Ah, October. Fall has officially begun – the leaves have started falling, the weather has gotten cooler, pumpkins, spider webs and skeletons are found outside of everyone’s front porch. As exciting as trips to the pumpkin patches or corn mazes can be, October tends to take on a different meaning for college students all over the United States, also known as “National I Hate My Roommate Month.”
Ask any college student – they know what I am talking about, especially those living in dorms. October is known to be the month in which everyone’s true colors begin to show. Your dormmates living across the hall throw parties (if you can even call those things parties, that is) almost every single night blasting loud music until the wee hours of the morning. Your suitemate, Marisa, is no longer the extremely clean girl she once was. She now leaves her dirty laundry, trash and dishes all over the dorm. Your roommate, Lia, is no longer quiet and courteous in the morning – I mean, let’s face it, she probably woke up late for her 8 a.m. and is rushing. Whether this be the case or not, she never fails to wake you up at 7:52 a.m. as she slams the dorm door shut while practically sprinting out the door. She is late for class. Shocker.
By October, you and your roommates have gotten into a routine. She has morning classes Monday, Wednesday and Friday – you look forward to these days. You get to enjoy the peace and quiet for most of the morning before you head off to class at 12:30 p.m. You both have the same class times on Tuesdays and Thursdays along with meetings here and there – so you guys hardly see each other until about 8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays are good days. Except, not really. Tuesdays and Thursdays are the days your suitemates generally go out. On one of these days, without fail, you are woken up at 3 a.m. to your suitemates drunkenly knocking things over while trying to make Easy Mac for each other – yes, the walls are that thin.
Fridays are your best days. You spent days planning the perfect schedule, and have thus ensured that you don’t have classes on Friday. Instead, after being woken up promptly at 7:52 a.m., you fall back asleep until 3:45 p.m. – when your roommate gets home. You two briefly talk about how bad the food at the dining hall was today (when is it ever good?), before you make up an excuse as to why you have to leave. Last Friday, you told her that you needed to head to the library to study for your math quiz. You aren’t even taking math this semester. You have finally realized that the equivalent to hell is living in a dorm. You cannot wait to move into an apartment next year.
Fast forward a year – you now live in said apartment. You thought there would be more leeway as you no longer have someone living steps apart from you. Wrong. October has strolled in again, and, in a sense, living in said apartment is worse than your dorm – you now have a sin and your roommates’ dishes are about to hit the ceiling because they have yet to clean them.
Courtesy: The Star
When will this nightmare ever end? Never, it seems. Suddenly, you are startled awake. Someone keeps nudging you. What, and who, in the world? You open your eyes, slowly. What is happening? Your roommate, Lia, is standing above you saying, “Zoë you are going to be late for your Calculus exam! Get up!” Both eyes are open at this point. Everything is starting to make sense again. You jump up, hug Lia and sprint out there door. It’s 4:05 – you have 10 minutes to get to class on time. You can do this.
On your speed-walk to class, you realize you were merely having a nightmare. You love your current living situation. You don’t know what you would do without Lia waking you up at 7:52 a.m. sharp or your suitemates at 3 a.m. every Tuesday and Thursday. Sometimes, you even look forward to getting up and making them their Easy Mac. You couldn’t imagine your freshman year going any different. You are excited for the future. Yes, October is “National I Hate My Roommate Month,” but it doesn’t have to be. Embrace the little annoyances your room and suitemates cause you. I hate to be the one to tell you, but you still have another seven months with them.
Courtesy: Retail Executive
*Names have been changed to protect identities.