Living With 4 Roommates SOUNDS Like Chaos Waiting To Happen, But I Got 4 Lifelong Friends
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Health and Wellness

Living With 4 Roommates SOUNDS Like Chaos Waiting To Happen, But I Got 4 Lifelong Friends

I thought I'd get headaches, but instead I got four lifelong friends.

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Living With 4 Roommates SOUNDS Like Chaos Waiting To Happen, But I Got 4 Lifelong Friends
Alexis Mills

As someone who has had her own room her whole life, if you would have asked me a year and a half ago how I’d feel if I were to move into a space with five other girls, I’d tell you that you were crazy. I could not imagine having even one roommate, let alone five. Being a tad messy myself, I knew that it would be chaos to throw my mess into the mix with the messes of five others. And what about the bathrooms? No thanks!

As I'm writing this, I currently live in a six-person suite with four other girls (the fifth was an exchange student who stayed for only the fall semester). And when thinking about it, those statements seem like reasonable conclusions for me to make — surely, that many people in one living space would be a recipe for disaster, no matter who they were or what the circumstances may be.

Looking back now, living in my dorm and having made some of the best friends of my life, I am shocked at how devastatingly wrong I was.

Living in a residence hall, at first glance, seems basic: it’s simply a place for you to grab some food, do homework, and lay your head down to sleep at the end of a long day. But the experience is so much more fulfilling and diverse than that. Living on campus has not only given me so many opportunities to find comfort but has opened up a variety of pathways to making connections and to fully immerse myself in life-changing experiences. I have spent many nights taking time to go participate in the numerous events my hall puts on.

From self-love nights filled with face masks to karaoke nights with free pizza and good laughs, these events not only brought me and those around me a ridiculous amount of fun and much needed reprieves from the stresses of school, but also gave those who put things like those on for us reassurance that they were doing something right. It may seem completely innocuous and not immediately beneficial by just attending events, but I have learned that by doing so, I am giving back to the very organization that houses me. It is important to recognize the work of others and the best way to do that in a residence hall is to be active and give back as much as you can.

I have found that beyond attending events, there are many subtle but equally important ways that I myself can contribute to my residence hall and living community. Firstly, I make sure that I am always respectful to both the staff of the building and also to the building itself. This includes being a good neighbor by not being loud or disruptive, keeping the property pristine, and also follow safety rules and precautions.

I also make good use of the hall’s facilities — the study lounges have quickly become one of my closest companions. With my living community, I attend as many trips and events they offer to me and am sure to provide helpful and thoughtful feedback when requested of me, which is helpful in assisting them in improving the experience the community gives its members.

Not only have I given back to my residence hall and community, but it has given back to me in endless ways. From the events I’ve attended here to simply running into people in the kitchen, I have made so many empowering and positive relationships with others. It’s an amazing opportunity to have so many roommates in my own room, which has taught me the important lesson of how to live with others. Going even further, living in a whole building with so many unique, diverse people has opened my eyes to so many new and different ways of thinking.

I have learned so much outside of the classroom during my time at school, and most of it has been right here in the place I go to sleep. The opportunities are truly endless, and I have broken out of my shell because of the things I’ve participated in. I have been exposed to so many amazing things. With the HLC, I have even left the country to Canada — talk about crossing boundaries!

Living in a dorm hall has been a surprisingly formative experience, and it has made me not only a better person but a better student.

The most important thing I have gleaned from my on-campus experience is the sense of comfort and community I have been introduced to. No matter what you’re going through or where you turn, there is someone in your hall to help you.

From your hall director to the girl next door, there are no strangers there — just friends who have yet to be made.

I am grateful for how comfortable I am here because of this experience, and also the encouragement I have received from Residence Life to be more involved in the community here. Without such a push, I would not be where I am — content, receiving an amazing education, and making memories of a lifetime, all while doing it with some of the greatest friends of my life.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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