Roommate or live alone 1L

[Lawapplicant1233]

I am currently debating on whether or not to get a roommate for my 1L year this upcoming fall at uOttawa. What are people's thoughts?

Thank you!

[fernweh]

Hey! If financially possible I would highly suggest living alone based on the workload. I've lived with my partner throughout law school which has been great but I can't imagine living with another law student, especially in 1L. Your schedule will be demanding (1L fall at uOttawa is 7 courses, then J term, then 6 courses in the spring) and if you have any roommate issues it will just add to your stress. Would you be living with a stranger or someone you know? 

[Lawapplicant1233]

16 minutes ago, fernweh said:

Hey! If financially possible I would highly suggest living alone based on the workload. I've lived with my partner throughout law school which has been great but I can't imagine living with another law student, especially in 1L. Your schedule will be demanding (1L fall at uOttawa is 7 courses, then J term, then 6 courses in the spring) and if you have any roommate issues it will just add to your stress. Would you be living with a stranger or someone you know? 

Hey, it would be financially feasible for me to live alone. The alternative would be with living with a stranger as I am not from Canada and so I do not have friends in the country.

[LMP]

Absolutely live alone, I can't think of a situation where the savings would justify the inconvenience. Even good roomates will have moments of friction that you really don't need during 1L.

[SNAILS]

Living with a roommate would have made it VERY HARD for me to get any studying done. I found it very cheap to live alone in residence in Toronto. I assume Ottawa has something you can afford since living with a room mate is not that much cheaper.

[Glaucon]

I’m also entering 1L, and am returning to my undergrad institution.

1. idk if I understand these worries about roommates. In my experience (I’ve had lots of livi mg arrangements as a student), internet distractions have been what more of a barrier to studying than having other people occasionally cook in my kitchen. I understand that living with giant babies is brutal, but your smart and I’m sure you know how to weed those out.

2. Proximity to campus is very important for some people. Commute time, packing lunch, being farther from the shower, etc will all make life much, much harder, especially as a student when there are very few resources on campus to help lighten the load on commuters.

3. Rental markets vary by around 100% across Canada. A 1br in Winnipeg is half the same in Vancouver, for example. Your mileage may vary, but to me saving ~20% on rent or living in a ritzy building is a big draw of having a roommate.

4. In terms of not going insane, living off campus (whatever that means) is sometimes very important. I’ve found in Vancouver that people living on campus inevitably feel unmoored, since you’re separated from any community that actually cares about its social fabric. I’ve found this isn’t such a huge issue in Toronto where campuses are integrated with city rather than cloistered off as their own little bubbles of 19 year olds who think they rule the world.

Anyways, that’s just all my feelings on the table as someone who’s moved cities 4 times in 5 years of uni. Obviously I have no experience in law school so that’s going to change the landscape. But final answer: there are no easy answers. Cast your lot on whatever living arrangement seems most agreeable to you, and I hope you totally love it.

[DennisNextDoor]

I think a lot of it depends on personality. I for example am an introvert. Me and my dog lived alone through my whole time in law school. I loved it! For me it was great to have that flexibility, but still have that companionship with my pup. I think it all depends on your personality and whether you are an introvert or extravert.

[Megjackson]

On 4/25/2023 at 7:54 AM, DennisNextDoor said:

I think a lot of it depends on personality. I for example am an introvert. Me and my dog lived alone through my whole time in law school. I loved it! For me it was great to have that flexibility, but still have that companionship with my pup. I think it all depends on your personality and whether you are an introvert or extravert.

Living alone with my dog for law school would be a dream. 

[Tesseract]

I will add that I personally know two people that had to move out of their living arrangements during 1L due to not being able to function with the people they chose to live with. I lived alone and had no issues. 

[Chewy]

8 minutes ago, Tesseract said:

 I lived alone and had no issues. 

I would hope so.

[Tesseract]

1 hour ago, Chewy said:

I would hope so.

Huh?

[Chewy]

18 minutes ago, Tesseract said:

Huh?

That you would have no issues living with yourself.

It was a joke. I'm tired.