First and foremost, I would like it to be known that the title of this article was inspired by a sheet sign that we proudly displayed outside of our lovely duplex of six girls. The other half of our house, of course, belongs to six guys. This setup adds an extremely interesting element to day-to-day life.
Move-In Day
The first encounter comes on move-in day. The boys are most likely walking into their home with simple duffle bags and maybe a couple bins filled with the necessities (ie. dice and solo cups). Probably the single most important item that they bring into their humble abode is an absolutely massive, top-of-the-line TV (possibly more than one of these) that will become the centerpiece to their man-cave. Their move-in process will probably take them an hour, tops, and they’ll be outside in their baby pool starting a game of beer die before you know it.
On the other hand, you have the girls on move-in day. Every girl has to take at least 8 loads to get all of their belongings into the house. This is, of course, with the assistance of every member of the family that got recruited to lend a helping hand on move-in day. The day can’t proceed until every single article packed is perfectly in its place and the house looks like a home. This version of the move-in process can take anywhere from 8-12 hours, approximately.
The First Week of School
Maybe it’s just my group of roommates and I, but we had everything in order for the school year and academics in line from day one. We had color-coordinated notebooks for every class, textbooks bought right out of the gate, beautiful planners ready to write out our every to-do list and so-fourth.
Not to be completely sexist and stereotypical in this article, but from my personal experience with my beloved neighbors and boyfriend, they tend to approach school a tad differently. They may have one pencil and one folder that they bring to all of their classes. They tend to buy text books weeks later and only if the professor insists they need them. Down time during the first week was spent being a total bro. No time for Starbucks dates, shopping trips, morning runs or afternoons reading on the porch.
While there are differences in the way boys and girls approach their living situations, it’s always really fun when the lifestyles have the chance to blend together.
I wouldn’t trade our neighbors and our street for anything. I absolutely love living next to guys as part of an all-girl house. You automatically gain an incredible addition to your family and get six+ brothers that would be there for you no matter what. We love having “family breakfasts” and cooking for the boys. In return, we just expect them to volunteer their house as the party house to get wrecked on the weekend instead of our own. We always have people to hang out with during the week nights and weekends, which is particularly nice during the warm weather. It’s fun to pull little pranks on each other and give the other gender hell, because we know deep down we have each other’s backs. Romance with the neighbors gets a little complicated, so I’m hoping they can hold off on that one. But, hey if they hit it off they have an automatic set of bridesmaids and groomsmen all lined up.
In all seriousness, two genders living under one roof or directly next door to one another makes life fun and interesting. It gives you insight into how the other half lives. You not only learn more about the opposite sex, but you also learn a lot about yourself as you have a whole new group of friends to pretend to adult with. So, embrace the week nights when you’re trying to do homework and the neighbors are bumping music, enjoy eavesdropping on the girls screaming gossip sessions in the living room, always say yes to a casual beer on the porch and just enjoy the ride rather than taking life in your college homes too seriously.
