I’m in a program that requires me to live in the dorms for two years. I met my current roommate over the summer and we pretty much knew right away we were a perfect match, so we requested each other. We’re not best friends, but we get along fantastically and everyone says we talk like we’ve known each other for years.
He told me yesterday that he wants to drop the program and move out because he wants an apartment. I totally understand and wish him good luck (he’s scared about rent and security ans everything that comes with independence). But now I’m scared of going in blind next year, because I know that the majority of the sophomores who aren’t paired with roommates are normally the… weird ones.
Coming in, I expected a smooth 2 years roommate-wise, but now I have to go through what I didn’t in freshman year, and that’s scary. I don’t want to have a rough time at home at the same time as I’m taking harder classes. I don’t want to deal with a disgusting room or an obnoxiously loud roommate. I know this doesn’t have to be the case, but I’m still scared.
I have friends, but they all love their roommates and want to room with them. Other friends aren’t in the program and thus can’t room with me. I don’t want to drop the program because it’s opened up a world of research opportunities and great professors.
I basically would like advice or words of reassurance.
I can imagine my daughter possibly being matched blind with a roommate. She is shy and quiet, but she isn’t weird at all. It makes me very sad to think that other students might think that kids who don’t have a roommate are weird. In fact, I can’t bear to think that anyone could think that of my daughter. Not everyone settles in and makes perfect friends immediately. Right now my daughter coexists peacefully with her rommate, but they are not friends, or even talkative to each other. While she now has a few friends, she has no idea who she might room with next year.
Please, whoever you end up with, give them the benefit of the doubt. You will be doing a million parents a big favor if you instead think “hey, I don’t know this person, but hopefully we will get along okay, maybe become friends, and if nothing else, I am going to learn a little more about getting along with other people.” Good luck, and try not to worry, they aren’t all weirdos.
ETA: You might end up with someone in the same position as you, or there might be kids who have roommates who have left the college for other reasons. Don’t assume.
For her last year and a half of college my D lived in a the scholar house where the prof. in charge coordinated the room assignments. It was never an issue. Remember that you will be rooming with someone who chose to be in the same program you are in so there will likely be some commonalities. If you know who will do the rooming assignments in your program perhaps talk to him/her.
D1 was matched blind, freshman year, and became great friends with those. Second year, her planned roommate transferred over the summer. She was matched blind and enjoyed the new person.
Nothing says a soph without a buddy is in any way “off.” Are you worried about what others think? You’ve got other friends and can still be friends with them, hang with them. You may even like the assigned roommate.