Entering college for the first time, or a new semester at school is always filled with prospects – new boyfriends, great parties, and of course becoming bffs with your roommate…right?
But let’s face the facts: living with another person, much less two or three other people, is an inevitable learning experience for everyone in college. Realistically, throwing at least two girls in the same living space together is a recipe for at least a little bit of drama. As females, we all know how insane, unpredictable, and catty we all can be, but we all hope that the girls we live with will be somewhat tolerable.
Random roommates can be both a blessing and a curse; either situation is a product of sheer luck. A good roommate can provide support, friendship, and a healthy living environment, while a bad roommate can increase the difficulty and stress of college life.
“I thought I was prepared for any roommate situation. I seriously Facebook stalked them before we made our rooming arrangement official…but wow did I misjudge one of them,” said Kayla* a communications major at the University of Maryland.
“The first couple of weeks at school, people obviously were raging hard but this girl took it to the extreme. She got lost in a really sketchy area off campus, by herself, at 4 am, and was blackout drunk. I was the only somewhat sober one and I tried to find her and help her, but she kept running away and cursing me out,” reveals Kayla. “Her insane drunkenness was a trend, and obviously I couldn’t be friends with someone like that.”
Kayla was able to get through the rest of the year by giving her roommate some space and not going out with her. “We were civil to each other when we had to be, but we were not friends in any way.”
Source: mycollegeguide.org
Laura*, a Psychology major, also had a terrible experience. “One of my roommates decided to throw a party in the apartment, which I was fine with since I wasn’t going to be in town. When I came back, the place was completely destroyed – including a huge hole in the wall, which my drunken roommate had tried to patch up, making it look even worse.”
But rest assured ladies, not every roommate is a complete nightmare.
In fact, I got lucky my freshman year. I lived in an apartment with three other girls whom I had never met before, and one of them became one of my best friends – and still is to this day. That’s not to say things were all rainbows and butterflies with all of us living together, but my freshman experience was definitely made easier with my sidekick just three feet away.
Caption: Hayley and her roommate
There are definitely some girls who do luck out and get great roommates and remain friends…and sometimes even more than that.
“There was a mistake during room assignments, and I ended up living with three guys for my freshman year,” said Sam, a Business major. But she didn’t mind, and became very close with her guy roommates, especially one of them who she ended up dating by the end of the year.
“I think living with guys gave me a new perspective on things, and based off some of my friends’ stories about their roommates, I’m definitely glad I had a bunch of guys to live with,” said Sam. “The only downside I can think of is that at times they were a bit messy…but what else could you expect from guys?”
Rachel, an Education major, also had a great time with roommates. They got along extremely well and got so close to one another, and still consider each other best friends.
Caption: Rachel and her roommates
“Right away after the first week, I knew we’d all be friends forever. We just clicked instantly and I can’t imagine going through college with anyone else. I was very lucky to meet these girls,” said Rachel.
Regardless of how their living situations worked out, all four of these girls agreed that communication and personal space is the most important factor in dealing with your roommates. Whether your roommate is your worst enemy alive and you can’t stand the sight of her, or she’s your best friend and you can’t be separated from one another, it’s important to respect her belongings and space.
Although having a bad roommate can make a life a little bit more stressful, it’s imperative to remember that it’s not permanent. If things are truly that bad, you can try to switch out to relieve some of the tension. And if you decide to stick it out for the rest of the year, know that there are tons of girls going through the same thing as you, and at least you get a great story to tell about your freshman dorm experience.
*denotes name has been changed.