Have you ever feared being stuck with a total bitch roommate where there's NO escape? Do you, your parents, and your best friend want to chop your roommate's head off? If you are about to have that happen to you or you are in the process of dealing with that, here are my top 5 tips on how to survive the rest of your lease and not get stuck in this situation ever again in no particular order:
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1. Schools pressure you to resign your leases early. DO NOT accept any pressure from leasing companies to sign early. When you put your name on that paper, you are stuck for as long as the lease tells you. Subleasing are always an option, but those are a PAIN to find the right person that you don't even know. You DON'T want to regret your decisions later. If people sign in September, if you wait until November or even later, at least you know you made the right decision to find somewhere and someone you want to live with. That way, you won't only have your room, the library, the computer lab, and your friend's couches to live on...
2. Resolve any issues early. Talk to your roommate BEFORE you move in to make sure things are clear. If issues persist during the year, talk about them early and don't wait until you're stuck a second year with them and want to blow your brains out. Worst of all, don't wait until you're threatening your mom that you're going to never be there and start thinking of ways how you can turn your room into your only comfortable living space...Even more worse, don't wait until you need to get the leasing company involved, or even a civil lawyer. Ms. President of the computer nerd club doesn't want to be dealing a lawyer or going to court...
3. Not all people have common courtesy or respect, so don't assume ANYTHING. For example, make your needs and wants clear to them to make sure you don't get stuck with an extra, unwanted roommate. A two bedroom apartment means two people living there and no extra tenants. Don't settle for the fatass, freeloader boyfriend living there. Make sure the boyfriend doesn't have a copy of the key. If he does, tell the leasing company immediately. OR better yet, talk to the roommate about it. Otherwise, your room will be your best friend and you will be begging your friends for a couch or your boyfriend to let him take you in... their roommates won't be too happy.
4. Keep the place clean, but don't clean up after two slobs. If there's a mess, don't write a nasty note. Knock on the door and ask politely for them to clean it up. Then, the person will be like "Omg I'm so sorry" and be willing to clean up right away. At least if there's a residing issue, make sure you reach a civil agreement so you can at least walk in the apartment, say hi, watch TV, or do homework, without feeling like you're invading everyone else's space.
5. Never feel like someone is pressuring you to live with them. On top of leasing companies convincing you to sign as early as possible as they tell you everything will run out, your friends can't forge your signature on that lease. It's ultimately up to you how you make an apartment situation. If you have exhausted all your roommate options, go random, or better yet, pay the extra money to peacefully live alone. You can always invite your friends or boyfriend to stay over as often as you'd like. The best part of that is you'd never have to worry about accomodating for anyone else!
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Top 10 reasons why NOT to resign a lease with a royal bitch of a roommate (before you find out their true colors):
1. You will resort to your friend's couches, your room, the library, and the computer lab.
2. Your room will be your only living space while the rest of your apartment is "for them to explore"
3. You will catch yourself on many occasions referring to your expensive apartment as "theirs" and never invite ANYONE over (even your homework buddies)
4. You will constantly be bitching to your friends about it
5. You will be sorry later
6. You will have nowhere to cook and end up gaining 30 pounds in one semester due to not cooking healthy food and going to the gas station for unhealthy meals
7. You will barely feel comfortable walking into your own apartment after the library closes, let alone, without your football player, ex marine, nerd boyfriend (who you love oh so much)
8. You won't feel comfortable walking in your apartment in your PJs or bathrobe/towel and will always have to feel "fully ready" before leaving your room... or bathroom
9. You will be thinking of ways on how to make your room a living space, such as mirrors, plastic utensils, and microwaves (when the apartment already comes with one)
10. When that lease is up, you can happily GTFO and never have to see them again! You will be happy that you are stuck with them for only one year. Then you have the rest of your life to enjoy!
These are worst case scenarios. Don't let these happen to you!
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My best advice: Sign at your own risk and make sure you're 100% comfortable with signing a lease before you sign yourself into a sweet deal... for the other party! If you do, then just be optimistic, make the best of it, and it will be over before you know it!
Don't end up in a pit of despair or you will want to break your bones. Your top will crack. Your brain will explode. And your mood will go down the drain. So stay away from the evil, rotten pit of despair!
