I’m used to having my own room – can I find a good place to live with roommates?

Having your own space within your FAMU apartment can really make a difference in how much you enjoy your new home. Luckily, most people today prefer having their own room, so complexes try to cater to this desire.

Having your own room allows you a place to express yourself – decorate how you like, listen to music that you like, just have a space to be yourself. No matter how great you get along with your roommates, it's inevitable that at some points, you will want to be away from them for a while. The best of friendships can be ruined by living together. (Of course, sharing a room does make the rent you pay considerably cheaper, but for some people, you just need your own space!)

Most apartments near FAMU now lease based on individual leases. This means that you are responsible for paying the rent on your room and portion of the shared areas. You will have your own room and almost certainly your own bathroom, but share kitchen and living spaces. You are really getting the best of both worlds here – your own room, but reduced overall living costs.

You may or may not have people that you would like to live with in your FAMU apartment. If this is the case, most places allow you to request your roommates. If not, there are plenty of good roommate matching options available. Before leasing with your friends, you may want to think about the longest amount of time you've ever spent with them. Were you at each other's throats? If so, rethink your decision. Also, consider if any of you are overly neat or messy or loud or quiet. While these differences can work in friendship, they don't always work in living situations.

Even having your own room, it will be important to follow a few simple roommate etiquette rules. Even though your mom isn't there, you should still pick up after yourself. There will most likely be one roommate that is most bothered by uncleanliness – figure out who it is and then try to keep things clean enough that they don't go crazy. If you want to have friends over at all times of the night, run it by your roommates. Don't do it the night before they have a huge test or paper due.

If you really need peace and quiet and lots of personal space, a one-bedroom FAMU apartment may be the best choice for you. You will be the only one responsible for bills, cleaning, and other chores, but you'll also have more than enough space and alone time, if that is what you need. Especially further on in your studies, it can be incredibly distracting to live with other people.

These are the opinions of writers and not the opinions of RentTally.com or any of our advertising partners.