Before going to college, I was extremely worried about the roommate situation. Being forced to share a room with a stranger is nerve-wracking. You don’t want to experience any of those “roommate nightmare” stories you see on social media. If you’re like me, you lucked out and got the best roommate ever. For those of you about to start your first year this fall or are staying on campus for the first time, here are a few signs you and your roommate are going to get along just fine.
1. You share the same taste in almost everything.
Celebrities, music, fashion, movies, food, men/women. You name it. Living with someone becomes a thousand times easier when you enjoy the same things. Jazz and I bonded over music, 90s music to be specific. Once that bit of information was revealed, our room was always filled with music coming out of one of our speakers.
2. You speak without speaking.
Those unspoken conversations are something else. Either you can’t speak to each other because the person you want to talk about is in the room, or you make eye contact to confirm whatever unbelievable event is happening in front of your eyes. Bottom line is, if you look over to them, make eye contact, and see they’re making the same expression as you, they’re a keeper.
3. People assume you knew each other before coming to college.
Coming into college, most of us don’t know our roommates, or even have the chance to talk to them before move-in day, but when you and your roommate click, people think you guys are childhood friends.
“I could’ve sworn you guys said you went to high school together.”
“You guys seem so close, though.”
“So, you two really never knew each other before coming here?”
Yes. That is exactly what I just told you.
4. You share the same goals.
By this, I don’t just mean you have the same majors or plan to take the same classes, though, those are convincing signs. However, I’m talking about life goals in general. You share similar, or the same if you’re extra lucky, dreams and aspirations. Spending most of your time with someone that shares such an important part of your life with you empowers you more than you think it would. Knowing you are in the same situation makes you want to see that person succeed. You are going through these struggles and successes together. Helping each other through the struggles and celebrating the achievements forms the foundation not only of a healthy living situation but also a lifelong friendship.
5. You unknowingly learn from each other.
It can happen when you don't even realize it. Something that was said during one of your late night conversations happens to be mentioned in class the next day. You add another item/event on your bucket list because your roommate talked about how amazing it was when they did it. The best relationships are formed when you can learn something from each other.
6. You form a routine before the first week of school is over.
Shower times are established. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner times are settled. Trips to the library or computer lab are scheduled. Most of the time, you don't even talk about these things. They just happen.
Bonus Sign: You have the same last name.
Okay, so maybe this really doesn’t mean anything, but if you and your roommate experience everything listed above and you have the same last name, you guys were meant to be.
P.S. To those that know my roommate and I, one of these days, we will have a sign on our door that says: “Meet The Browns.”
