I’ve often wondered how so many girls in college don’t get along with their roommates. I mean, unless she’s lighting your hair on fire in your sleep, how bad could she really be? I find that nine times out of 10, most girls pick their roommates before they come to school. Facebook pages for your class are an awesome way to get to know people prior to move-in day and an even better way for people to pick whom they want to live with.
Before I went to college, my journalism teacher told me to do a random roommate. I told her there was absolutely no way that was happening, and I would continue my cyber-stalking in peace, thank you very much. A few months later, I found my first roommate, Juliana. Juliana was a tiny, little girl from Southern Massachusetts who happened to pop up onto my newsfeed one day. Although she was small, her image stuck out the most to me out of all the other girls on the Facebook page, trying to prove their cool to prospective roommates.
I think maybe that’s why her image stuck in my mind because she was one of the few on the page who seemed like they weren’t trying too hard. A month later, we were roommates and got our housing assignments. Although Juliana did not find her home at Worcester State, she certainly made a friend for life. My experiences with her led me to have another great relationship with a new roommate, Katie, who I live with now.
Even before I found Juliana, and Katie, my peers voted me as “best roommate” for a high school superlative. At the time, I had no idea what that meant. And if any of you reading this are incoming freshman, let me tell you that there is no rulebook for how to be a good roommate, so I will do my best and make one for you.
1. Always share food.
This might sound strange, but I’m not kidding you. There is nothing worse than being three hours in on a research paper and the history of the Battle of Bunker Hill is flowing out of you, and suddenly, a snack-attack strikes, and you need popcorn. You look up to your snack cabinet, and you are all out of Skinny Pop. Oh no. Well, that’s where you come in, roomie. You should notice your roommate’s situation right away, and hand her the last of your pretzels, even if it’s the last bag. Because that is what a good roommate does.
2. If you hear them crying at 2 a.m., hand them a tissue and don’t ask.
If you ever have the misfortune of hearing the person you live with not-so-silently-crying in the middle of the night, I advise you to never intervene. For all you know, they could be crying about how their date ditched them at junior prom or about how traumatizing their first frat experience was. Or, even worse, there could be boy troubles. At 2 am, no one is hardly ever in the right state of mind, and the last thing they want to do is talk, believe me. The best time to discuss will be the next morning over coffee, and eggs, obviously.
3. If you borrow something, put it back where you found it.
If you are fortunate enough to be as close with your roommates as I have been mine, you will often benefit from the ability to closet-hop. If you’re like me, you sometimes look at your 60 pairs of black pants and 100 different tops and just feel trapped. That is when you migrate over to your roommate’s crop-top stash and have a fashion show. You then must be extra careful to not spill your snacks on it and then immediately put it back where you found it before you swan-dive into bed.
Because there is nothing worse than when its 30 degrees outside, and you are just so feeling that one microscopic tank top that only covers less than half of your torso. Then, spend three hours (five whole minutes in college terms) looking for it and you discover it on the opposite end of the earth in your roommate’s workout clothes drawer. This is the ultimate struggle.
5. Be prepared to see all sides of your roommate.
I’m on my second roommate now. And before this dorm, I lived in a suite with three other girls. Therefore, I no longer have any shame about walking around the room nude for a solid 10 minutes while I put on 12 different moisturizers, tanning lotion and three different zit creams.
It’s always awkward seeing your roommate do this at first, but after the third time, you don’t even realize if they're wearing clothes or not. And, if you’re like me, you don’t even think twice about putting on your Harry Potter T-shirt and scrubbing your retainer in the trash can. Your roommate will eventually do the same thing, and together, you will soak in each other’s awkwardness together.
6. Their TV shows are now your TV shows.
One of the first things Juliana and I bonded over was our deep love for "Sex and The City." And, as it turned out, Katie was also a major fan. So, my situation worked out in my favor. Before switching dorms, my old room was big enough for a pretty big TV, so Juliana and I watched a lot more shows than Katie and I do now. However, Juliana loved to start new shows, and so did our other friend, Kelly.
I loved those nights when it would be Kelly, Juliana and I, watching some new crime show that they discovered. But to tell you the truth, I couldn’t stand the shows we watched. Maybe it was because I typically prefer my books to TV in general, but I always found myself rolling my eyes at the overly-dramatic parts of the shows. Nonetheless, I never said anything because that is not what a “good” roommate would do. You simply enjoy the company and close your eyes at the scary or cheesy parts.
7. Above all, look out for your roommate.
Moving into college is scary, and living with someone is weird, at first. Now, you don’t have to be best friends with your roommate, but it pays to be nice to them. Being nice especially pays off in college because everyone there is in the same boat. You really are not in a position to be mean to anyone at school because everyone needs you just as much as you need them. If you and your roommate are close, then always keep an eye out for her every time you go out.
These parties aren’t the ones your friends had while their parents were away in high school. Kids are older, and places are bigger. The worst thing that can ever happen during a night is being separated from your friend, so the buddy system is a must. That thing that you see in movies about girls never going to the bathroom alone? That is very real in college, and I advise you to practice it. At first, college is strange for everyone. Knowing there is someone there who cares about you, even if it’s just a little bit, can make all the difference in the world.
