to insist, I infer that you've tried to sway him against it even though he's told you his decision.</p>
<p>There are times when you need to intervene (drugs, etc) but as far as this goes, let him make his own decision and live with the consequences (good or bad). It can be hard as a parent to see a child do something when you think there is a better alternative, but if you are sheltered and never learn to deal with adversity you're not quite able to function on your own.</p>
<p>And BTW, if it *doesn't" work out the role for you isn't to say some variant of "I told you so" but to non-judgementally ask what he's learned from it and how he might approach things differently in the future. Your job is becoming more coach rather than adult/child.</p>
<p>i live with a friend that ive had since 7th grade, and it's great... we get along very well, much better than the other girls we live with.</p>
<p>if my friend and i end up going to the same college, i told him i didnt wanna room with him. 1)meet new ppl (well, one person) and 2)one semester isnt worth a lifetime of friendship</p>
<p>Worked out quite well for me. :)</p>
<p>why cant you let your "S" do what he wants?? its dumb to act so conspicuous by calling him "S." does he not have a real name? and would it be so hard to type out?</p>
<p>I have heard so many horror stories of best firends who room together and are no longer even friends anymore. Doesn't sound like a good idea to me.</p>
<p>blonditr - people here do not generally list their own names or those of their children for privacy reasons. Hence S for son, H for husband, etc.</p>
<p>Thanks Tex. I wouldn't have been so diplomatic.</p>
<p>My older sister is in college and she has roomed with her best friend from high school for two years. They fight sometimes, but that's how they were in high school too. Overall, I would say that they definitely enjoy being roommates.</p>