We have all heard of both roommate horror stories and roommates that were eventually in the other’s wedding. Many people are somewhere in between, being friends with their roommate and going out together. Either way, your roommate is one of the first people you meet when you get to campus, and they can make or break your dorm/apartment experience.

There are so many articles about how to become friends with your roommate and so many movies about roommates being best friends. Still, it is not always a reality for university students. 

One of the things I was looking forward to the most my first year was meeting my roommate and experiencing the campus together. However, we did not instantly click, and we both fell into our own groups. 

We don’t do many things together, but we don’t avoid each other like the plague either. Talking to some of my friends made me realize that most of them are best friends with their roommates and do everything together, which initially made me think that it was not normal to not be friends with my roommate. 

But now I have learned it is normal not to be best friends with your roommate. With the University of Arizona campus being as big as it is, it is super easy to find friends. There are so many events in the first month of the semester and over 600 clubs that students can join. Classes are also a great way to meet people with the same interests as you. Yes, a lot of time will be spent with your roommate, but there are many other ways to meet people. 

With many students choosing to room with someone random when they register for university, it is difficult to see if you get along with them without knowing them well. Most universities try to pair similar-minded people when assigning roommates, but it does not always work out. On the other hand, some choose to live with their best friend from high school and living with someone can strain any relationship, even with your best friend. 

Living with someone you do not consider your best friend comes with advantages; it is easier to have tough conversations with them, like not cleaning up, because you will not be losing a friend over cleaning arguments. Another advantage is that being with your roommate can come as a break from the friends that you already hang out with. There are certain points when our social batteries run out, and we cannot handle being with our friends, so being with your roommate offers a rest from friends. 

Yes, there may be advantages to living with your best friend, but you do not have to do so to enjoy your college experience.

Follow Kelly Marry on Twitter

Kelly Marry (she/her) is a freshman majoring in journalism and public relations. She loves to read and travel in her free time.