<p>In your opinion, which is better: a Single or a Double (or Other)?</p>
<p>Also, what is the balance between singles and doubles in the quad (i.e. what percentage of the total are singles, doubles, etc)</p>
<p>single 10char</p>
<p>wouldnt a single get lonely?</p>
<p>i personally think a double is better, but to each his / her own</p>
<p>double could possibly be somewhat better, but it could also be a hell of a lot worse. your roommate could ruin everything.</p>
<p>single is a 7/10. double could range from 0/10 to 10/10.</p>
<p>Yeah lots of guys (and some girls) have the most disgusting rooms…</p>
<p>i argue in favor of roommates because they help break your comfort zone bubble and teach you how to deal with potentially conflicted decisions and situations</p>
<p>especially because when we get to the real world, there are no more singles available</p>
<p>also, having a roommate can stave off late-night boredom and loneliness</p>
<p>S had a single in the quad freshman year. Being lonely was NOT a problem- there was stuff going on on the hall all hours of the day or night. He liked having a single, but it was truly the size of a closet. In fact, many of the singles used to BE closets! You could barely walk through the room between the bed and the closet/chest. There was a small desk and that was basically it. Even with the door closed, the hall was very noisy all night long (and he is very social).</p>
<p>It really depends on your own preferences. </p>
<p>As someone who has lived in both doubles (freshman and senior/current year) and singles (sophomore/junior year), this is what I have to say:</p>
<p>Singles:
-Great if you want to study without any interruptions. Put on some music, sit down, and have at it.
-No roommate conflict issues. If you don’t like making room for other people, singles are preferable.<br>
-Your room is as clean as you want it to be. If you’re a clean person, you don’t have to worry about mess. If you’re messy, there’s no roommate to complain about it.
-If you’re the type of person who plans on having a lot of sex (sorry, it’s true and I have to bring it up), it may be easier to have a single for the sake of privacy.
-The drawback is that you risk becoming a bit of a recluse if you’re not the outgoing type. There are some kids who you never know/hear about because they’re always in their rooms. If you want to get out and meet friends/meet new people, you need to make an effort to reach out. Otherwise things can get lonely or boring.
-Singles unfortunately tend to be quite tiny unless you live in a place like Stouffer, which has very large rooms compared to the rest of the other housing options. If you plan to live by yourself, be prepared for the relatively small living space.</p>
<p>Doubles:
-Great for the company if you get a good roommate. I currently live with one of my best friends here at Penn and things have been great all year. Things never get boring, and there is always someone to talk to.<br>
-Great way to, as tenebrousfire said, break out of your comfort zone. You will learn some valuable lessons about living with other people (which will help many of you later on in life), and it’s a good way to catalyze the process of meeting new people.
-The drawback is, of course, ending up with a bad roommate. I know plenty of people who absolutely hated their roommate and had some rather heated arguments over various things. The way you handle conflict is up to you, of course, but there is a possibility that you and your roommate are just so different that living together is uncomfortable.
-The rooms TEND to be bigger… unless you live in Hill. Hill Doubles are like sardine cans.</p>
<p>In the end, it’s really up to you. My experiences have generally been better with roommates. I really advise incoming freshman to go ahead and apply to have a double. It’s a good way to break the ice at Penn and to meet new people right off the bat. My experiences in singles have been alright, but I prefer the social interaction. For me, the privacy was nice, but it wasn’t worth the occasional boredom/loneliness that popped up once in a while. It all depends on the type of person you are, really.</p>
<p>^ Thank you for this post… one question though. When we went into the quad rooms during Penn Previews we saw a single in Fisher and this girl had what I would consider a rather large room… so is it possible that a single could end up with a room that is the size of a typical Quad double? Or even bigger? Our guide said that the rooms in the Quad aren’t uniform so you can get lucky/unlucky as to the size of your room?</p>
<p>And what houses did you stay in over your four years?</p>
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<p>It’s possible…mine was bigger than my friend’s double. That’s usually not the case though</p>
<p>QuakerOats: Singles and doubles in various houses are not always uniformly sized. In Hill, though, I am pretty sure all the singles are the same size, and likewise with all the doubles, for instance.</p>
<p>I lived in Hill freshman year, Stouffer Hall soph/junior year, and Mayer senior year.</p>
<p>Briefly: Hill doubles are pretty darn tiny, but Hill’s a very social place. Stouffer has a ton of singles, many of which are decent (especially the corner singles), and the doubles aren’t bad either. Mayer rooms are the best and biggest on campus, but it’s also the hardest dorm to get into because priority is given to Stouffer Hall residents.</p>
<p>I’ve also lived in the High Rises when I was taking summer courses. I have never been inside a High Rise single, but I’ve been in plenty of triples/quads/etc. Your own room is usually pretty darn tiny, unless you’re in the double, in which case you have more room (but not a whole lot, to be honest. It’s basically a prettier version of a Hill double).</p>
<p>Singles are way better, unless you’re one of those weird individuals who doesn’t like being alone and prefers being with other people all the time.</p>