College is a huge transition for many, and there are a lot of questions to be asked about the process. Where should I apply? How far do I want to be from home? Will I make friends? What should my major be? All very important questions that you will find the answer to before you even know it! But what about that really important one that all of the guidance counselors forget to tell you about in high school? Yeah, you know the one. Who will be my roommate?
It’s the mother of all questions once you have everything sorted out. I mean. think about it. You’re about to sign over your messiness, your awkwardness, your room, to someone you do not even know! Before I scare any soon to be college freshman away, you should know that it's one of the best experiences of your life. You are, most likely, about to create a friend that will stay with you for the rest of your life. A person that will come to know you more than you know yourself! However, before you reach all of that mushy stuff, you must know the several stages it takes to get there!
Stage 1: Move in day.
You officially meet each other for the first time. Everything is formal -- too formal honestly. It's one of those things where you pretend to be little miss innocent -- but little do each of you know where your initial hello hug is about to take you.
Stage 2: Complete awkwardness.
This is the worst part but it doesn’t last long. It goes like this
“Hi.”
“Hey.”
(Silence for hours.)
“Want to get food?”
“OK, sure!”
This is so painful, you feel like your texting your ex BFF.
Stage 3: First night out.
College is at full blast! And you finally get to create your freshman “Oh, God n’s” with your new partner in crime. Whether it's pre-game parties or post-game parties, or making spaghetti at 3 a.m., you finally realize there is nothing better than this.
Stage 4: Couple phase.
You are seen everywhere with your roommate. Every picture on social media is you two together. People may even call you the dynamic duo. You make life decisions together and don’t dare step into the cafeteria that is crawling with upperclassman without your roomie. You can basically finish each other’s sentences! Is that Netflix? You can’t let them Netflix and chill alone!
Stage 5: You learn the definition of sharing.
"What’s mine is yours, and what’s yours is mine" really comes into play here. Food is more abundant if we combine our piles together, right? My shirt is your shirt, and your shoes are my shoes. Even those cookies that you would love to eat all by yourself are up for grabs, but sharing is caring.
Stage 6: The "no secrets" phase.
You tell your roommate everything, at this point. The range is from ex-boyfriend stories to embarrassing moments to trying to remember whom exactly she talked to when you went out last Saturday night. All walls are down because who needs them anyway.
Stage 7: Adulting together.
When you go to college you can’t take your mom with you, and that’s harder than you think. You take turns doing laundry, cleaning the dishes and even getting groceries. And on the days you don’t feel like adulting, you walk to the nearest park and eat ice cream together, forgetting that you are actually growing up, for once.
Stage 8: Dorm life crisis.
OK, so maybe you put off adulting a little longer than you thought, and that smell in the hallway is most likely coming from your room. Don’t worry though, your OCD senses will kick in eventually, and you’ll jam out to Hannah Montana while your reorganize your pig sty.
Stage 9: BFFs.
Three knocks on the wall, "I love you" will be answered with four knocks back, "I love you, too." They know your favorite snack to grab from the grocery store. Your mom asks how she’s doing more than you sometimes and you have shared crying rants about how hard the real world is together. Getting into each other’s beds after a long night out isn’t out of the norm, either.
Stage 10: Moving out -- but why?
You’ve been begging for summer since the first time it snowed, but you forgot that meant saying good-bye to your other half. The next school year is three months away -- can you make it that long? Surely you can fit in my suitcase, right? Actually, just forget about this one -- it's not happening.
