I love my best friend, but I couldn’t live with her.

Best friends are like the siblings you get to choose, our other half. The two of you do everything you can together and have the best of memories. You tell each other everything and know how the other ticks. Wouldn’t living together make things even more awesome? Absolutely not. My best friend is like my sister, which is exactly why I would never share a dorm with her.

Loving her like a sister means I also fight with her like a sister. College comes with enough stresses without having to deal with sibling quarrels if I don’t have to. Remember that time the two of you got in a fight and were fine just a few hours later when you saw each other next? The two of you probably got over it so quickly because you didn’t have to spend your cool down time crammed in the same room. Getting into it in close quarters is much different than over text message. Just having the option to take a break from each other can do wonders on your patience.

You may think of rooming with your bestie as the ultimate slumber party. However, as Benjamin Franklin once said, “guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days.” True, it’s a blast to stay up until the early hours gossiping and marathoning "FRIENDS" while the two of you scarf down all the sugar and salty snacks you can get your hands on, but the best part is that tomorrow night you know you’ll be able to make up that lost sleep and at least pretend to try to eat healthier for the next week or so. Slumber parties are only fun because they end, it’s not a sustainable source of enjoyment.

You love your best friend for all she is, her fortes and her faults. Sometimes, though, faults are easier to love at a distance. You kid about each other’s bad habits now, but what about when you have to live with them? Her shopping addiction might be a joke to the both of you now, but it won’t be when it’s time to pay the bills and she’s already spent her half. Over time, spontaneous can turn to careless, meticulous can turn into controlling, and a good time can turn into a horrible mistake.

While there are a thousand practical reasons you should say no to the idea of a live-in bestie, there are also a few fundamental ones. This is time of self-discovery and that can be hard to do with someone always at your side. Your best friend has been present in almost every milestone and good memory you have, but it may be time to start making memories of your own. As unfathomable as it may seem, the two of you will have to lead your own lives at some point.

Choosing to not become roommates doesn’t mean you don’t love each other, it means you care enough for one another to preserve your friendship. You may not see each other every minute of every day, but best friends don’t need to. You’ll always be there for each other and the moment the two of you get back together it will be as if you were never apart. That said, there are exceptions to every rule. It’s unlikely that rooming with your best friend will turn out well, but people defy the odds every day. Just remember that there’s a lot to consider when choosing a roommate, and don’t say I didn’t warn you.