I never thought that I would have to live with someone else. I grew up as an only child and by the time I arrived for my first day of college, I didn't really know how it would be to share a room with someone. Moving to college completely changed my opinions and outlook on living with another person.
Moving into the dorms my freshman year gave me the opportunity to live with someone else for the first time in my life. While my roommate wasn’t random, it was still a life-altering change. I knew him in high school, but living with him for a year changed my life. After living only with my parents for 18 years, I now had to share half of everything in the room, sacrifice my privacy, and adapt to living with another person. I’m not going to lie these are easy things to get used to, I just never had to do them before.
I soon learned that living with another person, especially when you move away from home, is the best thing there is. Even though you’re never alone, it’s an amazing feeling. Always being surrounded by friends and acquaintances from all over the world is a massive culture shock, but in the best way. You never eat alone, someone is always willing to do something, and you never go out by yourself.
You soon learn your roommate’s habits, when they sleep, when they prefer to wake up, everything. By the time winter break came around, I had my roommate’s sleeping schedule memorized, as well as when he liked to eat and what he liked to eat. It’s crazy to think that I now knew this person on a scary deep level, without even really trying.
On the negative side of having a roommate, you now have to deal with twice the drama, twice the noise, twice the mess, you get the point. When you’re confined to a cubicle that is only big enough to sustain two lives, things get difficult, but it’s all up to communication between you and your roommate to settle things. If neither of you decide to speak up about any problems or issues you’re having, nothing will ever get resolved. I know it’s simple, but people just usually vent about what their roommates did to their other friends or parents, instead of just bringing it up and solving the problem.
My roommate and I almost never fought, because we would immediately tell each other if something bothered us. I wouldn’t like it when he ate in the room and he wouldn’t like how messy I kept my side. We told each other, and soon enough he started to eat in the room less and I began keeping much better care of my half.
Having a roommate has taught me more in a year than I could have ever imagined. I went from being alone for 18 years, to being thrown into a small, cramped room, basically with a stranger. I have become more patient, sociable, and respectful as a result, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.
Shoutout to Marc for an amazing year.
