Getting a college roommate can be the best thing to happen to a student, or the worst. For me, it was the best. My roommate ended up being someone that I became instant best friends with, and eventually, we acted like a married couple, and still do.

Having a roommate that you’re basically married to is the best thing ever, because you not only bring out the best in each other, but you care about them more than yourself like all of the time. Not only that, but you know that at the end of the day, you have an opportunity to live with someone that makes you a better person. Quite honestly, having a roommate that acts as your significant other is the best way to live it up when you move to college. There are many reasons why, but here are the top ten in no particular order.

1. They always keep the fridge clean.

Having a roommate that keeps the fridge clean is a big sign that you’re married to them. Whenever you leave food in the fridge and forget about it, they throw it away for you. The best part? They typically don’t even tell you about it because there’s really no use to when they know you’ll do it again. But they don’t want you to get sick, and they either want the fridge to stop smelling God awful, or they actually care about you having room for the chicken wings you’ll probably bring home later that evening. It’s really all about just doing things that a typical married couple would do.

2. You let each other know when it’s time to do laundry.

If their clothes are just every freaking where, you’ll probably pick it up for them for a while and put it in their laundry basket until it fills up. When it DOES fill up, you let them know that it’s probably time for them to go do their laundry. Sometimes, you even go as far as putting their clothes away for them. There are even times where you know that if your roommate's stuff is in the laundry room and they’re gone, you’ll move it to the dryer or bring it to the room for them. It’s truly love.

3. You go grocery shopping together.

When you plan on a day and time to go to the grocery store, that’s a pretty sure sign that you’re married to your roommate. The best part is arguing about what to buy that can fit in the freezer, and agreeing on foods to share and discussing what can fit where. It’s even better when you can argue for twenty minutes whether pizza rolls or hot pockets is a better dinner choice.

4. You discuss further living options.

When you and your college roommate talk about continuously living together even after your first year of college, it’s pretty obvious you’re getting serious about the relationship. Talking about which house or apartment would be best for the both of you and especially arguing about the paint color, or whether to rent or buy is common when you are married to your roommate. When you can put up with someone for an entire year and you STILL want to live with them afterwards... well, you get the picture.

5. You ALWAYS know where they are.

Your roommate’s entire schedule is memorized frontwards, backwards, up and down when you’re married to them. You know when they’re at work, what time they get out of class, what classes they have, where they have them, everything. You also always check to see if your roommate is available to go with you whenever possible. Whether it’s just to walk to the health clinic or drive to the mall, you are always checking to see if they can go or want to go, and normally, they do. Because if they don’t, it’s just… weird.

6. You find yourself cleaning their stuff often.

I can’t tell you how many times I have walked into my dorm room and my stuff has been picked up. I’d ask my roommate where my mess went, and she’d tell me, “Oh, I just thought I’d put your crap away.” The best part is, you don’t even care if they were nosy and went through and organized all your shit and threw everything into random areas or put them into new drawers in a clean manner. All that matters is that they did it, and the thought counts for everything.

7. You’ll tell them when they’re pissing you off. Or when you love them. Or however else you feel about them.

When you live with someone for an amount of time, there are things they do that either irritate the hell out of you, or make you just love the crap out of them. Maybe they won’t stop playing the same songs, or they just keep talking, or maybe they tell you your favorite joke and make you laugh uncontrollably. Regardless, you’ll tell them straight up how you feel about them. You won’t hold back, because since you live together, that’d cause tension whether your thoughts are good or bad. Everyone knows, too, that married couples fight like married couples. Roommates can also fight like married couples, and will argue about really dumb things, and apologize minutes later. Or maybe you’ll get upset or butthurt over something petty. Or even really emotional when they do something small and nice for you.

8. You can literally finish each other’s sentences.

Being Around someone on a daily, you learn EVERYTHING about them. This includes their favorite quotes,sayings, movies, books,. Etc. If your roommate says something and can’t think of half of their sentence, you can usually finish it for them. When they sing a song they like, you’ll even pitch in. When they quote something, you’ll jump in. It’s actually kind of scary, but it’s also pretty cool being able to know someone’s mind that well.

9. You have developed the same sleep schedule.

Isn’t it great to wake up at 8am and you can look over to your roommate, and they dart their head towards you at the exact same time? It’s awesome. It’s also nice because you can stay awake late, and they will too, but eventually you will both pass out at the EXACT same time. It can be bittersweet, though, because you can also wake up early if they do every morning. My favorite part is getting back to my dorm and hopping back into bed, and my roommate knows to keep quiet. It comes to tell you that you respect the hell out of your marriage enough not to patronize it by messing with their sleep schedule.

10. You lecture each other when you need it.

Fighting like a married couple is one thing, but lecturing each other about the things they do right or wrong is completely different and is on a whole new level. When they’re down, you’ll do and say whatever it takes for them to feel better. When they mess up, you will call them out on it and tell them to get their shit together. You’re always there to help better them as a person, but you also won’t let them off the hook too easily. Being able to build each other up and call each other out is a huge and important factor of being married to your roommate, if not, the most important and crucial one.