As college students, one of the first issues we encounter on our undergraduate journey is finding housing. Freshmen and sophomores are unfortunately limited when it comes to living options and are required to reside in the campus dorms. This means that we have all experienced the daunting task of trying to find a roommate.

Many college students adore the roommate selection process. Seeing it as a chance to meet new people, some students opt to be placed in a dorm with a stranger. Others prefer to room with their life-long friends — an idea many people dream about long before applying to college.

As someone who has lived through all of this, however, I can confidently say that having roommates is the worst part of the college experience.

Of all the issues that accompany living with others, sharing household responsibilities seems to be the largest problem among college students. Because I grew up extremely independent, the thought of assigning chores to people — who I may or may not know — makes me uncomfortable.

It is not my duty to tell someone what to do, for they should know better at this age.

When I lived in the dorms, I was the “mom-like” roommate who reliably cleaned up after others. This was not because I did not trust others to carry their weight, but because I cannot handle messes. Even if a roommate were to attempt at cleaning, I was close behind them to provide touch-ups on their work.

The roommate dilemma goes beyond hygiene. If you are someone who is very studious and takes your education seriously, you will face endless distractions with roommates in the picture. Personal space and silence for studying are virtually non-existent, especially with how dormitories and apartments are designed in college towns.

With three bedrooms sandwiched side-by-side on a single floor of an apartment, peace will never be found because everyone is on a different schedule. Someone may be doing a cardio workout one room over while you are trying to study – the thin walls of your apartment providing no buffer to the sound of your roommate’s movements.

I am self-aware enough to know that I would never be able to thrive in that kind of environment.

Lastly, it seems like roommates do not know how to exist outside of the friendships they have with each other. While from time to time there may be a fight between two roommates, which is an issue in and of itself, there seems to be a silent rule that roommates must always hang out and rely on one another.

For instance, if you are going to a party and do not invite your roommates, trouble will be waiting for you when you get home. If you are ordering food and do not ask everyone if they want something, you can bet you will be getting the silent treatment.

This lack of independence may be desirable to some. But if you are someone who requires any form of alone time to function properly in society, you are unfortunately doomed.

That is why I and many others choose to live alone. We enjoy the luxury of quiet mornings and not having to remind anyone to leave us alone before taking an exam. If we make messes, we only have ourselves to blame as we clean them up. We can do things on our own time and never feel pressured to do things that do not interest us.

Granted, I understand that having a roommate may be a necessity for some, especially when it comes to the cost of living and the price of housing nowadays. If that is the case, I implore you to take the roommate selection process seriously.

Ensure that potential roommates share values that are important to you, like education, alone time and hygiene. This will allow for optimal living for both of you, which can ultimately lead to great shared experiences once you get to know each other. Never settle for the first person you find.

But, the best decision I ever made was to live alone, and I highly recommend that college students do so as soon as they can. Learning early that you only have yourself to rely on will benefit you immensely as you enter the “real world” after college.

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Andie Balenger is a native of Gladstone and is currently attending Northern Michigan University. Her column focuses on college life and runs Thursdays in the Daily Press.