<p>I just got accepted early decision to my first choice college (which I'm very excited about!) and I have a friend who is applying regular decision to the same college, whom I think has pretty good chance of getting in. She and I have been friends for a long time but she has a bit of an abrasive personality and I don't think I could handle living with her for four years. She has been talking about rooming together, saying that I am the only friend she has that she would want to live with. I have tried telling her that I want to room with people I don't know my first years, but she argues that I'll meet people in other ways. The college I'm attending has 1500 students so it would be hard to avoid her completely, which I definitely don't want to do, but I do want to be independent of her. She's already planning our college adventures together and I just can't handle it anymore. She gets hurt easily and I'm afraid that she'll be devastated if I tell her that I want to be independent during college... Does anyone have any advice for me? Thanks so much! </p>
<p>(By the way, I hope I don't sound like a terrible person, and please tell me if I am being heartless.)</p>
<p>Maybe she's just really nervous about college, so she's clinging to you for dear life. I wouldn't tell her that you don't think you could stand living with her for four years, but maybe there's a compromise. I don't know your school or what the housing system is like, but maybe you two could go into a triple or a suite, so it's not just the two of you. Or if your school offers singles, you could try to get one of those (which I'd recommend anyway even if you weren't trying to avoid her). Again, if it's a possibility at your school, maybe agree to room on the same hall or in the same dorm if the dorm is small; the first two could be done without having to tell her directly that you don't want to room with her, but if need be, you'd have to bite the bullet, but offer the third compromise to soften the blow.</p>
<p>You need to do what you need to do. Don't put yourself in a position to be unhappy for her sake. Sot her down (if she gets in) and just tell her that you would prefer to do the "whole college experience thing" and have a roomie who you dont know yet. She might be kind of sad, but if she is a decent friend then she should understand. Just because you are doing something that makes you happy or something that makes another person sad doesn't mean it's the wrong thing to do...... Sorry that sounded very doctor phil-esque</p>
<p>That's what I would do anyway. Hope I helped.</p>
<p>Thanks for your input, everyone! I guess it all depends on if we end up going to the same college, but I'll try using one of your suggestions (or maybe all of them as a last resort!) Thanks again!</p>