It's halfway through September and wide-eyed, blissfully naive freshmen are settling into their too-tiny dorm rooms at universities everywhere. Sure, where you live has a huge impact on your college experience, but who you live with is far more important than how much closet space you have.

Colleges traditionally room girls with girls and guys with guys, but fortunately this isn't the only option anymore. Schools are increasingly implementing gender-neutral or gender-inclusive housing options for students on campus. Meanwhile, students residing off-campus can live with whoever they want. It's up to you to decide what type of living situation you're most comfortable with.

To help you make this decision, MTV News interviewed three college alumni who lived in on- or off-campus coed housing about their experiences. Tom, 23, lived in a gender-neutral dorm, a suite with 10 girls and 10 guys who shared common spaces, his freshman year at New York University. Stephanie*, also 23, began living with male roommates when she moved off-campus her sophomore year and continued to do so until she graduated from Northeastern University. Lex, 24, lived off-campus with her guy friend and two female roomies her junior year at Elizabethtown College.

Here's what they had to say about gender-neutral housing:

You're introduced to people you wouldn't otherwise meet

"My freshman year living situation introduced me to people that I don't think I would've met otherwise, and these people are some of my best friends today. Being essentially forced out of my social comfort zone taught me how to be more social." — Tom

You wanna live with whoever you're already BFFs with...

"For me, I never even considered what sex [my roommates] were. I knew I would feel comfortable living with those friends, so I made the decision based on that. To this day, one of those roommates is still my best friend and one of the people I trust the most. Being able to live with someone you trust and can depend on is one of the best feelings. It's also extremely important in an environment like college, where everything is so new and in flux. Having a place you can go back to and feel comfortable is key." — Stephanie

"He was a good friend! It just happened at the right time -- my roommates and I needed [another] roommate [and] he needed somewhere to live. I liked living with a guy. Not as much drama. I would do it again in a heartbeat if I could. We grew a lot closer!" — Lex

...Or you want to try something totally new

"I had been the only boy in my household for my entire life before leaving for college, so I never thought twice about living in mixed-gender housing." — Tom

You learn about the opposite sex in a whole new way

"I totally recommend living with someone of the opposite sex (as just friends) BEFORE you get married to someone. I learned a lot. ... That whole year was an awesome experience! I think he definitely learned a lot about girls too. [My female roommates and I] are a pain to live with ... so I can only imagine his outtake on the experience. But we are still good friends today so that's all that matters. He currently lives with his girlfriend." — Lex

It's not about hooking up

"I wish that parents didn't see [coed housing] as threatening. Many conversations I've had with others about this have told me that their parents thought it was a way for college kids to live with the opposite sex and hook up, but that is not the case at all." — Stephanie

"I really enjoyed the experience. The suite as a whole bonded and meshed really well, and most of us are still really close. I really didn't think the situation was much different from other living situations. We joked that we were all on 'The Real World: NYU,' and we had our share of fights. To my knowledge, no one hooked up -- I'm gay, so that obviously wasn't my expectation. But the experience didn't actually seem too different from any other [housing] experience." — Tom

It's an option for everyone, not just the LGBTQ community

"I wish students knew that this option is available for everyone. I think there is a common misconception that gender-neutral housing is only for the LGBTQ community or those who are unsure of their sexual orientation. Yet anyone can live in this situation -- it's all about living in a situation that makes you the most comfortable." — Stephanie

"Living with the opposite sex has its ups and downs. You might come out of it hating each other, but you might love it as well. I was a lucky one! ... Everything happens for a reason. If the best situation at the time is the one in front of you -- go for it!" — Lex

"Gender-neutral housing's benefits are manifold. It's important so that trans and gender-nonconforming kids can feel safe and comfortable in their living situation. I also think that it's an important step for gender equality. I might be wrong, but I feel that segregating genders reinforces misconceptions that different genders are fundamentally different and should be treated as such ... I think gender-neutral housing is right for anyone who treats people of different genders as people." — Tom

*Name has been changed