The Friday Five: Roommates You Meet In College
Throughout your time in college, you will come across students from all walks of life. In the past, we’ve talked about the boys you meet in college, the girls you meet in college and the friendships you cultivate in college, but in some cases, you won’t even have to travel past your own dorm room or residence hall to find an interesting mix of people. Living on campus will not only teach you about yourself and how you function away from home, but it will also provide you with a roommate you will always remember (for better or for worse!).
This week, we’ll talk about the five types of roommates you might end up living with. In the comments section, please feel free to include your own dorm life experiences and any additional roommate types you encountered in your time on campus!
The Friday Five: Roommates You Meet In College
1. The Stranger.
When you first received your housing assignment, you were told that one of your roommates would be a girl named Anna. After you move in, you see Anna’s stuff all around the dorm and her name on the door sign, but throughout the next several months, you and your other roommates hardly (if ever) actually see Anna in person. Anna is a prime example of The Stranger, a roommate who probably exists but whose rare presence suggests otherwise. The Stranger comes in two subsets: a. The Stranger Who Is Never Home, or b. The Stranger Who Holes Up In His/Her Room (ie. Total Loner). You often wonder if this person is either out on a secret agent mission, or creating a meth lab in his or her section of the dorm.
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2. The Overzealous Overachiever.
Unlike The Stranger, The Overzealous Overachiever makes his or her presence known in the dorm room and beyond. This person is usually excited about something, whether it’s an internship, the number of As he or she got on recent exams, or a big event he or she is organizing. The Overzealous Overachiever can be a little exhausting to hang out with in large doses, but is also a great resource when you want to know what is happening on campus or which professor to take for Speech. Avoid this person during midterms and finals week.
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3. The Bedroom Socialite.
The Bedroom Socialite embraces his or her single status by inviting over as many “romantic” partners as possible. This can be problematic if the two of you share a bedroom, but even if you live in an apartment-style dorm, you are still generally privy to the walk of shame and the endless string of visitors who walk in and out of your place. Don’t try to get to know these people by name; they will only be replaced in the days and weeks to come. The Bedroom Socialite is not ashamed of his or her number of conquests. In fact, if this roommate is a girl, she will most likely be proud of her progressive outlook on hooking up and relationships; if your roommate is a guy, then he will simply be proud because, well, he’s a guy.
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4. The Crazy Conservative.
Depending on your personal viewpoints, this person may not actually be a “crazy conservative,” but rather a “loony liberal,” or anyone else who veers away from your own personal beliefs. The Crazy Conservative has radically different viewpoints from you, and this can occasionally cause tension in your roommate dynamic, especially when both of you are politically minded. Instead of resorting to name-calling and heated debates, try subscribing to the “agree-to-disagree” mindset when interacting with this person, and embrace your differences in order to become friends.
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5. The Best Friend.
Whether you knew each other in high school or simply clicked in college, people often see the two of you as a package deal. Living together, you scarcely get anything done because you’re too busy getting into crazy antics or just having late night talks and gossip sessions. You get along well and don’t come across too much conflict by living together. See “Best Friend” in my post about the gradients of friendship for further details.
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Confession… I have had mainly awesome roommate experiences in the past two years, but many of my friends did come across several of the above roommates during their time in the dorms.
Readers: What types of roommates have you encountered?
Definitely the stranger. Presence is only aware by the progressive amount of dishes added to the sink and the occasional door sound. By the way I love your Friday Five series!
I have turned into the Stranger at times too! Good to hear from you, Krista 🙂 Thank you so much!
Valerie you really need to check out http://www.Roomeo.com. Roomeo makes living with roommates so much easier!
I’ll check it out sometime!
Haha, mine was a cross between number 3 and number 5… It was a good experience though, and I’ll be living with her again in the fall.. The most memorable time had to be when I woke up to find some random in her bed and her no where to be found… That was awkward.. but we all will have our own rooms this time around.. so all good! lol
That is so funny! As long as you guys get along, that’s what really matters 🙂 I had a semi-#3 once and we were friends, so it was fun to hear all of the stories she came back with!