Being kind of a private person, I was hesitant about having a roomie in college. Actually, I might have initially applied for a single like Lauren in Sara Zarr and Tara Altebrando’s Roomies. Now I believe that becoming roomies with someone is something people should give a try at least once, for it is a really good way to get to know someone.
When my last roomie decided that she wanted to try being independent and live in a single this year, I was initially at a loss for what to do, as she announced it pretty close to the date we were supposed to enter to rooming lottery for the next year (housing is a very limited resource at my university). Most people already knew who they were rooming with the next year, so the chances of finding a roomie last-minute were slim. It just so happened, however, that while chatting with a girl from ballroom dance, I learned that she hadn’t found a roommate for the next year, and we decided to room together. I’m glad that we did.
Of course, I liked my last roomie and would have been happy rooming with her another year. However, I also appreciate having gotten the chance to get to know Gwen better this past semester. We’re both kind of quiet people and didn’t really chat much before becoming roomies. The most we’d talked in the past was when we both found out that we were fans of the anime Code Geass. After deciding to become roomies, however, we learned of a shared love for the fantasy genre and animated films.
Together, we also explored the restaurants near our university on weekends, went to and from ballroom dance practices together, and talked about boys, life, and whatever else crossed our minds at the time. We talked a lot more than we might have otherwise, limiting our conversations to pleasantries during ballroom dance practice, and we discovered a lot in common that we may not otherwise have found.
I’m so thankful for having had the opportunity to get to know this wonderful person better.
How about you? What’s your roomie story?
Author: Crystal
A story girl at heart, Crystal is a bibliophile who can easily spend the day immersed in a good read. She writes under the name Kristy Wang. You can follow her writing adventures on X and Instagram @_kristywang.
Mindy DeMars says
The only room mate I've ever had was my sister. We shared a room for 15 years! It had its pros and cons, but it kept us close 🙂 We're only 3 years apart, so we could talk about a lot of things. Thanks for this!
Carl Scott says
I've had a lot of roomies. My favorite ones were the most laid back and easy to get along with. It was also important that they did their share of the chores and we all paid our rent on time. Usually it worked out great.