Dear Most Incoming Freshman,
This is not the worst thing that will ever happen to you! It is one of the best decisions that you can ever make. My freshman year of college just ended and I lived with the same girl for both semesters in the same cramped dorm room. Our styles were different and so were our majors and we did not turn out to be the best of friends, but I would not take back my choice to be assigned a random roommate for anything in the world.
My roommate listened to more R&B and rap than me and loved watching television on TV while I preferred watching Hulu and Netflix on my phone. She did not have a STEM major, so there were not a lot of nights that she was up studying or weekends that she was stuck in the lab. There were not a lot of bonding moments or a lot of similarities, other than that we were both clean and stayed up to date on the hottest songs in Atlanta.
I know that sounds like a horrible place to live, but it wasn't. I really grew when I was rooming with my roommate. I learned patience and the art of living with another human being. I learned how to have conversations about things that needed to change without being rude or too confrontational. I learned a lot of valuable lessons, such as how to approach the topic of visitors and when guests should leave. I learned that some battles are not worth fighting and how a lot of things can go ignored because they are generally not harming anyone.
The truth is that after college you are pretty much destined to live with a roommate. It could be your best friend, your boyfriend, or a complete stranger that you live with. The bottom line is that your living situation will be one that you cherish for the rest of your life. Of course, there will be some nights where you go to bed angry or upset, but there will also be nights that you are glad to have that person sharing a living space with you. Even though my roommate and I were not the best of friends, we were still friends. We were there for one another when we needed to talk and we respected one another.
Living with a random person is not the worst. The experience will teach you a lot about yourself. It will show you how far you can extend your grace and patience. It will show you how vulnerable you are. As you enter the world of college realize that this is your world now. Mom and Dad are not here to help you solve your problems. They cannot call your friends and fuss them out when things are not going your way. You have to learn how to be an adult, and having a random roommate allows you one step closer into the world of adulthood.
