The idea of college is exciting. You get to enjoy new freedom, stay out as late as you want, sleep in, and most importantly you're so super excited to take it all on with your BFF, right? You guys are going to be the perfect roommates, and you're going to do everything together and be attached at the hip and you're going to be friends forever. While the idea of this is exciting (and I'm sure that it happens that way for some people), here are some reasons why it probably isn't your best choice.
1. Their mom won't be there to make them clean their room before you walk in.
You will see their messy side whether you like it or not, and you will have no choice but to deal with it. You're coming in expecting the same organized desk and made up bed that you came over to in high school, but your roomie will be busier with much more important things than putting their laundry of the day in the basket.
2. You'll spend two weeks looking for your favorite shirts, just to find them in your roomie's clean laundry after laundry day.
You have a huge interview for your first college job, and before you know it, you're singing Justin Bieber's "Where R U Now?" while looking for your favorite purple shirt. Next thing you know, your roommate is bringing back her clean laundry a week later and it magically reappears. But, you did agree whats yours is hers... You've been BFFs for years, one shirt for one day isn't a big deal, right? She'll just wash it and put it back immediately...right?
3. It is not a sleepover. It is NOT a sleepover. It is NOT a SLEEPOVER.
I know how it sounds: one, long, every night sleepover with your BFF. What could possibly go wrong? Let me tell you - remember how much you got annoyed by being with your siblings allllll the time, and couldn't wait for every opportunity to get out of the house? Your BFF will turn into another sibling, and you are going to get sick of them after a while, especially after spending every waking minute with them.
4. Believe it or not, there is a LOT that you don't know about them.
After living with someone, you notice their annoying little quirks - tapping their pens, leaving their laundry on the floor during their shower, leaving the lights on, chewing loudly, etc. and chances are that your BFF has some annoying quirks that you will have to live with. If they're bad enough, they could cause resentment.
5. You're going to have the same stupid little fights.
Remember in high school when you could just text your BFF about how they upset you at school by talking to your ex-boyfriend? Or, when they could text you a paragraph about how hurt they were when you ignored them in the hallway? Before, you could just go home, take your space, and let it blow off. But what happens when you get home and your BFF is sulking on the bed and glaring at you as you study for your anthropology test? Not only is it distracting, but totally awkward.
6. Sharing begins to carry a whole new meaning.
When it comes to your BFF, you already know that the line between what's yours and theirs is extremely thin. Like, tissue paper thin. You'll tell your BFF "what's mine is yours," and then you'll begin to notice your toothpaste get empty a little quicker, your toilet paper go a little faster, your shampoo and conditioner only lasting you two weeks instead of three, and your pencils slowly start disappearing... but they're your BFF, so of COURSE you're going to share. No big deal, right?
7. I hope you like their boyfriend/girlfriend.
With college comes the freedom to spend the night with your significant other. That's great, but be prepared to see quite a bit of your BFF's beau. And you may find yourself in a situation where you see a little more of her beau than you want to. That can cause some awkwardness and tension with your BFF really quickly.
8. They will make other BFFs.
This is probably one of the hardest parts of living with your BFF. They are going to meet other people on campus, maybe be introduced to some of them by you, and you'll find that you won't see as much of your roommate as you thought. They're your BFF, and you love them, but that won't take away the sting of them bringing another potential BFF onto your territory. It will cause jealousy and tension in your friendship, and that's never fun.
9. Your BFF will eat your food, and you will eat theirs.
This is no big deal if you have an agreement like that and even shop together... but what happens when your BFF eats your last Easy Mac, or your last strawberry Greek yogurt that you were saving for your lunch? Hanger, that's what (hungry anger).
10. You may not live the same lifestyle as your BFF.
You may be an early bird, and your BFF may be a night owl (or vice versa) and there's nothing worse than trying to sleep when your roommate has people over late, or is studying with their LED lamp until 2:30 a.m. You or your BFF may have a habit of coming home late and accidentally waking the other up, which isn't a huge deal if it happens once, but it can get old when it happens over and over again. More tension caused.
11. You'll miss out on meeting new people.
Not only are you missing out on the excitement on rooming with someone you only met through the campus website, but you may become codependent on your BFF and be tempted to stay in for movie night and just hang out with them. GET OUT OF YOUR DORM! Go to campus fun nights, karaoke, join a club, find someone who shares your favorite food and just meet new people outside of your BFF -- exploring new territory is what college is all about.
Rooming with your BFF isn't going to be the end of the world. You may do well, but in some cases, it can cause a lot of tension and issues within the friendship. If you ask me, it's a lot better to have dirty underwear tension with someone you don't know all that well than risk ruining your friendship with your BFF. Take a chance, branch outside of your comfort zone, and look outside of your BFF as a roommate choice.
