We met in kindergarten. Throughout the years, we were on the same soccer team. And here we are now: college roommates.
It seems to me there are three different types of college roommates: strangers, acquaintances and best friends.
Personally, I have no idea what it would be like to move in with a stranger. I cannot imagine what kind of conversations we would have or if we would even talk at all. The few of my friends who have done it have surprisingly had great experiences with their roommates. However, I frequently hear stories about pairs that do not work out, some even already filing for a roommate change.
Although my roommate and I have been friends for 14 years, there was still much we did not know about each other. I love her to death, but before we moved in together, I couldn’t even tell you what her favorite color was. The longer we’ve lived together, the more I’ve learned about her. And now I can proudly tell you that her favorite color is green.
I have also heard stories about female roommates that move in as best friends. Let’s just say, from what I’ve heard, they leave as enemies. But I know there are certainly best friends out there that can beat the odds.
Did I mention I love my roommate? We might not have been best friends before we moved in, but we are now.
For the length of our college experience, we have learned much about each other that we may never have known if we had not moved in together. She thinks I’m a major weirdo, but we agree on pretty much everything. I am really lucky to have her.
I believe the most important thing that roommates in college need to agree on is privacy.
I am fortunate enough to know that some of the things my roommate and I discuss are never to leave the room. If I ever needed a shoulder to cry on, she would be there. I trust her.
I wonder if I had moved in with a stranger, if we would have a similar relationship. Would I have to learn to trust them?
This year, Rutgers University freshmen Tyler Clementi and Dharun Ravi moved in together. According to recent news, Clementi suspected Ravi of frequently spying on him and reported it to his resident adviser and two superiors. Clementi was correct; Ravi left his webcam filming when he left Clementi in the room alone, catching a video of Clementi hooking up with another guy. Ravi then streamed it all over the internet, leaving an embarrassed Clementi to commit suicide.
Even if I had not known my roommate before moving in with her, I would hope that she would never be cold enough to pull something like this. I believe there is a certain amount of trust that should be established between roommates, but I suppose in some cases it is not present.
Even in the case of the new movie “The Social Network,” which is about the college geniuses who invented Facebook, there are trust issues between the two founders, and best friends, Mark Zuckerberg and Eduardo Saverin. The two Harvard students came across these problems when Zuckerberg muscles Saverin out of the Facebook enterprise, leading to a major lawsuit.
But before the idea of Facebook even came about, computer-savvy Zuckerberg was easily able to hack Harvard’s networks. Apparently there is no such thing as college privacy to a cute computer nerd. This movie is well made and an excellent example of what I am trying to say.
Which brings me to my final point, who can you really trust? I know that I can trust my roommate with my life.         
Becca Horton is a sophomore majoring in communication. She can be contacted at
[email protected].