A month ago before college started, when I would tell my friends that I was going to live in a single dorm room my first year, they gave me similar reactions. They would look at me with perplexed expressions, inquiring why I would want to live by myself. They would ask questions like, “Won’t you get lonely?” and, “How will you meet friends?” To be honest, I had a few of those concerns myself.
For months on my university’s freshman Facebook group, it was filled with posts of incoming students trying to find a roommate who they eventually hoped would become their best friend. Every post I saw was somewhat generic and seemed to follow an unofficial template. Nearly every post was along the lines of, “I like to watch Netflix and I’m addicted to ice cream, so I’ll need a gym buddy to exercise with! Academics are important to me…but I love to have fun and party!” It was hard to distinguish one post from another because they truly did sound so similar. This, among other reasons, is why I opted to live by myself.
Now, a month into college, the same people who acted like I was making a life-ruining decision by not having a roommate look at my living situation with envy. When I tell people that I live in a single, I’m often met with expressions of jealousy instead of expressions of disbelief.
Maybe your situation is different from me. Maybe you went in blind and your roommate ended up being your best friend, and you couldn’t be happier living in a double room. If that’s the case, good for you! You’re living the college dream that is portrayed in all of the movies and TV shows. As I mentioned earlier, however, I am the happiest living alone and can’t imagine living with a roommate. Here is my top five reasons for why living in a single dorm is the best.
1. You don't have to constantly be in the company of someone else.
This was one of the biggest factors in why I wanted to live alone. I’m an introvert. Introverts become drained from being around other people and recharge by spending time alone. After a long day of classes, it’s absolutely essential for me to go back to my room and not have contact with any other people for a few hours. I personally cannot imagine going back to my room and having someone else there already. Sure, you don’t have to interact with them while they’re there, but their very presence can be draining for introverts like me.
2. You can decorate your room however you like.
When you’re living with someone else, you only have your half of the room to decorate. On the contrary, when you have the entire room to yourself, you have complete freedom. You can hang your favorite tapestry on one wall and cover the other walls with posters of your favorite bands. You don’t have to worry about your decorative style clashing with your roommate, and there will never be anyone that judges the types of posters you put up. Your room can truly reflect and express who you are.
3. Your room can be as messy—or clean—as you desire.
Perhaps one of the biggest concerns that people have when they are going to live with a stranger for a year is whether they are messy or clean. If you are extremely neat and organized and you get stuck with someone who only does laundry and makes their bed once a month or vice versa, you won’t be living compatible at all. In fact, it will be a complete nightmare. When you live alone, however, you can be as messy or clean as you desire. Do you want to pick up your room and leave it spotless every day? Or do you want to leave your dirty clothes all over the floor just like you always do at home? It doesn’t matter because you’re the only person who has to live there 24/7. You’re allowed to keep your room however you want.
4. You don't have to worry about the volume of your entertainment.
Whether you’re binge-watching the newest season of your favorite show on Netflix or listening to your favorite band’s album on repeat, when you live with a roommate, the volume of these activities is going to be a concern. If they’re studying, trying to sleep, or just trying to enjoy some peace and quiet, you’re going to have to wear headphones. If they hate your taste in music and the types of TV shows you watch, you’ll need to wear headphones for this also. However, if you live alone, headphones are absolutely not necessary. I only wear headphones at night to respect the people who live in the rooms around me, but during the day, my headphones never meet my ears.
5. Sexiling will never be a problem.
You’re out studying at the library and about to head back to your dorm when you get a text from your roommate that they’re going to have sex and not to come back for about an hour. Great. You’ve just been “sexiled.” Or, maybe you’re the one getting lucky and sexiling your roommate. Either way, for the person who isn’t partaking in the act of sex, it’s going to suck. This will never be a concern in a single dorm. You can have as much—or as little sex—as you wish. You won’t have to worry about not being able to get in your room because of your roommate’s crazy sex life, and you won’t ever have to worry about locking your roommate out. This is a win-win situation for everyone.
There are many more reasons that I love having a single room; these are just my favorite. If you’re an incoming freshman who has the opportunity to live in a single and you’re debating whether or not it’s worth it, trust me. It is. I promise you will make friends. I promise you won’t get lonely. And if you do find yourself having trouble with those, I’m sure that switching into a double would be easy—there’s usually room swap systems at most universities. I’m extremely grateful for my single, and I wouldn’t change it for anything.
