Hello freshmen! I know what you’re thinking…you just got your housing letter and lo and behold, somehow, by some wretched stroke of bad luck, you’re not only being forced to stay in a tiny dorm with one other person next year, but TWO, there’s a huge knot in your stomach and you don’t really know what to do. You may just start crying; that’s what I did. I was terrified.
My friend from high school and I had it all planned out: we were going to be awesome roommates, there would be no drama, and freshmen year of college was going to be a breeze. That is, until we got our housing assignments. We ended up together, but there was just one problem: we ended up with one other person as well. Who was this stranger? We did what any normal person would do — we started Facebook stalking her. But plot twist: she didn’t have a Facebook. What kind of psycho doesn’t have Facebook? Now, you must assume, considering the title, that this situation ended up being pretty fantastic. Both my friend from high school and that random psycho are now two of my very best friends. So before you start freaking out about living in a triple, here are some perks you have to look forward to.
1. You’ve always got a friend to do something with.
Hungry? But don’t want to wait in that insanely long line at Chick-fil-a on a Saturday by yourself? Odds are at least one of your roommates will want to tag along. Or how about if you want to order Red Eye but can’t eat the entire delivery order by yourself? I’m sure your roommates are going to want in on that. How about if you want to go out but your other roommate wants to stay in? You’ve always got the third one there to join you.
2. Two’s a Company, Three’s a Crowd
When you all do go out together though, it’s a serious squad. Getting ready together is a party in and of itself. You can’t go anywhere without having an incredible time, not to mention that hanging out with two best friends is a million times better than hanging out with one. After all, all the best friend groups came in threes.
3. Safety in Numbers
Not to get too serious, but it is way safer to walk in a group of three at night than it is to just walk two. Whether you’re headed home from the library or out to a party, it’s just safer when there are more of you. And when you don’t want to walk somewhere alone at three in the morning — which will happen — and if your roommates are as awesome as mine, they’ll pull on some sweatpants and shoes and go walk you home.
4. Triple the Closet Space
Yeah, you can share with your one roommate, but having two roommates’ wardrobes to choose from, now that’s nice. This normally works out best if you’re all around the same size. And if you aren’t then you’re still open to each other’s accessories. This also goes for cupboard space, aka, there’s more candy and microwave popcorn to steal.
5. You always have someone to dump all your problems on.
You take turns doing the chores, and since there are three of you, there are fewer chores for you to do. Are you having trouble sending that text to that really hot guy you met at the library? Get one of your roommates to push send. Need someone to go tell your noisy neighbors to shut up? You get the roommate who’s not in bed to go do it. Two of you can’t decide where to eat that night, designate the one that’s in class to be the decision maker.
6. Speaking of Decision Makers…
You always, always have one. Using majority rules, 2-1, you never lose. A decision will always be reached, whether it’s on what TV show to watch, or where to eat, or what movie you should put on while you pretend to study for midterms. From who would make a better boyfriend, Iron Man or Captain America, to who the hell A is on Pretty Little Liars, there’s always going to be an answer.
7. You can sign up for classes together.
The chances of you sharing some of your classes with your roommate go way up when you have two! I actually ended up having one roommate in my FI class and one in my Energy! class and then they shared a Sociology class. It helped with everything from forgetting assignments to trying desperately to figure out how loncapa worked.
8. You have two people.
You have two people to take care of you when you’re sick, you have two people to turn a normal night into a dance party, you have two people to rant to about whoever in whatever class and that stupid thing they said, you have two shoulders to cry on when your day’s just not going as planned, you have two people to cuddle with when you’re missing home, you have to people to help make your tiny triple dorm a home and two people who become your family.
So don’t you fret just yet, little freshmen; I too was like you, wondering how I’d be able to live in a room that had three beds, three dressers and three desks in an 11’x23’6” living space. And let me tell you, as awful as you think it can be, you can’t even imagine how truly perfect it could be. As for me, I’m planning on living in a townhouse next year; my two freshmen roommates will be there with me along with two other pretty wonderful girls who lived on our floor. But after saying goodbye to my freshman dorm room a few days ago, I cried, because I’m going to miss that little room that was filled with so much life. I hope you have a similar experience, because boy is it worth it.