Two summers ago, I remember all of the stress that came along with room assignments for my freshman year of college. I did not have any friends that were attending the same university from my high school; thus, I would have to find a roommate. How does one just find a random person, that you have never met before, to live with?

I filled out a questionnaire so the university could "match" me to a roommate with similar preferences. I scrolled through pages with profiles of first-year students and read through each of their biographies hoping to find somebody that I thought I could live with for the duration of the academic year, but how can a simple online profile dictate whether or not this person and I are compatible to live together? Adjusting to college life, living on your own for the first time, and merely being comfortable all hold the potential to be stress inducers; these experiences are also going to make you vulnerable while you are learning how to handle them.

Thus, the roommate that you share a small shoebox of a dorm with is going to be around for these learning experiences, while also working through their own. Wouldn't you want this person to be supportive and understanding? How can you rely on a two-sentence biography from an online profile that generally summarizes this person's intended major and high school interests to truly tell how well you will live together?

While I enjoy hearing stories about people meeting the best roommate they could ever have imagined through the online matching service, I want to also make one point clear:

There is no shame in living without a roommate in your college dorm.

Oftentimes, society deems the "college experience" by a certain set of guidelines. I am here to say that the "college experience" is not determined by living your life according to these societal based expectations. Moreover, living in a dorm suite with a roommate does not work for every student. If having a roommate does not work for you, never feel like you should make it work. "The college experience" is what you make of it; every single student will have a different path and while some are similar, not all are exactly the same.

Do not shame yourself if you choose to have a single room while living on campus.

Rather than feeling like you have done something wrong, which, of course, you haven't, you should be proud of yourself for identifying your living preferences. Personal space and independence are great values to prioritize; if you choose to live in your own college dorm, then go for it. Never let an outsider's preference persuade you if you are not open to considering other possibilities. More importantly, never let this idea of the true "college experience" force you into thinking that sharing a room with somebody is a major factor because it's not.

College is intimidating enough. Why waste your time worrying about conforming to a living situation that doesn't suit you when, if you have the option, you may choose to carry out an alternative situation that better suits you?

If you feel like you need to switch rooms during the school year, then go for it. If you feel like you need to move from a double suite with a roommate to a single room that only houses you, then go for it. If you feel like you need to start out in a single room and never have a college roommate, then go for it. If you feel like you need to have a roommate while in college, then go for it.

Everyone is different, and so are their life preferences and ultimately their living situations. My freshman year, I lived in three different dorms. You figure out what works for you and then you pursue that path. You do not owe anyone an explanation of your decisions; what really matters is that you are comfortable making the choices that primarily affect you.