How being put in a quad dorm changed my life
I remember the overwhelming panic that I felt the moment I opened my housing placement email. For months I had been consumed with worry about where I would end up living. In my head, I pictured living in a double dorm in Dejope residence hall with my best friend from my hometown. Literally, could it get any more perfect than that? But now, with the click of a mouse, everything had been ruined. I had been assigned to a quad! The vision of my perfect freshman year suddenly danced out of my head, never to be seen again. How was I to know that the reality of my new living situation would end up being better than anything I could have imagined?
As I wrap up my first semester of freshman year, I am happy to report that I have survived roughly four months in my quad dorm room. I had been worried about so many things, like going from my own room to sharing a room with three other people, and about the fact that two of these people were complete strangers. While I had managed to be placed with my hometown bestie, we were also placed with two girls from Illinois. As a home-grown Wisconsinite, I was devastated to learn that my new roommates were Bears fans. All I could think was that we wouldn’t get along and this year would be a disaster, but I could not have been more wrong.
It did not take long for the four of us to click, so I found myself with three instant built-in buddies. For someone who is very shy and slow to make friends, this ended up being a game-changer for me. I was pushed out of my comfort zone, and I could not be more thankful that I was. My roommates have become my closest friends and are hands down my favorite people on campus. At this point in my life, I cannot express how lost I would be without them. I am already pondering how we will manage to go over a month without each other for Christmas break. The old me would have never seen this coming. So let me tell you why I have come to love these girls so much.
First off, a classic, they are the funniest people I have ever met. Not a day goes by that I don’t find myself crying with laughter from their shenanigans. From midnight dancing to jump scares, they keep me on my toes and give me a reason to smile. But somehow, they always know how to strike the perfect balance between teasing and caring. Never before have I had people go so out of their way to make me happy. Every time there is cheesecake in the dining hall, they bring me a piece just because they know it’s my favorite. Nothing feels better than feeling important and valued, which is exactly how they make me feel.
Secondly, I am pretty sure they are the most supportive people that have ever lived. From exam stress to down days, they always have me covered. When I got the flu, I had three personal nurses that were always on duty, and it made all the difference. They actively go out of their way every day to encourage me and are always there to pick me up when I fall. I am less afraid to try new things and even to fail because I know I will always have these three amazing girls in my corner.
With all this in mind, the most important thing they do for me is teaching me new things. My roommate Nghi has taught me how to always have fun. I can easily get caught up in schoolwork and other responsibilities, but Nghi is always there to remind me to live life to the fullest. She is quite literally the perfect yin to my yang. Makayla has taught me the importance of hard work and dedication. I have never met someone more passionate about her studies or more devoted to her goals. She never lets anything set her back and I am amazed every day by her drive. This has motivated me to spend every day trying to be a little more like her. Ruby has given me the courage to be completely and unapologetically myself. She has never judged me or made me feel wrong for any part of my personality. Instead, she somehow made me feel seen. I realized that the real me was good enough, and I wouldn’t be the person I am today without her. I wouldn’t be who I am today without any of them.
The moral of my story is to embrace change and be pushed outside your comfort zone. If I had not been put in a quad, there would be no Quad Squad (our adorably perfect group name). Most simply put, I would have missed out on the greatest time of my life. My only regret is that I did not have the courage to see how wonderful this opportunity could be at first. So don’t be afraid to put yourself out there because you never know when it will get you a Nghi, a Makayla, or a Ruby. Oh, and if you have the choice, I am team quad all the way.