Moving out on your own is scary enough, but add rooming with a stranger and the situation has become terrifying. Maybe you are really social and you're outgoing, but maybe you are afraid to meet new people. I decided to move into a student housing complex for the summer because they were running a special and I needed a place to live, so I signed a lease and a week later I was moving into my new home.

The complex provided roommate matching, which is where you fill out a questionnaire and they try their best to pair you with people that are compatible. I ended up matching with two girls who ended up not even being my roommates. One girl's lease ended about a week after I moved in and the other had her lease taken over by my now good friend, Paris. I got Paris's number from the girl she was subleasing from, and we began texting and talking like old friends. When it came time for her to move in, we began hanging out quite a bit. Whether it was a movie night, dinner, or swimming we always found something to do together.

This experience with my roommate has helped put me at ease since I am about to move into yet another apartment where I will have three other roommates. I'm not guaranteeing that everyone is going to have a good experience with roommate matching. Technically, Paris and I were not even matched up, to begin with. I just got lucky. One of the first things we did when she moved in was cook and have a movie night with our dogs. There have also been many nights where we have stayed up talking about all of her upcoming wedding plans and I even went with her to pick up her dress. We became fast friends and then my other friend was over here practically every night and we became a trio. If two of us were there, we were probably all there.

Roommate matching was designed to help, not hurt. And yes, you may read about bad experiences with the system, but I highly recommend that if you are filling out a roommate request form, make sure and be as honest as possible. If you're honest, then you are more likely to be matched up with people who have similar study habits and night/morning habits as you. I have already talked to my new roommates and they are very sweet and we have a lot in common thanks to filling out my roommate request properly.

Moving into your own place is stressful enough but if you fill out this form, then it makes the experience ten times better. For me, I struggle to socialize unless I am forced into a social setting and I can usually open up. When I first moved into my apartment, I didn't feel at home. I felt like I didn't belong there, so I only spent time in my room and would just come and go. One night my friend was staying over and she helped break the ice between me and my first roommate and we ended up talking for hours.

I wouldn't trade my first apartment experience for anything. I was so blessed that Paris was who I ended up with because I made a new friend out of the process. Of course, I would have been more at ease toward the beginning if I were rooming with another friend, but God had other plans for me. I went through a lot these past three months and my roommate was always there for me and really helped me get through it all. Sadly, Paris will be moving up North after her upcoming wedding, but we will always have the memories, and of course, each other's number and Snapchat.