Roommates: they’re a part of college. A huge part that can transform your four years, and are an experience in their own right. You learn a lot from your roommates about yourself and about life in general. You learn to coexist with another human being and you figure out their quirks and maybe realize behaviors of your own that need some work. Roommates can shape the experience you have in college in a very serious way, but there are also a lot crazy and hilarious instances that will bind you together for life. In the past two years, I’ve lived with four roommates in three different rooms within two different countries. Here are some of the happenings that make me smile and think #justroomiethings.
Sleep-Talking and or Sleepy Time Conversations.
Two of my roommates, in particular, are KNOWN for their weird sleepy time shenanigans. There was the instance of one popping up staring at me intently and very sarcastically thanking me for the tea before laying back down. Or the time my other roomie had a monologue about her life as a “kimono” [sic] dragon. When I asked her if it was a hard life, she confidently informed me that I “didn’t know the half of it.” While I tease them, I can’t say that I haven’t provided my share due of weird night time convos. I have no memory of this event but there is a SnapChat vid of me explaining the unintelligible rant I had just finished was due to the “Nyquil haze”...
Can I Have ‘What are personal boundaries for 200?’
Cuddles and hugs and kisses are all fine and dandy, and you can count me as a fully enthusiastic participant in this realm of popping personal bubbles. Walking in on each other peeing, having sex ed talks, helping to apply zit cream, and using teamwork to get the right angle on nudes? Well, I’m just glad I can be useful.
‘What was that?’
Getting weird is one thing for which I’ll always be thankful to my roommates. I’ll be typing up an essay when I hear my roomie shout ‘MEHHHHH’ (for no apparent reason), and I can respond with pterodactyl noises. The greatest part is that this exchange will be accepted as some form of conversation.
Having a Home
Whether it’s the smell of our (against-all-fire-safety-regulations) scented candles wafting down the hall as I make my way to my room, or the sound of her backpack thudding the marble floor as she gives me a look that says she’s 100% done with today, or listening to the same 10 songs all the time and having her weird dance moves committed to memory, I love that my roommates have made these rooms into homes.
Prioritizing priorities
Life isn’t as straightforward as we’d like and sometimes your priorities have to be reevaluated. A lot of the time it’s when you’d like to just keep everything as it is, and this is when your roomies come to the rescue and help you sort it all out. They might tell you to just “f*ck it” and go with what you want to do or they might give that much-needed slap back into reality.
They Got Your Back
Advice. Help. Loving Support. Open arms, and an open closet. I know I can turn to any of my roomies (past or present) for guidance or love and they’ll be there to do the best they can. They always have the best intentions and truly care about me. They’ll do what’s best, even if it isn’t easy, to have my back.
Roommates are a wild ride from start to finish. They’ll forget their keys and force you to let them in at 5 am and they’ll listen to beta waves cranked up to help them study for their two midterms the next day, and they’ll make you tea when you’re feeling down and send you weird obscure and downright awful links that make you burst out laughing, only to then have to sheepishly explain why you can’t actually explain why you’re laughing; they'll be there for all the up's and down's. I found that my roomies have truly stood the test of time, as my roommates are still a huge source of light in my life long after they've moved out, and that isn't going to change anytime soon.
