More often than not, college freshman opt for the random roommate assignment when filling out the housing application. However, when preparing to attend the same school as your best friend, how can you resist the temptation of entering their name on the application and begin planning decorations for your room?
My best friend and I met six years ago while bonding over our love of fruit strips. (If the convenience of eating natural fruit in the form of a strip appeals to you, please look into this snack.) From that day on, we have been inseparable to the point where living with each other in college went without saying.
Now, after a month of living a total of four steps (I counted door to door) away from one another, I can say that while rooming with your best friend in college, you learn a lot.
When they say they're doing homework or studying, they're really not.
Whether it's perfecting a "smoky eye," taking selfies, or watching Mean Girls 2 on Netflix, (yes, she was really watching Mean Girls 2) they're very rarely going to actually be doing homework right when they say they will. It's your job to get them back on track.
Even if you have separate rooms, you will spend most of your time together in one room.
The thought of being a couple of steps away from each other when you could just be in the same room watching Dance Moms seems ridiculous. Extra chairs or bed space will become your best friend's "spot," and they will be there as much as possible.
You will become each other's "mom" away from mom.
When in college away from your parents, who will be there to make you soup when you're sick? Help you with homework you don't understand? Be there when you need to cry? With a smile, your best friend will gladly do it all. Having the comfort of knowing they're there doesn't make it seem like you're that far away from home.
It isn't true that rooming with your best friend in college is going to ruin your friendship.
According to College Cures, "Rooming with your best friend is a pretty bad idea and it should be avoided at all costs." Whenever I would tell family or friends that I was planning to room with my best friend, they always asked, "Are you sure you want to do that? What if you end up hating each other?" Maybe it's the fact that my best friend is perfect, but nothing but good things have come out of rooming with my practically sister.
As a first-time-in-college student, having someone that makes me feel safe and confident right by my side to guide me has been such a blessing, and I know that this experience is only going to strengthen our friendship. So if you and your best friend are considering rooming together in college, I say go for it – you might learn a lot.
