The first year of a new school is exciting, yet terrifying in so many ways. The biggest fear coming in to a new school is not knowing anyone. If you live on campus, you are most likely assigned a roommate that you've never meet before. This could either be the worst, the best, or somewhere in the middle. Last year, I was lucky enough to be assigned to live with the best roommates I could imagine. While one of them was only at our school for a semester for study abroad, we still made the most of our time with her, and we look forward to the year ahead of us living with our new roommate, who was also assigned to us at random. It's hard to tell in the beginning of the school year, but if you find yourself thinking about any of these points later in the year, you may have been assigned the perfect roommate.
1. They reference your favorite shows without ever having watched them.
Nothing is better than hearing one of my roommates say "Remember that scene in 'Parks and Rec' that you showed me?" It's music to my ears.
2. And they don't judge you for what you watch on TV.
Maybe I'm watching "Sofia the First" because I want to write for children's TV one day and I'm studying the way the story is structured. Or maybe I just really like "Austin and Ally." My roommates don't care. And if my roommate wants to watch "Kung Fu Panda" with me, I will gladly accept the offer.
3. As cool as they may seem, they still hang out with you.
Throwback to when I thought my roommate was super cool and popular and would think I was boring and weird. Turns out she loves me and we hang out all the time.
4. Seeing them sad makes you sad, and vice-versa.
This is how it should be with everyone you care about, and roommates are no exception. Also, this is an accurate representation of me trying to comfort others.
5. You have a perfect nickname for your room.
Last year, we called ourselves "The Four ACES" because our initials spelled "ACES." I know, we're really cool.
6. You have that honorary roommate that's always in your room and no one is against it.
They are always in our room or they show up to roommate bonding nights and everyone is happy to have them there.
7. They don't hate you for eating popcorn at 2 in the morning while they are trying to sleep.
Sorry, Savannah.
8. When it comes time to apply for housing for the next year, you can't imagine living with anyone else.
It was really hard when one of them was studying abroad at our school and had to go home. But at least we have lasting memories and a chance to make new memories with our new roommate.
9. They've made a small square room a home for you.
A dorm room is not the most ideal living space, but by the end of the year it almost felt like leaving a childhood home that I grew up in.
10. And they are like family to you.
In a place that's so unfamiliar, all I wanted was to have family around. I never expected to create a second family with my roommates, but it made everything so much easier.