For most, the scariest part of going to college is having a roommate; a person to live with, sleep 5 feet away from, and share a tiny square footage of space with. There is really no telling if your roommate and yourself will get along until you're both standing in your room on the first day of college, forced to hangout with each other because you haven't met anyone else yet. No amount of Facebook messages or Instagram posts can really be the deciding factor of your compatibility as roommates until you're physically living in the same space with little to no privacy.
In my situation, my roommate and I had exchanged no more than five messages on Facebook previous to move-in day. The reason to this is because we were thrown together about a week before the semester was going to start. I was scared and anxious to meet her; What if we hate each other? What if she's crazy? How are we going to live together if we barely know each other?
Through all the negative outcomes I was thinking of in my head, not once did I consider the following: What if we become best friends? I was almost completely convinced that being forced to have a roommate was going to be a disaster, but amidst the fear and anxiety I had a tiny bit of hope that it would work out.
And it did; thank G-d.
There are so many reasons to be thankful for having the best roommate, friend, and supporter, and these are only a few of the things that should be recognized for roommates everywhere that became best friends.
You were each other's first real "college friend."
Going to get food, being forced to attend the never-ending freshman events, and trying to find your way around campus was the first marker in the beginning of your friendship. Having each other in a crowd of strangers really brought you together and gave you your first real college friend.
Late night talks were the realest talks you had.
When the sun goes down, that's when you have the most meaningful talks. You'll go from laughing about how you got lost walking to class that day, to freaking out about a bad grade, to crying about missing your home and your family. Next thing you know, it's 3am and you feel like you just went through a therapy session; but you wouldn't trade the next day sleep deprivation for anything because those talks were the most significant talks you had, and what helped you get through the semester.
They were there for you through your lowest lows...
It's tough being away from home, missing your family, dogs, and hometown friends. Losing touch with people was never easy. And the adjustment being a college student was one of the hardest things you've ever had to do. But through all the tears, stress, and anxiety, you always knew you had each other for a shoulder to cry on.
And your highest highs.
Parties, making new friends, and getting good grades were some of the highlights of the semester, and you always had someone to happy-dance around the room with. It was always a great feeling to have someone else make a big deal of your achievements with you.
You never had to go anywhere alone.
Hungry? Need to do laundry? Want to go to the gym? Your roommate was always the first person to ask when you wanted a buddy. You never had to do anything alone because your roommate was with you through all the everyday tasks you had to complete.
You could trust them with your life.
Living with someone for months on end really makes you get to know a person. Your roommate knows you better than anyone, and they always know what to say to cheer you up, to get you motivated, and to help you through your troubles. You know you can always count on them no matter what and that they would always be right there for you.
You couldn't imagine living five feet away from anyone else.
What seemed like divine intervention was the way you got through your first few weeks, months, and year of college with your roommate there by your side through it all. You've known this person for less than a year, but it seems like you've known them your entire life; how did you even get through life before them? Beneath all the chaos, partying, and adventure that college is, you couldn't imagine doing it with anyone besides your roommate, and you wouldn't change a thing if you could turn back time.
