Love Letters is a collection of profiles of HCUW’s editor-in-chief, Koren Kano’s, friends, friends of friends, and other loves. This series will highlight many perspectives on the college experience, reflect on moments of change and growth, and celebrate love in all its forms.
In the last few weeks of my senior year of high school, my phone rang with a DM from a new follower. From her account, I deduced that her name is Jenell and she’s also committed to UW. Within a few messages, we instantly hit it off. A few months later, we logged onto the housing site only to find that UW offers about a handful of doubles to freshmen. We found a triple, secured it, and soon that third spot was filled by none other than Rachel. We formed a group chat (one that is still very much in use) and from the very first texts, I knew that I had just made my first friends from college.
Jenell and Rachel made our cramped, three-person dorm feel nothing short of special, from getting ready for parties together to late nights spent debriefing our love lives.
I’m so excited to chat with them today about all things dorm life, roommates, and first meetings turned into friendships. Here is a Love Letter to Random Roommates:
In our group chat–titled the name of our beloved dorm room–I asked if I could interview them for this series. Within the hour they both excitedly agreed. They were my first cheerleaders here at college, in a place where I barely knew anyone. Here we are a few years later and I’m still being cheered on and supported by them.
The first question I pose is: How would you describe our dorm experience?
Rachel: It was fun! It was always nice to come back to our dorm after a long day of work.
Jenell: I never met my roommates (Rachel and me) before moving in together, but we all got along very well. I’m happy I got to have my freshman-year dorm experience with them!
I loved sharing a room with them. Coming home from a long day of classes and responsibilities to our oasis of fairy lights, snack bins, and conversations made the transition into college much easier.
My next question is: What is your favorite memory from living together?
Rachel: Probably the time we ate Din Tai Fung takeout and watched Don’t Worry Darling together on the dorm floor.
It was one of those nights that served as a core college memory for me. Amid midterm season in cold, gloomy November, we ordered a couple of boxes of noodles, greens, and dumplings, sprawled out our spread on deconstructed Trader Joe’s bags, and set up Rachel’s laptop on a stool so we could watch that movie. It felt extremely college.
Jenell: Drawing on the chalkboard outside the dorm, picnics on Denny field, and coming back to the dorm together after a late night out!
On those late nights out, we’d feel too gross to jump into our beds, so we’d scrounge up whatever we had left in our mini fridge, lie on the floor, and debrief the night’s events. We’d laugh when we’d enter the bathroom, where the sink would be patterned with lipgloss, pasties, and hair products from getting ready. It always felt like coming back to a sleepover.
My last question: Do you have any advice for incoming freshmen and underclassmen?
Rachel: Make sure to savor your first year! It goes by quickly, and it’s easy to get caught up in stress.
Jenell: Living in the same room with people you never met before can be nerve-racking going into, but they may turn out to be some of the best friends you’ll ever have!
I know this isn’t everyone’s situation with their roommates, especially their first roommates. But I hope this Love Letter serves as a reminder to be open to meeting new people and making new connections. College is an opportunity to not only find yourself, but your people. It’s a place where lofted bunk beds become homes, takeout becomes your favorite dinner, and strangers become lifelong friends.