Lucky in the roommate lottery of freshman year, I thought I was home free. I passed the pre-meeting Facebook stalk, survived the "it is so nice to finally meet you" and ended the year with good friends. But as I moved into my off-campus apartment this fall, I once again had to learn how to share a space with a stranger.
I live with two roommates whom I chose, but we were randomly placed with a fourth — and she doesn't go to Penn.
The four of us found a comfortable living situation, but only after realizing a few key things.
When living with someone from a different school, it is important to remember that not all schools operate on the same schedule.
The Aveda Institute, for example, runs from Tuesday to Saturday, and Drexel University is on a quarter system.
Because our schedules are so different, my encounters with my roommate are usually brief.
It is also important to realize that workloads vary and perceptions of workload are relative.
Similarly, it is worth considering that your roommate will have different friends. Gone are the days when you were guaranteed to have at least a friend or a professor in common with anyone who walked into your home.
Sometimes, though, being surrounded by people who don't know why people don't sit on the Ben Franklin bench can be refreshing. Keep an open mind and don't let a lack of surface commonalities stop you from trying to learn from your roommate and his or her friends.
See more articles in our off-campus guide here or return to the Housing Guide home page
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