<p>Hey guys. There's just 1 month left till I'm college bound and I'm really excited and looking forward to it. I just got my roommate today in the mail and found out who I'll be paired up with for residence life. I missed the deadline to be paired up with someone according to my interests, so I was now randomly matched with someone. </p>
<p>Apparently my roommate is a different race from myself and that is not an issue at all. My biggest issue is comparing his profile from mine, it looks like we barely share the same interests! He looks like he was the star football player for his team while I haven't played sports competitively since freshman year of HS! I'm just worried to top it off we're not even the same color to begin with.</p>
<p>I'm just really worried at the moment and prepared for the worst. I was curious what you guys had to say on making this work as from what I hear: your roommate is your first true friend on campus. I'd appreciate any input you guys had to offer or any advice you could give me. </p>
<p>Be open minded. There’s more to people then their race and their opinion on sports. You never know. Also, if you two don’t hit it off well, you’ll find other friends.</p>
<p>I am open minded coming from a diverse high school. I just hope it all works out for the best and was curious if others have had a similar situation to myself, and how it worked for them.</p>
<p>So I get that you’re concerned that you and your roommate have little in common, but why do you bring up race? What does his race have anything to do with anything? Ask yourself, if he was the same race as you but he was the same person personality wise, would you have posted this topic?</p>
<p>So… you’re racist? I don’t understand how race relates to your question. I agree with username1824. If he was your race, you wouldn’t be asking questions.</p>
<p>Just because he says he is unsure about something DOES NOT MAKE HIM A RACIST. Seriously people? Have more common sense. This is America. If there is an obvious difference in color and race then it will not go unnoticed! Hey man. Just give it a chance. Opposites attract remember? Give yourself the chance to get to know the guy and see if you all will be fiends. It’ll be okay!</p>
<p>I’d say your roommate maybe should be more worried about you than you should be about him, since obviously this is an issue for you… I’d worry a lot more about whether he plays music while you are trying to study, hits snooze on his alarm 10 times every morning, and NEVER does his laundry.</p>
<p>I understand the race question. I think we’d like to all say it’s not a big deal, but you’re talking about living with someone who is completely foreign to you and there are often cultural differences that come along with race. The same can be said for every other aspect of a person’s life, though.</p>
<p>That being said, I know a lot of people who’ve had a roommate of another race. They have some random complaints. With a lot of the girls I know, they mostly complain about their roommate’s hair in the sink or around the room or something.</p>
<p>Most of the guys I know haven’t really complained, but I feel like girls are generally more high maintenance than guys. Most of the guys I know get along okay with their roommates, whereas most of the girls I know either hate their roommates or love them.</p>
<p>I think you should go into it with an open mind and realize that, hey you might not seem like you get along on paper, but EVERYONE has at least something in common. Don’t be nervous about the race thing. Heck, don’t be nervous about anything. You won’t know how it’ll work out until you get there.</p>
<p>Just go in with a positive attitude. Introduce yourself and try to live and let live.</p>
<p>I don’t think this is an issue of racism at all. tk1234 is expressing his concern that he and his roommate will not have anything in common, not even skin color. Race is a small part of a person, but even that is better than having nothing at all in common.</p>
<p>I truly don’t know why race is something to be nervous about. like if you claim you come from a diverse high school than maybe you should worry about I don’t know maybe his personality. Two people from completely different ethnic groups can have the same personality. I’m black (Nigerian American) and my roommate my freshman year was white (Irish American). We had nothing in common lol but somehow we became super good friends. We even roomed together again our sophomore year. Race shouldn’t be what you’re worried about.</p>
<p>I disagree with the assumption that being of a certain race comes with certain cultural differences. I’m a Mexican from the southwest and in my freshman year, I roomed with a Pakistani Muslim from the midwest, and we had so much in common, it was crazy. I had black friends from the south who I hit it off with right away. Some of my white friends from the east are some of the closest people I have. If you can’t get past race and look at personality, then your personal friendships with people are going to be shallow.</p>
<p>I never said OP was racist. My concern is that he seemed worried that his roommate was of a different race than him. He wouldn’t have called his post “interracial roommates” if he wasn’t worried about it. That makes me think that OP has some unconscious prejudices that make him assign negative stereotypes to people of certain races. I’m not at all saying OP is a bad person, I’m just saying he should be made aware of these possible prejudices and work through them.</p>
<p>The OP is worried that his roommate will display the shallow and judgmental attitude that he is already displaying. The only difference is he won’t judge until AFTER he meets you, and sees how cold you are towards him.</p>
<p>I totally judged my suitemates before I met them. I was worried that I wasn’t going to get along with one of them because of the way she typed on Facebook Chat (not kidding) and when I looked at her pictures, I saw the blond bombshell who I assumed was a party girl, because that’s what she looked like to me.</p>
<p>The remedy to this situation? I went in with an open mind, tried to be polite and have honest, meaningful conversation with her. I actually ended up changing my opinion of her completely within a few hours of met her and she’s really an absolutely lovely girl.</p>
<p>I think it’s fine to be apprehensive about being in such a new situation like this (living with a stranger), especially as a freshman. Come this time next year, Op is probably going to be saying “Wow. Is that <em>really</em> what I was worried about? Sheesh.”</p>
<p>My new roommate is a pure jock and I’m a more reserved intellectual. I was worried about us not being friends because we have so many different likes and interests. Although, it isn’t really about having things in common, having a roommate is all about getting along with a complete stranger. </p>
<p>I was watching a video on youtube and the vlogger was talking about dorming. She exclaimed, “Dorms are like the training bras of apartments. Incoming freshman get put into rooms with strangers and it’s an experiment in adapting outside of your parents’ home.”</p>
<p>I wouldn’t really worry, especially about the race issue. In fact, be happy that he is from a different race; it gives you the chance to learn about a whole different culture.</p>
<p>Oh God.
Just stop typing.
I get that you stated “it’s not an issue” but then you go on to say “I’m just worried to top it off we’re not even the same color to begin with” as if color had ANYTHING to do with his personality or lifestyle. For all you know, he could be your double.
I’d understand if he was from a different country but stating your concerns this way based on race doesn’t seem fair.</p>
<p>Why do you say it’s “not an issue at all” and then say you’re worried because you are of different races?</p>
<p>For what it’s worth, race doesn’t matter at all dude. I’m Indian and both of my roommates were white. One was a big sports guy (like me, but he plays a lot of sports and I mostly watch sports) and the other was a big gamer who was into Starcraft. It’s not about the race, it’s about the personality. I got along with both of them fine and I talked quite a bit to the first roommate (who loves sports). </p>
<p>Also, if you don’t get along with him, don’t pin it on his race (just saying).</p>