In just about every college experience you'll ever see, one common theme is finding your absolute best friend and my other half in a roommate. Going into my freshman year, I was hoping for this scenario to play out. How cool would that have been to meet a complete stranger that becomes your best friend that you get to live with for an entire year or more?

I met my first roommate on a Facebook roommate finder page. In her description, she seemed pretty cool and like someone, I could definitely see myself being friends with. We started talking and we both had mutual appreciations for Hamilton, reading, and writing. After talking for a while, we decided to room together and I was so excited because I thought I'd found this picture-perfect roommate I'd dreamed about.

Prior to move in, there were a few red flags that I guess I didn't really think too much about. We disagreed on a living situation but she ended up choosing to go with my ideal living situation: a six-person suite with three rooms of two, two bathrooms, a shower room, and a common area. The other four girls that we met seemed really cool too and we were all very excited to start planning for the upcoming school year. That was, everyone except my roommate. She wanted nothing to do with any of the other girls or planning, except for the occasional unwarranted quarrel in the group chat. Even in the first few weeks, she wouldn't come to any of the opening weekend events and we had to beg her to even communicate with us.

We both really tried to make things work, but in the end, there were so many values, lifestyle, hygiene, personality, and communication differences that it was definitely not meant to be. We ended up having to have her move out in the end.

I was super disappointed. I was watching the other four girls get along fairly well with their roommates and have a good time and I felt like I was missing out. I was actually really upset for a while. My suitemates were so good to me during those times and accepted me with open arms, but it still sucked knowing that they got to live with a cool person and stay up laughing and talking late into the night while I had to hope my roommate wouldn't bring a random Tinder guy in while I was sleeping again.

I was really hoping that I would find my best friend in a roommate and it seemed like everyone else I knew had done that. I kinda felt like I was missing out on the real college experience that everyone else got.

I got a new roommate shortly after the first and started feeling better pretty quick. By that point, I'd gotten pretty close to two of my suitemates, but my new roommate was super friendly and I liked her a lot. I didn't pick her, but ultimately I was very glad she moved in. She was so sweet and for the short time we lived together, I was happy to have someone that I got along with finally in my room.

It was a challenging freshman year in terms of my rooming situation, but I'm very happy to say that I'll be living with 2 of my suitemates and absolute best friends next year and I'm happier than ever.

I know everyone wants to have a good first roommate experience, and I'm so happy for those of you who get to! But, don't take it too hard if your roommate doesn't end up being who you thought they were going to be. Living with a stranger is so hard and you're bound to have complications along the way. You haven't failed if you get stuck with a roommate that you don't get along with. Just make the most of the situation you're stuck with and get back out there find the people you're meant to be with. I know I sure did and I'm so excited to start my sophomore year off right with them.