When I first told people that my college roommate would be my best friend from my hometown, I would get a mixture of concerned looks, pitying smiles, and statements like “Good luck with that!” The internet told me that rooming with your friend from home was a surefire way to make sure you never speak again. I was scared that I would lose one of my best friends of over 10 years by doing this, but I was equally worried about “going random” in the roommate process.
It turns out that rooming with my best friend was the one of best decisions I’ve made so far in my college career. We have never argued or had any issues. Life is peaceful. I’m here to convince you that rooming with your hometown friend is a great decision, despite what other people may say.
You already know each other
There was no walking on eggshells, no getting-to-know-you phase, no awkward conversations. We already knew each other’s habits and needs. It was easy to adjust to living together because we were so similar, and because we were aware of any differences. We have never argued or had any conflicts since we started living together!
The process of picking our room and deciding how we would split up purchasing dorm essentials was simple. We took trips to our nearby Target together to pick out exactly what we wanted. We both moved into our dorm room at the same time. It was a cramped experience, to say the least, but it was emotionally comfortable because our families were friends. Throughout the semester, our families would help each other out. My parents would bring our forgotten items up to school, and her parents would drive both of us home to visit, for example.
We were both able to avoid getting a roommate that we couldn’t get along with. We’ve all heard roommate horror stories before. We were able to avoid that experience because we were already close to each other.
Coming back after a long day of classes and being able to debrief with my best friend has been one of my favorite parts of my time at school. We always try to get dinner together at the end of the day, but we never feel a need to be around each other at all hours of the day. You won’t tire of living with your best friend if you still have some independence from them.
You can still make friends
You can still make friends if you room with a hometown friend. Remember that you aren’t obligated to only hang out with your roommate! You can become friends with people in your classes and clubs. My roommate and I are in completely different majors with almost completely different schedules. We are part of our own clubs and participate in our own activities. We have separate lives away from each other.
Sometimes, making new friends can be easier when you do it with a good friend. My roommate and I are part of the same friend group. You don’t always need to have a completely separate friend group from your roommate; you can still have the same friends and get along well!
My roommate and I are not stuck in high school because we room together. We both came into college with the hopes of meeting new people and making new friends. We branched out socially, both together and separately. Rooming with a friend is only socially limiting if you allow it to be.
it’s easier to adjust to College life
Having my best friend alongside me as we transitioned from high school to college life made the process much less stressful. We explored the campus together, which helped us both feel more confident as individuals.
I didn’t feel lonely and I wasn’t swamped with too many feelings of missing my hometown because I had my best friend with me. She is one of the main reasons I was able to adjust to being away from home without much difficulty. Simply knowing someone that I am close to would be beside me on this journey was enough to make me feel more confident going into it.
Do what’s best for you!
For me, living with my best friend from my hometown was the best path for me to take going into college. For someone else, “going random” for a roommate might be better! It’s all about what’s going to make you feel the most comfortable and confident.
I’m very happy that my best friend and I ignored the comments that people made to us when we first expressed our plan to room together. Our living situation is so peaceful and we are happy! There is no strain on our friendship because we both value our independence as well as our time together; in fact, we are closer than ever.
If you are a high school senior debating if you should room with your best friend, or a college student thinking about rooming with your college friend: do it!
It can be a wonderful experience rooming with a friend from your hometown. It doesn’t have to end in a strained friendship. Just remember to communicate, learn each other’s habits and needs, and be independent!