Before college move-in day, one of the things I was stressing over the most was whether or not I would have a good roommate. I didn’t have any friends going to the same college I was, and although I could have searched for a roommate online, I decided to take a leap of faith and go random. I know it sounds scary to a lot of people because you never really know what kind of person you might end up with, but hear me out: it was actually one of the best decisions I have made in college.
First off, the process isn’t as random as you think. Most schools will have you fill out a survey about yourself and your habits (like if you go to bed early or have friends over a lot) and they pair you with someone who is the closest match.
Second of all, there is no obligation to be best friends with the person you are living with. Although it would be awesome to become best friends with the girl you will be sharing a room with while you experience freshman year together, it’s much better to let the friendship side of being roommates come naturally. Often people that choose their roommate online expect to be best friends with their roommate and wind up forcing a connection that may not be reciprocated. Also, when it comes to those little disagreements that roommates have to work out, it’s much easier to ask your roommate to change their habits without feeling like you are in danger of hurting your best friend’s feelings. And if things really don’t seem to be working out, you have no obligation to stay roommates! It’s much easier to request a room change knowing you don’t have to feel like you just ditched someone that you chose to live with.
Lastly, I can honestly say that the best roommates I have found in college are those who got paired randomly. Although it is super intimidating, sometimes just being able to live with the person you’re sharing a room with is better than trying to be best friends. If you are considering getting paired with a roommate randomly, trust the system and hope for the best! You never know what good can come out of the experience.