I'm sure you've heard all of the horror stories. Everything from drug dealer roommates, the roommates who played Slipknot at 3 am, the roommates who intentionally messed with your stuff, and worse. And I'm sure you've heard all of the good stories too. People who spend every minute of every day with their roommate, roommates who share clothes, shampoo, even underwear. But both of those things are extremes, and with 99% of people, just aren't the truth.

Living with other people can be challenging, especially if the first time you met was on move-in day. But it really is nothing to be afraid of. It's basically like sharing your space with a sibling, friend, or parent. It's normal. Completely, totally, boringly, normal. As long as you and your roommate(s) are all decent, relatively clean people, everything is going to go just fine.

Living with people who aren't your family is definitely a growing experience, though. It teaches you more than ever that everyone is different, and everyone does things differently. Some people sing in the shower, some people meditate at 6 am, and some people have to watch TV to fall asleep. It's a very different perspective on other people's lives, and it expands your "bubble". Going into it can bring about a lot of emotions and fears, but in the end, it's totally worth it because you get to learn more about yourself and about others. Plus, it's super fun to get to live with two people who aren't your mom and dad.

While having roommates is a growing experience, it should also be a fun one. One cool thing about having roommates is that their interests are likely different from yours, so they can show you new things and teach you new ideas that you weren't exposed to back home. They can bring you to their club meetings, or show you their favorite spot on campus. And if they happen to be in greek life, they can bring you to their philanthropy events. Overall, having roommates is just a super cool life experience in general.