Dear Future College Freshmen Residents of C227,

I remember exactly where I was when I found out my room assignment for my Freshman Year. I had about 20 minutes left in work and I had a quick break to check my email. I saw the assignment and immediately checked my roommates and the building I would be in. Luckily I was living with the girl I requested, and the other 4 girls in our suite were unknown to me. The concept of a suite itself was unknown to me as well, but I was just glad to be in a double instead of a converted triple.

Move-in day was weird to say the least. We took multiple trips from the car to my room. The hallways were just hallways and the room was just a room on that Thursday afternoon. It's been about 8 months and I'm moving out next week, so I wanted to tell you about my time in this suite.

To start, we made memories. You'll be sitting on couches that friends have slept on. When you open the suite door and see the blank white walls, you won't know about the endless decorations we've had on them, and when you look at the window, you'll have no idea that we would often toss candy out to the people that would smoke outside.

When you step into the suite of C227, it will just be a space at first. You'll see two couches, a chair, and a window, and it will look small- cramped. You'll think there's barely space for the people who live there but don't worry, we fit 14 people in there at the same time.

Your room won't feel like home yet. You won't know about the posters my roommate and I had all over the wall, or the lived-in feel for a while. Your room will be just that, a room, for quite a while, but just wait it out. It won't be long before you start to call that room home. Soon you'll have friends over and hopefully have the time of your life.

There are so many things that happened in my suite and room that are just between my friends and I but there are also so many things that happened the year before we lived there, and the year before that. People from all years loved, laughed, cried, did homework, pulled all-nighters, put off laundry, slept through classes, and so much more.

My suite was known as the "meeting place." We had people over all the time and to this day I don't know why, but I wouldn't change that. This was the suite of people who went to NERF Club religiously, had a passion for Marvel, loved ordering Chinese food, were friends with almost all of the RAs in the building, got back late, didn't sleep, and talked too loudly, but most importantly, we all had a great year. Even if we didn't always talk, we were always friendly, and I think we were lucky because not only were we friendly, but we were friends.

When it came time to pick rooms for next year, my friends and I knew we wanted a 4-person suite. We hoped for one in Crossroads (that'll be weird once you understand Crossroads), but the thing about college is that it can't be recreated. Next year when I'm living with my friends, I won't have the same RAs, I won't know most of the people on my floor, and things won't be the same- but that's okay.

I had a fantastic Freshman Year and of course, I want things to be just as great next year, but just because things will be different doesn't mean they'll be bad. Changing RAs, suitemates, hallmates, and buildings is all for the best because if nothing changes, no new memories will be made, and if nothing else I've made plenty of memories.

So to the Freshmen who will be living in my suite and room next year, have fun, good luck, and make the best of it. You probably won't know the stories of C227(B) just as I don't know the stories from years past, but you'll make your own and that's the best thing you can do.