I have NOTHING in common with my roommate

<p>So I got my roommate assignment the other day. She seems nice. We've been texting on and off all day. But I'm a little concerned because basically we are completely different. For example, I like Taylor Swift, Pretty Little Liars, shopping, and all girly things. She likes the Black Veil Brides (I have no idea who they are), watches Anime cartoons, and likes to hunt/fish, and play video games. I can't go fishing without wanting to vomit. I'm not outdoorsy at all while she seems to love it.</p>

<p>While we were texting she asked what bands I like. I felt kinda stupid when I was about to say, "Oh I like One Direction!." lol. Luckily I stopped myself before pressing send. That was pretty much my wake up call. I'm the exact opposite of her. </p>

<p>I added her on Facebook and that gave me even more proof that we have nothing in common. She's also a returning student. I'll be a new transfer student. I didn't expect to be bffs. But I hoped that we would have some similarities. Or that she would at least be a tiny bit girly. My parents said that if I think we wont't get along well I should just see if I can get a new roommate. But I really don't want to since we have been talking. I just think it would be incredibly rude of me to get a new roommate at this point. So I'm just going to tough it out for this school year.</p>

<p>Has anyone had experience with this? Any advice on how to make the best out of this? Oh and how should I ask her about laying out rules? Ex: who cleans what/when..etc. I dont want to seem pushy.</p>

<p>I think that you should give her a chance. You guys just may get along really great regardless of how different you are! Besides you guys can teach each other new things c:</p>

<p>Give it a chance. I’ve formed some unlikely friendships through boarding at summer camps-we were even more unlike than you two. I’m sure you’ll find something you both like.</p>

<p>You don’t have to ‘like’ your roommate. You just have to respect her. I had a roommate freshman year that was VERY different than me and while we didn’t hang out or share many interests, we still respected each other and behaved in a civil way towards each other. Basically, it doesn’t matter what music they like or what hobbies they have. As long as she isn’t 1) utterly disruptive to you in some way or 2) inconsiderate/unpleasant then I wouldn’t change roommates.</p>

<p>You’ll get along just fine. You may not be the best of friends but you’ll learn how to live around each other. You may think you’re polar opposites but it’s more like you’re just on the other side of a dividing line. You’ll likely find enough shared interest to talk to her once you’re actually on campus. Maybe once you two actually sit down and watch a movie or tv show one late night, you’ll see you aren’t all that different.</p>

<p>It sounds like you guys will get along fine. You don’t need to have a million things in common and be best friends with your roommate. You just have to be able to be nice and respectful enough that you can share a room. I wasn’t really friends with my roommates freshman year, and it was absolutely fine. I made friends elsewhere, and we got along fine when we were both in the room.</p>

<p>Don’t worry about it.</p>

<p>You sound like me and my first roommate. I despise the color pink and I walked into my room and everything was BRIGHT pink. </p>

<p>We had NOTHING in common. Not a thing. We got along just fine though and living with her was very pleasant. </p>

<p>You don’t need to be best friends with your roommate.</p>

<p>You don’t need to be best friends with your roommate. As long as she is civil and you guys get along/don’t fight, then it’s all good.</p>

<p>It really doesn’t matter. You both just need to be respectful of each other and you will be great roommates.</p>

<p>You can’t prejudge roommates. I have seen 2 years of roommate pairings and I learned that some of the most unsuspecting combinations will either become really good friends or just work well together as roommates.</p>

<p>You would be very surprised if you have seen what I have as far as pairings go.
So basically don’t be shallow and automatically dismiss her based on a very superficial texting conversation and Facebook creeping.</p>

<p>You won’t know how it will truly go until you are actually in the room with an OPEN mind. In order for it to be successful, you have to actively try to make it work out and get to know each other on a deeper level (but not in a prying, nosy way).</p>

<p>And even if you don’t get along, it doesn’t even matter. As long as you can co-habitate peacefully, then everything will be fine since you will find a gaggle of other girls who are interested in T-Swift and AE elsewhere.</p>

<p>Good luck :D</p>

<p>You may be surprised! Haha my freshman year roommate were complete polar opposites (I was on the cheer team, into edm, sorority bound, she was on the basketball team, only listened to heavy metal and all of her things were black on black on black).</p>

<p>We actually got along pretty swell and never had any real issues except when attempting to coordinate boyfriend visits/etc.</p>

<p>Even though I transferred we’re still pretty alright/we stayed in contact! Whenever she comes to DC (like once ish a month) we grab lunch/dinner</p>

<p>Going in open minded is definitely key</p>

<p>That’s great…you and she will each be able to grow and learn from one another. Why would you want to live with someone just like you? I’m sure you are a nice person, and I am sure she is a nice person…go from there, and expand your horizons.</p>

<p>By all means only socialize with people just like you.</p>

<p>/sarc</p>

<p>Yeah, just like what everyone else said, it doesn’t matter if you guys have anything in common, as long as you both respect each other and can live peacefully in the same room that’s all you should ask for. </p>

<p>About dividing up responsibilities and discussing rules, I think your RA should instruct you guys on how to go about doing that. If not, just wait till you guys meet and talk it out when you’re face to face and settled into your room.</p>

<p>Okay, I have a different opinion.<br>
So maybe you need to realize that the dorm is a living situation, not an instant friendship.</p>

<p>My dd was in a triple last year and none of her roommates were alike. They never did anything together:
=one was a “pink girl” like you,
=one was a talker who talked about every action she was doing as she was doing it (even in her sleep)
=and my dd was a nerdy athlete. Not the southern California beach kid (although she does surf!) </p>

<p>They had nothing in common and had really bad RA’s that were never seen after the first week. The roomies were really awkward when they were all in the room, and my dd was in tears often because she was alone a lot for everything (they were local from the same high school and went home every weekend) but eventually the girls were civil and cordial once they all got into their activities.</p>

<p>The girls were under the impression that they had to all get along and eat together and be best buds but that never happened. I had to tell the dd that it was just a room that they shared and if she wanted to change rooms she could; but she was afraid of getting into a worse situation. </p>

<p>=DD joined outside activities, athletics and became a tour guide for the school, in order to stay sane-the roommates went home from Thurs to Tues and didn’t do too well in the academics because neither was ever there, and neither had taken AP Calc or AP Chem in HS and were really lost. DD offered to help, but neither wanted her help.</p>

<p>=The pink girl joined a sorority.</p>

<p>=**The Talker went upstairs **to an active floor with good RA’s and spent most nights there.</p>

<p>So, in the end they never really saw each other, and eventually, dd had the room to herself (and liked it!) as the other two often went home or were elsewhere. All ended up being polite to each other and didn’t have any other issues.</p>

<p>You never know how it will work out. I had nothing in common with my freshman roommate-or so it seemed. I was a science major, she was into languages and international relations. She had a math phobia. I was a small town girl, she was urban. I had only jeans, she had spandex pants(1980s). I ate junk food, she was a vegetarian that counted calories. She told me outright that she was disappointed when we met because I was white…although she was white too, lol. She preferred hanging out with blacks and Hispanics and promptly joined the BSU and the Salsa club. We had a great year together. She had her friends and I had mine. We never had a conflict, we talked, we laughed and we enjoyed each others company when we were together. I would have roomed with her the next year, but alas, she headed off to the International dorm!</p>

<p>Reiterating what has been said, but colleges are not in the business of assigning friends. They are assigning housing. Not sure why your parents are under a different impression.</p>

<p>And in fact it sounds like they have done you a favor, giving you a chance to develop and practice skills in accommodation, influence without authority, negotiation, etc. If you treat each other with respect, ironically something that may be more likely than if you hit it off and each assume the other “won’t mind” something, you will have a fine year.</p>

<p>Read thru some older posts here and you’ll find more problems occur when HS friends room together.</p>

<p>Agree with others. Yes, SUPERFICIALLY, you have “nothing” in common. </p>

<p>Except being young women, in 2013, who chose to go to the exact same college, who grew up in the same country at the same time, eat at the same restaurants and go to Starbucks just like most young adults and who have likely seen the same movies and read most of the same books up until the two years ago.</p>

<p>By all means only socialize with people just like you.</p>

<p>/sarc</p>

<p>I ironically second that motion with a DuBoisian double consciousness.</p>