Over Easter, my mom asked me if I knew anyone who would be coming to Samford in the fall because one of her friend's daughters was looking for a roommate. That sent me back to about this time last year, when I had just decided I was going to attend Samford, and I realized that I was going to need a roommate.

I was on the quest to find the perfect roomie: scouring the Facebook group and asking anyone I knew if they knew anyone going to Samford in the fall. At orientation, I tried to meet as many girls as possible, and with each one I met, I sized them up as potential roomie material. After a while, it became clear I wasn't going to find a great roomie based off of stalking her Facebook or a first impression from a conversation. The deadline to submit the ominous survey was fast-approaching, so I decided just to go for it.

I filled it out, noting the temperature I like the room, what kind of music I listened to and ranked certain qualities (cleanliness, likeliness to Rush, etc.). And then I waited. And waited. And waited some more, until finally, Res Life emailed me my rooming assignment.

At that time, I had prayed desperately to get a fun roomie who would encourage me on my walk with Christ. (I also begged God for someone who would want to coordinate the room.) Looking back over my freshman year, I was fortunate enough to get that.

So, if you, like I was, are on the roomie hunt, I have this to say to you:

Whether you find a roommate or are assigned one, whether you start off thinking you will love her or hate her, whether you actually love her or hate her, your freshman roommate will be one of the best things to happen to you.

Living in a small, concrete box with someone will reveal to you a lot about them and who they are, but, more importantly, it will reveal you to yourself. My grandmother often reminds me, "You can learn something from everyone," and in the case of your roomie, they will teach you a lot about yourself.

I've been blessed with an incredible roomie who makes me cry with laughter late at night, reminds me to stop being such a diva, puts up with my clutter and shares my love for cinnamon rolls. We get along well, and I do not take that for granted. At the beginning of the year, we quickly realized how different we are, and it wasn't until the second semester that we really became close.

I've heard from friends at different schools about experiences where they room with friends from home, and I've heard accounts of how that has been great for some people and horrible for others. I know people who met their roommate at orientation or an Admitted Student Day. Sometimes that works out, sometimes it doesn't. Some of my friends met their roommate online. Some have had good experiences, and others have not. I know many people who, like me, went potluck. For some, that was a great choice, but others regret it.

There is no way to guarantee you will love your freshman roommate. There is no way to make sure you will be the best of friends and get along perfectly.

So, my advice is to know that and stop looking for perfection. Your attitude will shape your experience. You can choose to look at the positive and find the good things in even the worst of roomie experiences, and that is a choice you need to make now.

Know that you are going to learn and grow a lot because of your roommate. Know that it will be hard to live with someone else. Most importantly, know that your attitude about the situation, be it good or bad, will shape your roommate experience.