Meet your roommate

Wouldn’t you like to take some of the guess work out of preparing for college? With all of the questions you have about what college life will be like, you should take a moment to get a handle on a few of the situations you CAN control. As you head off to school, one area you don’t have to leave to chance is getting to know your roommate. Reach out and get to know each other a little before you make the big move.

Contacting your soon-to-be roommate is important for a couple of reasons. First, you need to have a discussion about dorm room essentials. Get a list together of the items you do have and what you think you still need to function comfortably in your new space. Hopefully, your roommate can supplement where you are lacking, but you won’t know until you ask! So, reach out. If you don’t have a solid plan in place for your living area, you could end up bringing way too much, or even worse, forgetting some important necessities. 

Moving day will be busy and if you have no prior contact with your roommate, your first encounter could be a little overwhelming. You will be busy moving and unpacking all of your things (along with thousands of others if you’re living on campus), saying goodbyes to friends and family and maybe even trying to make it to a freshman orientation. On the cusp of such a big adjustment (no matter how ready you think you are), wouldn’t it be nice if you arrived at college feeling like you already have a friend and ally in your roommate? A little communication ahead of time can ease the transition into settling in to your new surroundings.

Don’t stress it. If for some reason you can’t drop a line to your new roommate, you will figure out how to get by, like many have done before you.  Simply put, with all of the technology these days, there is no better or easier time than now to communicate. So make a phone call. Text, email or even Skype with your new roommie, but don’t delay! The more you know about each other, the easier it will be for the two of you to form a bond and perhaps set out together to develop your new group of college buddies.