Roommates are weird. Hands down, no way around it, I will not be taking criticism on this subject. Especially when it comes to dorm rooms. You are pushed to live sharing a small, enclosed space with this other human being and somehow make it work without burning it all down--or at least not making the RA get involved. College is the first time most people get the roommate experience. For some, it's the first time they've even had to share a room with someone. Everyone coming in is from different backgrounds and experiences and with the hope that they will not be a part of their own horror stories like the ones they read online.

Many start the process long before move in day, searching online and posting to facebook groups. It basically becomes online dating, talking to multiple people and seeing who they get along with the best. Once a "pair" is decided it becomes a barrage of messages back and forth seeing who is bringing what and finding some way to coordinate it all. There are of course the lucky few who were highschool friends that knew before their acceptance letters ever came that they were going to live together, but they of course have their own list of weird things to overcome.

The true strangeness of it all happens once you actually live together. The dust has settled, the parents have left with their now empty boxes and last goodbyes, and it is just you and your roommate alone in your closet-space. The first month is a period of adjustment, even for the ones that have known each other for years. Seeing someone for a couple hours every day is entirely different from sleeping a few feet apart each and every night. Who takes out the trash? Who vacuums the rug? Why does Jennifer always fold her clothes but then take three to five business days to put them up? These are all the things you don't really think about until the problem arises.

Beyond the cleaning is the social aspect of it all. This person is going to see you at your absolute worst. This could be when you come back from the shower with dripping hair and raccoon eyes from your mascara, or at three am when you stumble in and flip on the lights even though they were trying to sleep before a big exam. It's the little things like this that can make or break the relationship,to be honest.

There is also a great side to roommates that not many people I've met talk about. If you and your roommate get along, they can become one of your best confidants. Coming in from a long day, it can be nice to share everything that happened with this person who is there anyway. That's perhaps the weirdest part, becoming so close with this person in such a short space of time. Granted, things don't always work out this way, and if you got a poor roommate, I am so sorry. At least you only have to deal with it for a year and then you're free.

I was lucky with my roommate. Even though we found each other on Instagram, we actually ended up being the perfect match. We get to share this crazy part of our lives with one another and be completely honest, and that's awesome. This whole article is really just a love letter to her I guess. But she deserves it. Shout out to you, Ashley.