When it comes to random roommates, I feel like I only ever hear the horror stories; the rare but unfortunate pairing of two people who just do not see eye to eye. It sucks when one person wants to turn the space under their raised dorm bed into a cave and live under it while the other roommate is just looking for some normalcy, but it’s not like this situation happens to everybody! Contrary to popular belief, it is possible to have a positive random roommate experience. Three years ago I chose to have a random roommate during my first year at FSU, and I will never regret it. Not only did I gain a best friend for life, but I learned how to live on my own with someone I barely knew; a skill and experience I think is important for every Collegiette. So, instead of scaring incoming freshmen away from the possibility of living with a stranger, I would like to be a voice of encouragement! Here are the reasons why having a random roommate can be awesome.
They could share your love of cheese
Maybe all the friends you’re used to hanging out with every day have gotten sick and tired of hearing you talk about the new cream cheese flavors you’ve tried at Einstein Brothers. Or maybe they’ll un-follow you on Twitter if you tweet about how great the smell of Mexican blend shredded cheese is ONE MORE TIME. But maybe, just maybe, that random roommate you somehow got paired with won’t get sick of all the cheese talk. Maybe she’ll love it just as much, if not more. The first time I met my random roommate, Megan, all we talked about was how much we both loved cheese, and that’s when I knew the two of us were going to get along just fine.
They probably also watch TV
You probably have those four or five go-to TV shows that you always turn the channel to when ] they’re on. Which means, the random roommate you end up with also has four or five shows that she has to watch too! And through this excessive TV watching, you could end up finding a new show to binge watch and fangirl over together. Megan always loved to turn on cooking or house hunting shows, which I had never had much interest in before, but I found myself becoming more and more invested in what house the couple on House Hunters was going to choose. We also found a shared fascination for the bizarre TV shows that TLC comes up with. Every night we would either watch Long Island Medium or Breaking Amish. It was a great bonding tool and an entertaining way to procrastinate on our schoolwork.
Their (good) habits could rub off on you.
Before living with Megan, I didn’t give much thought to healthy eating. I always just ate whatever I was craving at the time and figured exercising wasn’t worth it because I put forth enough time and effort into trying to be healthy. But then, I was suddenly eating every meal with someone who loved salads and who could tell me how many calories were on every plate I filled at the dining hall. It made me really think; as much as I love eating a whole pizza and ten cookies, there’s no way I’m going to burn all the dinnertime calories when I’m at the gym for an hour. So, after showing me how to make a salad actually taste good, Megan truly made me a healthier person just by living with her. I can thank her for my rockin’ bod.
Your friendship will be a unique and intimate one
Typically, most friendships begin in the type of setting where two people don’t have to spend all of their time together. This means that weird quirks and habits don’t become exposed right away. It can take a long time to grow close to some friends, but that timing gets sped up when you live, eat, breathe and go to the gym with them. Megan and I started out as roommates who knew nothing about each other, and by the end of the year it felt like we’d been friends our entire lives. I would have roomed with her again in a heartbeat, but she found her calling as a Resident Assistant. It didn’t stop us from remaining close, though. Every time we meet up for lunch, find ourselves dancing in an empty room at a frat party, or reminisce over how hilarious the “Ain’t Nobody Got Time For That” music video is, I’m reminded of how grateful I am that we were paired together. Freshman year had its ups and downs, and I had a loyal random roommate by my side through it all.
Megan, this is for you.