When I committed to going to Florida State University, I didn’t know many other people from my high school who were attending. I hadn’t thought much past the point of getting accepted into college, so when it came to housing, I had given it no thought. Who would I live with? Well, I had no clue.
For months, my mom told me to get on Facebook or Instagram and post on one of those incoming class pages. You know the ones: “Hi, my name is Sabrina. I’m an Aries. I like long walks on the beach. I’m clean, but not too clean. I like being social, but I also love a night in.” I hated the idea of trying to summarize myself into a nice little package that would proclaim, “I’ll make a really good roommate, I promise!”
To be honest, I was terrified to put myself out there. What if I found a roommate, we met in person, and they thought I was much more boring than I seemed online? With all these doubts and worries, I decided to take my chance and not request a roommate, but allow University Housing to place me and someone else together.
Fast forward to June, I got an email about my room placement. My roommate’s name and email were listed on it. I sent the mythical roommate, Emma, an email introducing myself. Then, the realization started to hit. I was sharing a room with a person I’d never met. Our beds would be mere feet apart, and I had never seen her face!
Minutes after that initial email was sent, Emma texted me. A handful of texts and one FaceTime call were exchanged before our move-in date. I knew Emma was nice, and we had a lot of similarities, but I was still nervous. I figured we’d get along, but would we be friends? I thought of all those quintessential movies where college roommates turned into best friends, and then later, they were bridesmaids and godmothers to your future kids.
August came by, and soon, it was time to trek up to Tallahassee. Magnolia Hall was new and unknown to me. I had only been on campus once before. When Emma and I officially met, we hugged and excitedly chatted about our room (things like “Where should we put these plates?” and “Do you mind if I put this poster on the wall?”).
The first night went by in a blur, and we were quite nervous about what the rest of the year would entail. We were nervously nice to each other, asking preferences on lights in the evening and whether the blinds should be open or closed. We spent much of the night getting to know our suitemates, who were friends from home. Their easy banter and knowledge of each other’s mutual friends allowed Emma and me to coexist relatively easily. We didn’t have to worry too much about catching up on 18 years of previous life, learning about each other’s quirks, or trying to impress each other.
The next day, when we went together to drop my dad off at the airport, the ice began to break a little bit. My father, very much having a tough exterior but being as soft as a teddy bear, was weepy. As he got out of the car, he said something to Emma and me that has stuck with me to this day: “Okay girls, take care of each other.” My dad had just met Emma the previous day, but it was like he had this sixth sense that we would become each other’s family while we were away at school. At that moment, I didn’t think much about his comment.
Understandably, on the drive home, I was distracted. I could already feel the grip of homesickness taking hold of me. I could feel the unease about this new life I was beginning to live, permeating my every thought.
“It’s a green light,” Emma said quietly as I waited at an intersection. I paid no attention to her, and the phrase didn’t even register in my mind. “Um, Sabrina, it’s a green light,” she said again, a little louder.
By this point, cars were slowing behind me to a stop. The light would turn from green to yellow in seconds. At this moment, compelled by the embarrassment of being honked at, Emma tried one last time. “Sabrina! It’s a green light! Go!”
It was like a light flipped on. Hello! I needed to be operating my vehicle right now. I looked over at Emma, dumbfounded that she just yelled at me. We made eye contact and just busted out laughing. So, I guess we weren’t too nervous to be around each other anymore.
Freshman year passed like a blur of Emma and I becoming closer friends. We made our dorm in Magnolia Hall a cozy little place that felt like home. In our second year, we moved into an off-campus apartment, having fun decorating a bigger space with the things that made us happy. We accumulated more memories here.
It was this year that I discovered that when I described Emma, I’d call her my “FSU family.” It was like she’d surpassed this level of being a friend and was like a sister to me. Someone I knew would have my back no matter what, make me laugh even on my worst days, and go with me on late-night fast-food runs.
Now, it’s the spring of 2024, and I’m about a month away from graduating. Most nights, I look at my calendar and count down how many days I have left.
Only four more weekends here. Four more Sundays where Emma and I will sit in the living room watching movies instead of doing our homework. Four more weekly grocery trips where we’ll buy way too many snacks that we’ll dig into on the way home rather than saving for later.
Four more weeks left living with my FSU family.
When I look back on all the adventures we’ve had together, I can list the trips we’ve taken and show you the photos that accompany them. I could describe how amazing it was to go to the ACC Championship together or lie by the beach all spring break.
But it’ll be the memories of us just sitting in our apartment, with the fairy lights hung above the leaky living room window, that I’ll cherish the most. There were many nights when we would fall asleep in the living room in our respective spots: Emma on our couch and me in the armchair. We were just too comfortable and having too much fun to go to bed in our rooms.
I’ll miss the little notes we’d leave on our fridge, coffee table, and any other surface we could find. We started this little tradition during our freshman year, writing updates like “Hey, I’m heading out to the library! Have a good day.” I always thought leaving notes was cuter than a text.
When I look back on my college years, I know it’ll be these memories with my once-in-a-lifetime roommate that I’ll remember. Had I never taken a chance and chosen to have a random roommate, I probably would never have met Emma. And, had meeting Emma and rooming with her never happened, I have no clue where I would be.
Taking the chance and the universe (and FSU housing gods) giving me Emma completely changed my college experience for the better. Through our friendship, I’ve grown into myself more and learned how to genuinely appreciate the person I am. I also think I’ve had some of the most fun and made some of the best memories I’ll ever make.
So, this is your sign to take that chance. Signing up to get a random roommate might be one of the best things that has ever happened to you. You might meet your best friend, your college family, and possibly one of your future bridesmaids.
Want to see more HCFSU? Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Pinterest!