That’s right, as you consider the classes you’ll register for, the organizations you’ll join, the major you’ll eventually declare, you need to determine just where you will call home and who you’ll be sharing all of these experiences with…or…you might even ponder the possibility of flying solo in your living space.
While the answer MIGHT seem easily apparent (of course I’ll room with my best friend…), take some time to weigh your options before jumping to what you think is the obvious choice. While sharing a 10x10 space with your nearest and dearest high school friend may seem fun at first, think about your lifestyle…think about your friend’s lifestyle. Is your early-to-bed, early-to-rise routine really compatible with your potential roommate’s pattern snoring the afternoons away and staying up until 3am to study?
Maybe you’re considering the potluck route. (I’m partial to potluck meals, but an evening meal is waaaaaaaaaaaaay different than a 24/7, entire school year roommate.) While rooming with someone from a completely different background, whose hometown is on the other end of the country (or even the opposite side of the globe), may initially seem daunting, the guys in the residence hall department really know what they’re doing. They spend a lot of time matching up people with similar behaviors, schedules and interests. And while the person you’re assigned as a roommate may not turn out to be the one you share your deepest and darkest secrets with, wouldn’t it be nice to know you won’t have to argue over the remote because you’re both religious viewers of “The Office” every Thursday night? Or that you’ll never have to worry about a 6 am alarm, because neither of you would ever THINK about scheduling a class before noon? On a 24/7 basis, little things may matter far more than you think.
And then there’s the option of choosing to NOT have a roommate. You may think you’d do better to have a room all to yourself so you can do your own thing on your own time. My friends have advised me of the following, though, when you’re a freshman (i.e. at the bottom of the totem pole) in a brand new world where you may be only one of 50,000 faces crossing the quad every day, it helps to have a buddy to help you feel not so quite alone. It can help to come back to a familiar face after class, especially when you’re just getting acclimated to campus. And who knows? This person may turn out to be a lifelong friend…
Bottom line: think about your habits, behaviors and schedule. How adaptable and flexible are you? Would you go ballistic if you opened the door to find 3-day old pizza boxes on the floor and an unidentified smell coming from your roommate’s laundry hamper? Do you have to have the TV on to fall asleep? Do you have to leave the light on to fall asleep?
Before I go on and on, never ever—I mean—NEVER EVER let your parents fill out your roommate questionnaire for you—it could be ugly, I mean realllllllly ugly.
I better go work on my own list of preferences and sniff out my options...
then I can get to the really serious stuff—meal plans!Woof,
Clyde
