The idea of going off to college is a terrifying idea in itself. You have to prepare yourself for moving away from your family, friends, and the hometown you've learned to love. You have to prepare yourself for disgusting public restrooms that you don't want to use. And lastly, you have to prepare yourself to live with someone in what seems like the smallest room possible to fit two people.
If you haven't lived with someone before, it's going to be very challenging, especially if you have absolutely no idea who your roommate is going to be. You're crammed into a small room where you're supposed to live and function with an absolute stranger. So how do you solve this? Get to know them. Prior to moving in, try and reach out to this person who is supposed to be your roommate, whether that be on Facebook, Snapchat, or some kind of roommate system your school has to offer. Not doing this can cause move in day to be a complete awkward mess. Don't get me wrong, living with someone new can be super fun at times, but having a roommate you don't know at all can also be super awful too.
Your roommate is going to be one of the first people you meet in college. At that point you can either become best friends with that person or not at all. Not becoming friends or at least acquaintances can be a bold move since you will be living with this person. I understand some people just do not get along but by deciding against that person right away, you're just going to make it harder for yourself.
Some roommates will just be terrible, absolutely terrible, like I said certain people just don't mesh together well. You'll hear horror stories of what other people have gone through, but try and stick it out. Unless something is extremely bad where you cannot be in that living space with them anymore, try and deal with the problems that come. There will be problems, you're basically living in a room the size of a jail cell, but everything will be fine and dorm life is the best. You'll meet new people on the floor and if worse comes to worse you can just pass out on your friends futons instead of going back to your own dorm.
Side note: I just want to say that I got extremely lucky with the two roommates that I have had. They are my closest friends and continue to support me through my educational path and my life path in general. Thank you for always being there for me and having to live with me in the jail cell we're forced into.
