Situation: John and
James will start their first semester at the University of Southern California soon,
and they are trying to find an apartment before school starts.
John: Hey, James. What
are you doing here?
James: I am looking for an
apartment to rent. What are you doing here? Looking for an apartment also?
John: Yes. Since my
parents’ house is so far away, I need to find an apartment closer to school. I thought
you were going to stay at the school dormitory.
James: I still have not
decided whether to stay at the dormitory or not. I am looking at different options
to find the cheapest lodging.
John: So, what are you
looking for?
James: All I need is a
place big enough for my bed, my desk and my television. Of course, the place
should have a kitchen so that I can cook my meals. I will be living on a very
tight budget and will have to watch every dime.
John: Me too. I cannot
work full-time like I did during the summer. I will cut down on my workload in
order to spend most of the time on my studies. So, a safe and decent apartment
is all I need.
James: How long have you
been looking?
John: I just started this
week. Since school is going to start next month, I figured I better start the
process as soon as possible.
James: It is not easy to
find an apartment to your liking that does not cost a lot. I have been looking
at the ads in the newspaper for two weeks, and I still have not found anything
yet.
John: Really? Is it that
difficult to find an apartment?
James: No, it is just that
everything I like so far is too expensive and way beyond my reach.
John: Is it because they
are very close to school? I heard that the closer they are to school, the
James: Maybe that is the
problem. Since I do not have a car, I need to find something close to school.
John: Have you thought
about sharing an apartment? If you want, we can find a two bedroom
James: That could solve
our problem.
John: Wait! Maybe we
should talk this over before we decide.
James: Right. For this plan
to succeed, we need to come up with some sort of agreement or set of rules.
John: Here is my first
question: What do you do during the weekdays?
James: I have to work at
Starbucks from 8:00AM to 12:00PM, and then I have school from 1:00PM to 5:00PM.
After that I plan to go home, eat dinner, and work on my school assignments.
How about you?
John: Well, I have class
from 8:00AM to 10:00AM, and then I go to the library to work until 2:00PM.
After that, it is school again until 4:00PM. I plan to stay on campus until
6:00PM to work on my computer projects, and then go home to work on my other
classes’ assignments.
James: It is my turn to
ask the second question. Do you plan to have your friends over at the apartment
very often?
John: No, not on
weekdays. I want to finish my homework during the weekdays as much as possible.
I think half of my weekend will also be reserved for homework. If my friends do
stop by, it will probably be during the weekend.
James: Good, I plan to do
the same things during school time. I also plan to visit my parents during the
weekend. My mom is a great cook.
John: My parents’ house
is too far to visit once a week. I will go home to see them and my little brother
during the holidays. I need to be happy with whatever foods I cook.
James: It seems that
sharing an apartment with you may work. Do you want to try it?
John: Yes. Let’s go in
and take a look at this one.
