Having spent all three years at Uni living in a gender mixed household and my entire life living with brothers, I can safely say I’ve gained a good perspective for compiling an accurate, hopefully non-sexist, list on the advantages and disadvantages of living with guys. I’m sure many fellow females can relate to just how fun it can be to live with the opposite sex, and if you’re in first year and starting to think about choosing your housemates, now is a good time to lay out the facts so you know what you’re in for…
PROS
Male perspective
Nothing better for understanding the male brain than going straight to the source. Whether you’re looking for a guy’s opinion on relationships, sex, clothing, Christmas presents or friendship drama – a male housemate has got you covered.
No point sitting around for hours trying to decode that text when a guy can just tell you it means exactly what it says.
Gym motivation
This might not apply to every guy (or in fact every girl), but listening to my male housemates drooling over THAT girl they saw at the gym sure makes me feel crap about sitting there with my family size bag of salt & vinegar crisps. The motivation follows soon after.
They aren’t passive aggressive
Again, may not apply to all guys – but for the most part men tend to be more direct than women, which leads to problems getting solved on the spot, without the need for an entire week of tension.
You can tell them when they’re being disgusting and they’ll probably just agree with you.
Education
Can’t even begin to explain how entertaining it can be to teach guys about periods, hormones and the female mind. (Disclaimer: We’re never “fine”.) However this isn’t one-sided, you also get the bonus chance to become educated about anything that’s baffled you about all things man.
Less clutter in the bathroom
Pretty self-explanatory: shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, shaving foam, razor, shower puffs, body lotion, face wash, face scrub, moisturiser and various other bathroom accessories versus shower gel, shampoo and maybe, MAYBE a flannel. Think of all the shelf space you’ll have!
CONS
Fridge/freezer/cupboard space
This is the reverse side of the bathroom space. Guys eat A LOT, so be aware that you have to stand your ground when it comes to shelf boundaries. “Bulking” or needing “gains” or being a “growing boy” are not viable excuses for taking up all the room.
Last year my female housemate was reduced to using the one-inch drawer usually reserved for the ice cube tray in the freezer.
Toilet seat/wee issues
You WILL at one point or another fall into the toilet because your male housemate has left the seat up. But this is nothing compared to the little puddles of wee that never get wiped up by the culprit. You’ve been warned.
You can’t walk around in your underwear
…because that might get weird.
“You look fine”
Most guys don’t know that this is probably the single worst insult you can say to a girl. We don’t want to look “fine” or “okay”, and we especially don’t want to hear ‘you don’t look any different’ if we’ve just spent two hours choosing an outfit/doing our hair and makeup for a night out.
If you want an honest opinion for this one, head to your closest female friend who isn’t afraid to hurt your feelings a bit if it means you don’t go out with eight layers of glitter on your face (true story).
Not-so-communal wardrobes
An all-female household means endless outfit options for nights out and plenty of fashion inspiration.
Although you will be missing out on the comfort of an oversized men’s jumper…
Leftover hair from shaving
How it literally manages to get everywhere is still a myth to me. Your bathroom sink will start to look like its growing fur.