College is a time of learning. Students learn skills associated with their desired degree but they also learn how to live on their own without the help of mom and dad. Some student’s have apartments with friends or significant others, but others opt to live alone.
According to the New York Times Census Map online, 34% of those in the Huntsville area live alone.
With a large student population, many of them are Sam Houston State University students.
Jonny Peres, senior mass communication major, has been living alone for a year and a half. He came to the decision of living alone after feeling a “mix of discomfort with sharing my personal space with a stranger and trusting that stranger.”
Most apartment complexes in Huntsville will match you with a random roommate if you don’t already have one.
It can be a way to meet people who you otherwise would have never met. But the chance of getting matched with someone who you do not get along with is enough to push a lot people towards one bedroom apartments.
Stephan Nysveen plans on living in a one bedroom next year for just that reason. He graduates in December and doesn’t “want to stick my roommate with a random stranger” after he finds someone to take over his lease.
But there are some upsides to not having a roommate. Peres likes that everything is right where he left it. You never have to clean up after someone else’s mess, and you won’t disturb someone if you come home late.
Living alone does have its drawbacks. One bedroom apartments tend to have higher rent and utility rates since there is no one to share that cost with. And if you are a person who doesn’t like to be alone from time to time, a one bedroom may not be for you.
Pere doesn’t see that as a setback, “I was always a bookworm and a bit of a loner to begin with, so that is not a problem for me…People who live alone are not confined to that apartment. I can spend all day at school or with my friends and just come home and relax.”
One bedrooms, though expensive, can be well worth it for some students. For others, it may not be an option.