The thought of living in the same neighborhood as your best friend in grade school might have brought you joy. To some people, living with the ultimate best friend is a dream come true. Luckily, in college this dream can become a reality.

Choosing who to live with is an important decision in college. Finding a roommate who shares similar habits and interests is a top priority for most students. For instance, if you like to go to bed early, living with a roommate who parties all night might not be the best choice to make, even if that person is your best friend.

Living with the person you spill all of your secrets to could result in movie night every night or a social extravaganza five days a week. While fun, having your best friend near you all the time can be distracting and damaging to your work ethic. Social nights are for the weekend and you might forget what day of the week it is if you are around your best friend all the time.

Along with having an effect on your academic life, a best friend can also have an effect on your social life.

College is the place where you explore your interests and expand your network of friends. Having a best friend by your side is great, but it might narrow your friend group if you only reach out to that one person. It’s important to diversify your friend group and meet as many people as you can. Living with your best friend might result in a loss of other potential best friends.

Getting into small arguments and fights is normal for all relationships. This also applies to a best friend. Because we have more expectations from the people closest to us, getting into fights is inevitable when certain expectations are not met.

It’s been said that you only know a person after living with them. While you may think you know everything about your best friend, you might discover new aspects that are bothersome. Dirty dishes left in the sink for days might strike a nerve if you are a neat freak.

At the end of the day, all humans have fallacies, and your best friend is still human after all.

You only give someone in your life the title of “best friend” because they feel like family to you. Feeling homesick is common while living on campus, and living with a best friend can make you feel a little better. You might consider your best friend as not only your family, but also your support system for those rough break-ups or soul-crushing exams.

For these reasons, it may not be a bad idea to room with the bestie.

Rabia is a sophomore in DGS.

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