If I close my eyes and try to forget the past three years, there's enough panic in my chest to make anyone believe I would be starting my freshmen year of college. But then I take a breath, open my eyes and remember that I'm packing up the old Sienna for the last time, that this is it, my final year at Albright.

Even after doing this so many times, the agony of packing and unpacking everything with a 72 hour period still arises. The jitters that I will forget a book for my class, or for some reason I will leave something important at home, stew deep down in my stomach. However, one thing that does not scare me is returning to my home, even though it has changed every year, including the lovely ladies I would call my roommates.

I think the scariest thing for most freshmen, especially those like myself who went away to college without a single friend, is wondering who their roommate will be. They fear that they will be a weirdo, thief, psycho, or the opposite, a stuck-up snob who does not want to associate with a stranger.I wish I could tell every single freshman it will all be okay and everything will eventually work out fine.

My freshman year I got placed with a random roommate. However, sometimes I wonder how random it really was. I do not remember filling out more than a basic survey about my lifestyle and somehow I got placed with an amazing girl who is still one of my best friends today. We both ended up being education majors and members of the dance team. We had similar interests like crafts, organization, and of course dancing. Later we both ended up joining sororities, getting jobs, and being crazy involved on campus. Like every relationship, we may have had ups and downs, but a freshman roommate is a very important person and will always hold a particular place in a college student's heart. This is the girl that experienced all the new stuff with you, went with you to the caf every day before you made your own friends, helped you work up the courage to go out to your first college party and even held you while you cried about your high school boyfriend who was no more.

While it is believed that this person becomes one of your best friends, so many people also believe that means you have to cling to them as a roommate for your entire college career. While that is a good idea, you already know you work well together and you already have established the roommate boundaries, it is not the end of the world if it doesn't work out for you.

I have had different roommates/apartment-mates/housemates my entire college career and it has shaped me into a more understanding and independent individual. I have loved each of my roommates differently and am still great friends with each. They have each been there for me in ways I could never ask for. We have shared laughs, tears, breakdowns, stress, drama, and most importantly--snacks. But I still would not have traded the fact that I have had three different roommates and will be starting my fourth year with yet another different roomie.

With each person, we established different styles of living, routines, and rules. I knew when to be quiet, what things we could share, and the best ways to help out. I learned to reason and accept that things change. I may have really enjoyed one aspect of living with a certain roommate that was not present in another, but I learned to cope with the difference and found ways to enjoy new things. My bedtimes changed as my school years progressed and so did my stress level. Each year of school is different, so what is so wrong with roommates changing each year?

Sometimes people think negatively about the fact that I've had a different roommate each year. It's not because I didn't get along with anyone, I'm hard to live with, or I'm a loner. I enjoyed each experience and am always excited for the next adventure with another one of my best friends. I've learned to become independent and not rely on a particular individual, which will come in handy next year after graduation. I know how to be my own person, make new friends, and keep relationships. Being independent is an important quality that some learn quickly when they go away to school. But for me, learning to be even more dependent came with each year having a different environment to thrive in.

So to anyone who is having roommate issues, or to anyone who isn't, roommates are an experience to be enjoyed and friends that will leave a mark on your heart. School years change, people change, so it is perfectly normal to have roommates change. These people will help mold you into a person who is ready to take on the real world. Enjoy each second of being together because before too long, it'll be May!