Many students begin college with an idealized expectation about the “perfect roommate” situation. Some people hope for a roommate to become their best friend, to go out with them, and to host social events in their room. Other people might want the complete opposite: someone to give them space and be supportive as a roommate, but not necessarily as a close friend. So what is the ideal option? As a freshman, I came into college with very specific expectations about my roommate; in a perfect world, we would be close as can be and rely on each other to branch out and make new friends. Although I do consider my roommate to be my friend, our relationship is much different than I had anticipated.
From the first week of school, it was clear that Sydney and I gravitated towards different people, and we rarely occupied our room at the same time. What’s more, our interests were stark opposites; although Sydney’s makeup collection nicely complemented my Calvin and Hobbes comic book collection across the room, I had trouble focusing on my homework with Keeping Up with the Kardashians playing in the background. Even our living styles were different. I believed in a very “Type A” style of organization, while my roommate believed in “organized chaos.” At first, this worried me. Could opposites really attract?
A month passed and I spent less and less time in the room. Somehow, this brought Sydney and I closer. Every night I’d look forward to seeing her in our dorm and debriefing each other about our days, maybe even watching an episode of the Kardashians…or a few. My relationship with my roommate continues to change as we both meet new people and experience new things. But I am open to this change because I know that there are many different ways to be a friend, whether that means going out to brunch together or simply checking in at the end of the day.
Many of my friends are close as can be with their roommates, but sometimes I think they envy my relationship with Sydney. We aren’t best friends, we are people who live together: we wake up together, start our days together, and end our nights together. We aren’t inseparable, but Tulane wouldn’t be the same without her. There’s no such thing as the “perfect” roommate situation. It all comes down to what works for you!
COVER PHOTO: Tulane News
