On move in day of my freshman year, which truly seems like just yesterday, two girls stopped by my room. They told my roommate and I it was their room the year before and they began to point out little cracks in the paint, laugh about old memories and point out whose side was whose. My roommate and I, who were awkwardly meeting for the first time, didn't know what to say. That room meant nothing to us then and it was almost overwhelming to see how important it was to these strangers.

With only a few days left in my small dorm, I can't help but feel like it is now so much more than a dorm; it has become a home. I can't imagine going the next three months not sleeping with a roommate 2 feet away from me.

Don't underestimate the power of the dorm you're about to live in for 9 months. It is able to bring together 2 people, who were complete strangers, and create a friendship unlike any you will ever experience. Communal bathrooms, though absolutely terrifying at times (especially on the weekends when the cleaning staff is not on duty) teach you more lessons than you are even prepared to learn. You'll learn to love your tiny twin bed, it's where you'll collapse after a long day of finals, where you will take the best naps of your life, and where you and all of your friends will sit during movie nights or to recount the events of the weekend. Your small closets will probably seem even smaller when you can’t figure what to wear to that frat party or that important interview. Keep in mind, two small closets are bigger than one, utilize your roommate’s impeccable wardrobe.

Your dorm may have AC but the university will probably shut it off way too early in the year. Sharing fans and complaining about the sweat you wake up in will be a bonding factor, embrace it. Have lots of dance parties, take tons of pictures in the hallway before you go out, laugh about nothing, scream about that bug you swore you saw, complain about the size of your room, and bang on the wall if your neighbor is too loud. Love every moment you have in your room, the days are numbered and go by way too fast. (pro tip: decorate your room for all holidays, bring febreeze or illegal candles, and have lots of blankets and pictures- it makes it feel like home).

You make all of your best memories in your dorm room. You meet your best friends in your building. Embrace the small rooms, gross bathrooms, big staircases, twin beds, and the hundreds of strangers you meet. They become your family and your room will become your home. Take care of my room for me next year and don’t be surprised if two strangers show up at your door to relive old memories and see their old room, I’m sure you’ll do the same.