<p>I know this gets talked about all the time, but let's see how the Class of 2011 and our more experienced elders feel about single, double, triple, suite style, etc rooms.</p>
<p>The classic argument is that singles afford more privacy, but might limit your social life for various reasons. True? False? Thoughts?</p>
<p>For first year a double is the way to go, but as a second year, I am looking forward to my single, although I am an RA.</p>
<p>Having a roommate is a vital part of the college experience. It is something you won't forget. Get the double.</p>
<p>won't forget like a nightmare? I am skeptical; you can have friends without living practically on top of them...</p>
<p>maybe as an upperclassman ill want a single, but it'd be nice to have a roommate, just, you know, as part of the college experience</p>
<p>doubles are the most preferred at UCLA, and also in the shortest supply. if i had been in a double this year, i'd do it again next year. if you and your roomie are compatible, then it works out quite nicely. you get (depending on the school/dorm) quite a bit of space, and you aren't isolated, even if you're the type that always stays in the room.
triples here are rooms meant for two people but with three in them. unlike my friend's triple at berkeley, which is effing huge! some people have no complaints, some have tons. as they say, two's company, three's a crowd. but there aren't always three people in the room except at nights (sometimes not even then) so it's usually like a double, only with extra furniture and a revolving roommate ;)
i am always slightly envious of those who have a choice of what they want their freshman year, because 98% of us (or so it seems) were assigned triples. which i would not have chosen, but it's kind of like having the "college experience" foisted on you, but twice. which i think would have been accomplished quite well in a double. or in a res hall, if you want the TRUE college experience, communal bathrooms and all! xD</p>
<p>ups and downs of a triple room, from my experience:
(positive) two chances to get roommates you'll really click with, more built-in social opportunities, two built-in acquaintances (if not friends), little/no danger of isolation, two new people to expand your ideas about what college life is like, two people to compare your experiences with, guaranteed necessity in changing one or more of your habits (good for the ol' life skills set), you learn how to compromise, and you're more likely to share classes with one or both roommates.
(negatives) two chances to get roommates you'll be at odds with, lack of space, less privacy than you may be used to, two people's living habits to get used to instead of one, conflict over bathroom time (if in-room), more chances for conflict in general, more potential for drama, ability for two roommates to click and one to feel left out, unevenly divided furniture/closet space that can lead to conflict... well sum it up to say there's more potential for conflict.
some people DO choose triples, because they're cheaper, and/or they have two good friends they're compatible with as roomies. if you didn't choose a triple, or don't know your roommates, then you just need to be assertive. same goes for doubles, but issues can get magnified in a triple.
if you want my true opinions... suffice it to say that next year, i'm living by myself. then again i am an only kid so this year has been interesting! but if i'd had a choice as an incoming frosh, i would have chosen a double. a happy medium between the two. and a lot of people just plain don't like singles.
my (quick) take on singles: go out and socialize when you want to... and come back to your own room without any roommate conflicts when you're done! (if you have roommate conflicts in a single... you need a room with a nice flat couch ;) )</p>
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won't forget like a nightmare? I am skeptical; you can have friends without living practically on top of them...
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<p>A nightmare? You must have had some bad roommate!</p>
<p>A single is not socially isolating if you actually go out and meet people on your floor/in your hall rather than lock yourself up in your room. With that said, a double is more affordable and usually the standard.</p>
<p>It has been my experience that people in singles (for freshman year) tend to stay there.</p>
<p>I understand it's a different ball of wax, but when I was applying to boarding school for high school I spoke to one admission counselor at a school two hours from the nearest Wal-Mart if there were single rooms. The house I was accepted into was set up in the style of a hall-style dorm, with plently of social life. Still, he told me that most people prefered doubles. I think the school's location might have had something to do with it; a lot of people were far away from home and the companionship was nice. </p>
<p>I'm the kind of person who would naturally want a single room, but I won't be applying for one. Most people I know who go away to college learn so, so much from living with a roomate. They learn patience, tolerance, and other college skills on a higher level.</p>
<p>I think people who opt for singles actually want that private, independent atmosphere and so they seem much less social. However, I still maintain that you can be very sociable living in a single. It really depends on if you make the effort to meet people.</p>
<p>GatorEng23: no... I'm not in college yet... I'm just rather worried that I'll get a roommate I don't get along with... :( Even if it were a nice person, living that close with someone must get on your nerves (especially with a stranger)
But then again, I might get a roommate who becomes my best friend. <em>knock on wood</em> It's all the luck of the draw, I suppose...</p>
<p>Well, everyone on my floor seemed to get along really well with their roommate. You can always transfer out of the room if you don't get along, some of my friends had to do this because their roommates were complete *******s. But yea I guess you're right, it's the luck of the draw.</p>
<p>People that naturally keep to themselves will remain that way in a single. In a double it is more likely that you will, at the least, make one friend. And if that person is more outgoing than you are you may make friends through them and come out of your shell.
However, having two people that are unsociable can be just as bad as being by yourself.</p>
<p>I personally disagree with the idea that sharing a room is part of the "college experience."</p>
<p>Get a single if you can.</p>
<p>If you're antisocial, a double (hell, a triple) isn't going to be your magic bullet.</p>
<p>i've been in both situations, having a single and a double. i also disagree that sharing a roommate is a part of the college experience. having a roommate will definitely teach you to be more tolerant of others i guess, like if you're roommate was extremely messy or didn't shower every day. it's a learning experience, but not necessarily a good one.</p>
<p><em>nods</em>
10char</p>
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You'd be surprised.</p>
<p>I was in a double with a roommate this past fall and then my roommate moved out this January. I expected to be all lonely and isolated this semester, but I soon found out ...when you have a room to yourself, you can invite people in to hang out whenever! (This is especially valuable in a building where there are mostly double rooms with randomly assigned roommates because people want to find a place to watch a movie or chill out without bothering the often-present roommate who is trying to study or something) </p>
<p>Of course, me and my roommate were not really best friends, so we never had visitors because it was awkward...but the ironic discovery I made is that in a single room you have more freedom to be social whenever you want. I actually think I would have made a lot more friends if I had had a single from the beginning. It's definitely something to consider if you have the option.</p>
<p>^^^ I totally agree that social students don't need roommates to have a social life. </p>
<p>My S has a single his freshman yr. We thought it would be kindest, bc we felt sorry for any roommate who had no choice in whether to room with Mr. Late Night who's always ready to hang out, yet seems able to keep up the academics on precious little sleep. Now he has the choice when and with whom to socialize in his room, which has been a great thing given all the other challenges of being a freshman. </p>
<p>That said, my freshman roommate is still one of my best friends, matron of honor at my wedding -- and said freshman S's godmother. That kind of luck is pretty rare though. Advise waiting for double in later yr if possible, when you get to pick someone you want to live with, IF being in a single is financially possible and not reserved for people "with issues" (e.g., one lifelong friend had the single on my freshman hall bc her father had just died two months before and she requested some privacy).</p>