School is back in session. This means hundreds of new freshman are moving into their dorms for the first time and stepping outside their comfort zones. Some may move in with people they knew from high school, others get paired with a random roommate.
I'll be the first to admit that making new friends isn't always easy, especially when you find yourself living in a 10-by-10 room with them.
No one wants to step on the other person's toes by taking up to much space or taking too long in the bathroom. Needless to say, tensions can be high.
Thankfully, this year I have my very own apartment, so I don't have to worry about anything like that. But my friend Cecilia is a new freshman, and she is learning first hand, just how hard it is.
Cecilia walked into her freshman dorm room after taking a random selection and met her new roommate. In her words, she was the ultimate "dork." Her roommate was majoring in fashion merchandising and design.
Cecilia is going to school to be a physical trainer. She is not a "girlie girl." Her roommate had paper dolls scattered across her desk and Glamour Magazines stacked her bookshelf. She even had her own mannequin in her room!
Cecilia not only had a new roommate but she now resided with a MANNEQUIN!
When Cecilia walked in and put her basketball shoes on her bed next to her duffle bag, the girl introduced herself with extreme enthusiasm. She invited Cecilia to go to Green Bay with her on the first of the month because the fabric store changed fabric lines and all the new stuff came in and the old stuff was going to be discounted. Cecilia said she would think about it.
She then called me in a rant about her new girlie girl roommate. I tried to calm her down. I told Cecilia that the girl seemed nice and that she should give her a chance. After all, Cecilia was new in town and didn't have many friends. Plus, you can never have too many friends.
"But she won't party with me." Cecilia complained. "And I'm sure she can't even dribble a basketball! How am I going to be friends with someone like her?"
"Maybe an uptown roommate could be a queen of the party scene," I said, "But is that the road you want to travel down? Teach her how to play ball. You are here for school, not to party or to hang out with carbon copies of yourself. Give her a chance."
So here's a little advice to all the incoming freshman from someone who has been there. First year of college is full of new experiences. It's just up to you whether they are going to be positive or negative ones.
And give your "dorky" roommate a chance. For all you know they could be the next Bill Gates or J.K. Rowling.
