Going off to college is a frightening experience in itself. You are on your own for the first time in your life and need to adjust to the "college lifestyle" of taking care of yourself, getting good grades, and being social. However, you are not really on your own, you share a small room with someone who you have never met before. We've all heard the crazy roommate stories and movies, but we've also heard the great roommate stories that end in lifelong friendships.
There are so many nerves on move in day of college. How am I going to survive on my own? How hard are my classes going to be? What friend group am I going to be a part of? and the big one, Will I get along with my roommate? You never really know who is going to going to walk through the door and how they will impact your life.
You cannot go into it with a negative attitude because then you and your roommate will get off on the wrong foot. A lot of people believe you will be automatic best friends with your roommate. However, you need to give it time. You are meeting an entirely new person for the first time AND you have to live with them. There will be awkward moments where you don't know whether to say something to them or not or if you should clean the room or do it together. It is a lot of trial and error, so don't be alarmed if sometimes things are awkward. Just be yourself and open and you could find a best friend for life.
People around you may already be best friends with their roommates or be telling you the terrible stories about how they clash and will never be friends. Each situation is unique and you just have to focus on yourself. Get to know your roommate before you judge them, eat meals together and study together. You don't have to be by each other's sides 24/7, but at least before you say "I'm nothing like this person," get to know them and make sure you really are nothing like them.
Coming into college, I had no idea what my roommate was like on top of going into college with no one from my high school. I felt so alone and was afraid that I had to start all over with a new group of friends. My roommate and I did almost everything together the first week of school and we found out that even though we have different interests, our sarcastic, outgoing personalities clicked. We found our group of best friends and all of us have been inseparable since. I told myself to stay positive about having my first roommate, and now I don't know what I would do without her. My first college roommate turned out to be the only roommate I will have and my best friend.
