When moving into a dorm room, apartment, house, or any form of housing, contributions to your living area is something everyone has to tackle. In a dorm, it is a lot simpler. One roommate can bring the microwave, while the other will bring the mini fridge. Or one can bring the TV, while the other brings curtains and a rug for the dorm. Limited space keeps you from bringing so many items. In the case of dorm rooms, you only need to bring curtains for one set of windows instead of windows for multiple rooms. And you can’t watch two televisions in one room; it just doesn’t work.
In a house or apartment, it is a little more complicated. For instance a couple friends of mine bought a big screen TV for their family room. They split it the cost three ways to make it a more reasonably purchase for each roommate. However, at the end of their lease they had no idea who was going to get the TV. In this case, they played ‘Rock-Paper-Scissors’ and the winner would have to pay the others a certain amount of money. It was an easy fix for my friends, but in most cases this would cause conflict for others.
So before you move in, make sure you’re careful about what items you decide to contribute. If your stuck with a roommate in the dorms that is clumsy and irresponsible, it might not be within your best interest to bring a big, expensive TV.
Picture Courtesy of: Bohman