Going into college, no one had any idea of what was expected. Of course, we all have a friend in the year above, someone who has told us of their college experience and what will or will not happen during our time at the university of our choosing. Nothing they say will prepare us for our own journey though. One big experience for us is living with roommates. This could be incredibly positive, or there could be a chance that the vibes within you and your roommates will not mix well. Luckily for me, I was able to live with five other girls that became some of my closest friends, people that I know I will keep in touch with throughout my college years and honestly even beyond that. Having a great connection with your roommates makes for a better experience throughout your first year away at a university, and though there may be days where you disagree or argue, at the end of the day you all have each other to find happiness in.

I knew the roommate that I was going to share a room with going into college. We met through a group chat between all of the incoming freshmen, and she knew a mutual friend of mine. When we met, we immediately connected and knew it would be a great time living together. Throughout our time together this year, we’ve had many laughs and few cries (most of the cries were on my side of the room). From jumping on each others beds to accidentally wearing her pants, we’ve experienced a lot of fun times within the small square of our bedroom. Luckily, we spend time outside of the space we live in as well, running errands or getting meals together. What’s nice about our friendship is that her and I aren’t always together, and that is okay. She has a life, her sorority and dance team take up a big portion of her time, and my sorority and constant nap taking fill in empty space within my day. It is said by many older students that your main roommate will be the person you spend all of your time with, and though that would be cool it is not true and that is okay. You will spend plenty of time with the person you sleep across the room from, and if you feel as if there isn’t much time spent between you too, always ask to grab lunch or go to bingo night with- they’re probably wanting to spend as much time with you as you want with them.

If you’re like me, you’ll be living in Blair Shannon (or in your respective dorm at your university) with five other people. This will be a lot of fun, I promise. I love spending time in my dorm room for the sole purpose that that’s where my friends live, with me in the small square that was assigned to us. With more roommates, there is more chance for friendships. With my roommates, I go to dinners, have movie nights, do homework, I’ve even taken a mini road trip with a couple of them. It’s incredible to always have someone or even the full group down to explore campus activities like bingo, or to have someone to walk to Starbucks with. There are many times where we’ve taken the walk to Taco Bell for dinner or even down the road to Steak N’ Shake, and those moments are filled with laughs and conversations that mean the world to me. With my roommates, I have found peace in some of my hardest days, I have found happiness during the darkest of hours, and I have found friends that I will always be able to depend on. Of course, there are many days where we are tired of each other. There are days where one of us will forget to clean on our respective day or not change the toilet paper roll, and with those moments come feelings of annoyance. Everybody needs a break from each other, but by the end of the night or the next day all friendships are tied back together. Everybody gets under each other’s skin, one of my roommates hates that no one recycles the empty toilet paper roll, another despises the fact that stuff is always left in the living room. We each have our thing that we dislike, but we each have a connection with one another that overrides the negative and continues to bring positivity. Make sure you as a roommate do your duty of cleaning and other chores, but spend your free time with the people you live with. The best nights of your life could be with these people, and with them you will always have a friend.

My roommates are one of the biggest things that improved my college experience. We've changed together, learned together, became better together. Months ago, I was a completely different person than I am now, and I have to thank my roommates for being a big reason as to why I have grown and developed. I love every single one of them, even the one who had to move away before second semester started. Each girl has given me a new kind of happiness every single day. As our time together slowly creeps towards our end date, I want to make sure to spend my free time with the girls that keep me laughing and give me hope for the future. So, here is to more late night deep talks and snack sharing. Here’s to more family dinners and annoying group texts. And Here is to friendships that will absolutely last a lifetime. Your freshman roommates make an incredible impact in your life, let them in and love them dearly before your time with them is up.