One of my most memorable experiences throughout my entire college career was getting completely wasted with my roommate and dragging her across our kitchen floor face-down in her own vomit (that she somehow managed to get all over our apartment) then undressing her soiled clothes, cleaning her up and safely placing her into bed as I rubbed her head until she fell asleep. At the time, it was not so fun, but after she cleaned the entire apartment and sterilized her vomit stains the next day, it quickly became a hilariously memorable moment for the both of us in which we still crack up laughing about anytime we get together.

An article in Smithsonian Magazine reported studies that suggest living alone is more detrimental to your health than living with roommates. The study suggests that not all people who live alone are lonely, isolated people, but of those who are—there is more of a risk of physical and mental health, as well as risk of death.

"In total, 14.1 percent of the people who’d participated in the survey had died in the 8 years after the study was administered, but those who were classified as socially isolated had died at considerably higher rates,” Smithsonian Mag reported. “Even after the participants’ baseline health and demographic factors were taken into account, being socially isolated still correlated to an increase in their mortality.”

I’d like to think people are randomly brought together for a special reason and I’d also like to think that even though I I saved my roommate’s life that night she almost drowned in her own vomit—she saved mine every single day just by being there.

Here are a few reasons that prove your roommate is also your savior:

1. They've saved you from so many unwanted situations

Bad tinder date? Feel rude for leaving a friend’s house when you’re bored? Need a quick excuse to leave somewhere? You can always blame your roommate if you want to get out of something. “Oh, my roommate locked herself out.” “Oh, my roommate needs me to come home and help her with something.” “Oh, my roommate set our apartment on fire.” Basically anything works. They can provide an excuse to save us from any situation.

2. They are someone to talk to when you're lonely

College is full of long nights—many of them out partying, yet many alone in your dorm room or apartment doing homework, studying and driving yourself crazy. Sometimes is nice to have a quick escape and talk to someone to take your mind off things. Your roommate can usually be that person because she/he is only a few steps away. Isolation can be harmful to the stressed mind and having a quick little convo can be the best way to take a break and alleviate the brain. Whether you just make a random conversation as you pass by, or even text them from one room over and ask if they have a few minutes to talk—it’s always a good thing to confide within your roommate.

3. They are your go-to person when you need immediate help

My dearest roommate during my time at college was extremely impulsive. She would make irrational decisions left and right and sometimes they would turn out to be a disaster. As we lived together longer, we started to get closer and since I was always just one room over, she began to confide in me with her decision-making. She would come to me for immediate advice and give me the chance to help her think it through and not do something she would later regret. She had the will-power to do it, she just needed that extra boost in the heat of the moment. I’m so happy I could provide that for her because she also did the same for me and without even knowing it and we seemed to really help each other. The longer you live with someone, level of comfortability blossoms naturally and your roommate has the potential to save your life. Well, to save you from bad decision-making at least.

4. You always have a date if you need someone to take to an event with you

This can actually come in handy way more than you might think. During the semester, there are always random tasks and obligations to fulfill. Your roommate is like your automatic wing-man for any occasion—especially when you’re in need. Whether it’s school-related, work-related, or just a social event, your roommate is the best person to accompany you last minute. You don’t have to worry about picking them up or dropping them off because you are both going back to the same location and are pretty familiar with each other’s personal schedules. And most importantly, to all the single people out there who have to attend an event and don’t want to be a loner—who better to bring as your date than your roomie? No matter how painful the event ends up being, you and your roomie can always go home and laugh about it afterwards.

5. They know you for who you really are and they help you discover it yourself

When you’re crammed in a small living space with roommates, you learn a lot about them pretty quickly. You see each other at all times and really get to know who a person is in their natural state. You witness each other in your rawest moments and seem to inevitably analyze one another as each day passes. Even though sometimes personalities clash and are unfit to reside together, many can learn from one another and grow. If something isn’t working out, instead of being passive-aggressive, sit your roommate down and have a talk about what bothers you. Give each other constructive criticism—after all, they are your own personal outside view of how you live your daily life—so they can most likely help you discover who you are and what you can do to be better. Life is a learning process, sometimes we need other perspectives to help us learn about ourselves.

6. They can prevent loneliness and depression just by being there

This is important especially to those who are introverts and struggle with making friends at college. Even if it’s awkward at first, your roommate becomes your automatic friend and you can always find yourself involved in more action when living with at least one more person. So, when you're deciding whether to get that studio apartment or live with a random person—choose a roommate because you never know when it’ll be the next time you need a savior.