About this time last year, my best friend shared the wonderful news that she would be attending the same college as me, and we quickly decided to room together. Naturally, I was thrilled to know that I was going to get to spend college adventuring with my partner in crime of the last six years. It wasn't long after we announced our news that people started warning us that best friends should never room together: "Spending too much time together will ruin your friendship and you will grow to hate each other." But rooming with someone you know well has way more positives than negatives. So, as all of our other friends left for their campuses at the end of summer, my best friend and I packed up and set off for college together.
First of all, move-in weekend was great because our families already knew each other. There weren't any awkward introductions or uncomfortable maneuvers around the small dorm room. We all helped unload, unpack and decorate as a team. Our moms ran to the store together that afternoon to pick up everything we had forgotten. Move-in day went smoothly because we were all comfortable helping out one another.
Secondly, it was really nice to have my best friend there for the first few weeks of school as we settled into our new schedules and new home. There was nervousness of this unfamiliar place and stress from our already busy schedules, but I found comfort in having my best friend by my side. Plus, she already loves me, so I didn't have to worry about impressing my roommate on top of everything else. She knows all of my quirks and annoyances; she puts up with all the alarms I set in the morning for my 8 a.m. and suffers through my late nights studying; she knows my moods, and still sticks with me. Those first couple of months would've been a lot harder had I been stuck in a tiny, sweaty room with a stranger. She was a familiarity I needed with so many unfamiliar things around me.
Of course, it hasn't all been a bed of roses. There have been times that we have gotten on each other's nerves and had small fights. But that's not because we are best friends. That's just something that happens when you are living in someone else's space. The difference with us is that we know each other so well it makes it easier to resolve conflicts. When something is bugging me, I let her know instead of letting it build up inside of me. When I am having an extra stressful weak and I am particularly sensitive, she is understanding, patient and gentle with me. When I just need to cry, she offers her shoulder. She is always there for me, as a roommate and a best friend.
People think that living with a best friend is a bad idea, that it will ruin a friendship. But it doesn't have to ruin anything. The thing is, no matter who you live with, it takes work, and there will be occasional conflicts. The more you know someone, the more you should be able to talk with them through problems to find resolutions.
I love living with my best friend because I love her and now I get to spend a ton of time with her; we are growing our relationship and learning more about each other through the challenges we face as roommates. No matter who you live with, you will have to work hard in order to compensate things and have a peaceful home. Why wouldn't you want to do that with a best friend?
