Letters From America: Living With a Roommate

Hello Everyone, 

A roommate is a foreign concept to most university students. Even when you are living in halls you will probably have your own room. So some people when they move to the USA for their exchange year have never shared a room before. And suddenly, they are thrust into spending at least ten hours a day with someone they have never met before. It is a huge shock, forcing you to re-adjust  how you live and go about your day to day lives. 

I got lucky with my room-mate, we get along so well. We're about the same level of tidiness (that is, we let it build up until we can't deal with it, and then have a deep-clean day). We work pretty similarly and can spend hours in the quiet doing school work. We like doing the same things (namely, watching rubbish movies together and eating ice-cream and nachos). We can talk to each other about anything, and do anything together. We have the same opinions on life. We get along so well that her family have invited me to Washington to join them for Thanksgiving. 

The bond you have with someone who you are sharing so much space and time with is something that cannot be replicated. You will either be friends or not, but it is so much more fun when you're friends. It can be likened to boyfriend/girlfriend relationship as you are living together, but without the sex. However, if there are disagreements, or something irritating you, then talk it out. Don't be afraid to say something about it. It's your room too you know. You have a right to say if something annoys you, or you don't like it. Nevertheless, don't go nit-picking. Compromise is needed. It is also their room, it can't be a dictatorship, on either side. 

Make sure you have just roommate bonding time. Sydney and I bonded, as well as through doing the everyday stuff together, through a really unlikely thing. I was watching Charmed on Netflix, and Sydney came in, and realised what I was watching. Turns out, she loves the show too. So every so often, we have a Charmed marathon. Make sure that if you do this, it is just the two of you, even when you share friends. 

I love my roommate, and I am so glad that I got her. I have heard horror stories of people having roommates that they just don't get along with, and it sounds awful. Thank you Sydney for being so great, and I can't wait to live with you again next semester.