Roommates, can’t live with them, college students can’t afford to live without them. Since I was 17, I have lived with roommates and I have come to the conclusion that when males and females live together, it just does not work. True, not all people are alike, but after rooming with 10 very different males and only two females, I have the live-in experience that leads me to the decision that males and females should not be roommates.

Here are some reasons you should think about before moving in with a member of the opposite sex.

Reason #1. Decor and Cleanliness

Males and females have a very different idea of what an attractive and comfortable living environment should be. In my experience, my male roommates have done some of the following things: They over-water or under-water plants and even kill cacti. They enjoy hanging beer and naked women posters in the living room and they display different beer cans on the entertainment center as collectibles. A mountain of laundry on the floor is a permanent fixture in the house and when I step in the shower there’s dirty underwear hanging to dry on the handle. Not to mention the toilet seat is always lifted and not flushed. When it comes to chores, the trash gets so piled up you have to get another bag for all the toppled-over trash barely balancing on top. The dishes that don’t get done on their night to wash dishes sit there and pile up until it’s your night to wash them. On the dining room table there are no fresh flowers, no fancy tablecloth, just a Hungry Man TV dinner and empty beer can from the night before.

Reason #2. Dating

As if dating itself is not hard, explaining to your date that you live with male roommates is a hardship on its own. What could be worse than your date becoming better friends with your roommates than with you. Imagine if you came home from an exhausting day at work and there he is, beer in hand, watching the football game. Or what if your date doesn’t get along with your roommates and never wants to come over because you live with men? Another important problem is that there is no privacy. If you go into your room with your date and shut the door, your roommates will tease you for a week about “who knows what” is going on in there.

Reason #3. Food and Bills

Who ever heard of paying for half the cost of food when male roommates eat dinners three times the size of yours? One time I went out and spent a hundred dollars on groceries and when I came home from school the next day, my roommate and his buddies were sitting around eating huge bowls of my rainbow sherbet ice cream. When I checked to see what was left in the freezer I found an empty container with a silver spoon inside. They gave me absolutely no respect. Then there are the monthly bills. Never leave the bills to a male roommate. I once had this one roommate who forgot to pay the electricity bill and for an entire week I had to walk around with a candle and a book. What else is there without electricity?

Reason #4. Comparison: The Female Roommate

The two best roommates I have had were women. One of the reasons I loved them was because we had similar styles in decor arrangements and our home had a very attractive and comfortable feeling. They always cleaned up after themselves and shared the chores equally with no question. My female roommates always gave me my space and privacy, yet my nosy male roommates always needed to know what was going on. With my female roommates, I could bring dates over and not feel uncomfortable. They would go out and leave me alone. They would share the cost of food and even leave the last bowl of rainbow sherbet for the next person. When it came to paying bills we were very organized and never paid a bill late.

Living with twelve roommates in my life and only having two that were bearable to live with tells me a little something. Especially since the two that I could live with were women. It’s true that these could all just be the non-specific effects of a roommate, but I think you should think twice about moving in with a male friend you barely know.

These are just some of the things to ask yourself. Do you think you can handle the hardships and irritants of living with the opposite sex?