The Bad Roommate Gauge

You’re going to meet a lot of people throughout your college career – some will be awesome, some will SEEM awesome, and others will downright suck. Many of those people who SEEM awesome might fit the profile of a great roommate … on the surface.

Until actually boarding up with the person, they may seem laid back and easy to get along with, but rooming with someone can change a person’s personality. Little nuances you noticed before that didn’t bother you can easily build and build until they just blow up in your face.

It’s hard to cut ties with someone with whom you’ve shared so much. That difficulty can often enable some blinders on your part. When this happens, it’s important to separate yourself from your emotions and realize the problems that exist with your roommate before things get hostile.

Individually most of these signs can be tolerable but when many of them are combined, you’re looking at a major problem roommate. Scroll through and see just how many of these bad roommate signifiers fit your roomies profile. If there are more checked than not, it might be time to reconsider your living situation.

• A Live-In Girlfriend/Boyfirend
• A TV-Hog Gamer
• A Homebody (Person who never leaves)
• A Prankster
• A Crier
• A Drama Queen/King
• A Mooch (Someone who is “always broke”)
• A Mama’s Boy/Daddy’s Girl (The family is always over)
• A Hermit (Person that never leaves his/her room)
• A Food Mooch (Someone who Never Goes Grocery Shopping)
• A Wannabe Rapper/Artist/Etc. (Sings with headphones on)
• A Slob (Leaving soda cans, dirty dishes etc. all around)
• A Space Invader (Barges in when you’re naked)
• A Loser (Loses apartment community items – remotes, etc.)
• A Stainer (Uses furniture as a napkin)
• A Biohazard (Never showers nor does laundry)
• A Low-Grade Hacker (Uses your computer without asking)
• A Mail Thief
• A Crowd Please (Always has people over)
• A Destructionist (Purposely breaks things in the living area out of anger/anxiety/etc.)
• A Puker (as a result of self-indulgence)
• A Constant Drinker (Booze consumed constantly and all over the apartment)
• A Pet Abandoner (They have a pet, yet you have to care for it)

There are plenty of more ways to tell if someone is going to be – or is – a bad roommate. Everyone is different and personalities will clash. It’s best to catch them early for the sake of prevention. Happy roommate hunting!