When moving into college my freshman year, there was nothing I was more excited for than meeting my roommate. I could not wait to see her, talk to her, and become best friends with her. I was expecting for us to get along and was counting on that guaranteed friendship. Go to the dining hall together, study together, and stay up late talking. Unfortunately, everything was not "all rainbows and butterflies, it was a compromise that moved us along."

Upon meeting, things seemed great. I did not think that we would get in each others' way and thought we'd be at least friends. Yes, we were complete opposites, but that intrigued me. She was quiet and an art major while I am more social and unsure of my major. I was excited to see where our friendship would go. Would we be the best of friends and be in each other's weddings someday? Over time, our relationship changed. Instead of having conversations, it went to casually saying hi to each other, then to complete silence. We would go weeks without speaking, which became a very uncomfortable environment. I felt defeated. There was nothing more that I wanted than to build a friendship with my roommate.

I found myself leaving the room as much as possible and finding every way there was to not be around my roommate. It was an extremely uncomfortable environment that I knew neither of us wanted to be in. I did not know what to do because I had never been in this situation before. Eventually, I figured out that the worst solution was to avoid the problem and my roommate altogether. Instead of constantly ignoring your roommate, simply go to them and have a chat. Stating how you feel and trying to figure out how to get along is a much better option than ignoring and avoiding. You and your roommate are in the same situation. Both away from home, in a new environment, and possibly sharing a room for the first time. Those things are stressful enough, without the stress of an uncomfortable situation. My advice to all high school graduates who are getting ready to head to college is this: put yourself out there, make the most of the situation, and above all, make friends with your roommate.

If the friendship with your first year roommate does not work out, keep an open mind. It is not the end of the world if everything does not go perfectly. There will be bumps along the road and disagreements. Do not stress yourself out and worry because everything will work out. Freshman year will end, a new year will begin, and you will be with a new roommate.