After living in a single last year, I had my worries about spending my sophomore year with a roommate. Yes, she was one of my best friends, but I had heard too many horror stories from upperclassmen about rooming together ruining even the best relationships: could that happen to us? What if my single life had spoiled me and I found even her innocent, normal-roommate behavior annoying beyond toleration?
Thankfully, my anxieties couldn’t have been further from the realities of having a roommate. Especially in the dreariest, darkest moments of winter, I absolutely love living with her, even more than I liked living in my single. Here are some of my favorite reasons why living with someone else during the winter is a way better choice:
1. Another body to bring back food
Every so often, I’ll be sitting in my room, trying to finish readings I can’t focus on, thinking, I wish I had some tea or a snack right now. I live in Caples, just too far to justify walking to the market, especially when snow piles on Middle Path and makes it unnavigable. So imagine my elation that my roommate will text on her way home, “Hey, I’m stopping in the bookstore, you need anything?” Even better, I can text her when we really need groceries knowing she can get them before she comes back. All the food, with very limited effort!
2. Extra hands for when you’re feeling lazy
To make extra space in our double, my roommate and I bunked our beds. I live on what I imagine as “the top shelf,” a little out of the way, and it’s a hassle to climb into bed and get comfy right as I realize I left my laptop, or earbuds, or a book I needed on the floor below. Instead of having to drag myself out again and go through the effort of retrieving it, I can ask my roommate to ferry objects back and forth; and she does! (Okay, so this fuels my laziness. But I love it… she just grabs things! Is this what having a roommate is always like?!)
3. An instant source of advice
When I’m feeling stressed about life and want someone else to offer their opinion, especially on time-sensitive issues where it could be difficult to text someone else asking, my roommate is right there. She’s perfect for when I need help or even simply to vent, and especially in the winter when reasons to vent run high, I appreciate her support so much.
4. An instant source of gossip
Conversely, when I just want to avoid my own stress, she’s right there with gossip about her life, serious and playful. I can funnel my attention into helping her through her own issues, or we can get distracted complaining about men™ being generally The Worst™. By the end, I’m much less in touch with whatever was stressing me so much before.
5. An event buddy
If something is happening on campus but we’re not sure who else is coming, or if we want to do something off-campus but don’t want to go alone, it’s super easy to get ready in our room then head together to whatever’s happening. We can walk to brunch together, we can paint at a Gund Gallery Late Night, we can reserve tickets for plays without worrying we’ll be sitting there alone, and we can watch out for each other at parties. Even a mid-morning drive to Panera to get soup becomes an ~event~.
6. A self-care reminder
When I’m getting too swamped down by my stresses and responsibilities, my roommate reminds me to make time for myself. I’m bad at recognizing that not everything I do has to be focused on production–academic, pre-professional, creative–and she forces me to reevaluate my own well-being and how I could be treating myself better. Yes, sometimes this means crocheting and mocking Love Island instead of working on internship applications, but this is its own form of love and progress!
7. So many music recommendations
I swear my music literary and my Spotify library have tripled this year because of my roommate. She tends to be the one who takes over our room’s speaker and suggests songs, and I’ve found so many new artists and even genres to love. Plus, then she’s around to dance goofily with to all the new music!
8. Cute clothes to borrow
If I’m looking to change up my style, I can ask to borrow her sweaters, jeans, shirts, anything. Often on my way out the door I realize my outfit would look better with a necklace and snatch one from her jewelry holder. Two wardrobes for the price of one? Especially when I’m behind on laundry (winter is a rough time!), this is a steal.
9. Endless Dayquil supply
She’s there to take care of me when I’m sick, remind me to take my meds, offer Emergen-C and other pseudo-cures that seem quintessentially college, and more. Literally the closest thing to a college mom I can get.
10. Spontaneity and humor
If I’m having a particularly bad day or stuck in a rut, my roommate can shake things up and if not make it better then make it more fun and weird as I work through it. She always has a joke or quirky story to share, and so many ridiculous situations emerge when you’re living with someone that can become inside jokes. It makes our friendship, and my life, better.
All in all, living with someone else (especially your best friend!) has so many positives, and I would definitely recommend it even over living in a single, depending on what you’re looking for. Especially in the winter, when it’s rough and cold, having a roommate can offer so many amazing things.