Pieces of BGSU

Coming from a small town in Michigan, I came into my roommate situation completely blind.

I filled out a five-question questionnaire and hoped for a good fit and my first BGSU friend.

Being a first-generation college student, I didn’t have anything to go on. I based my fears on horror stories I had heard in high school. All I could do was keep my fingers crossed and truly hope for the best!

After a few months of waiting, I finally received a notification with the name of my future roommate for Fall 2010.

For the next two-three hours, I was creeping on every social media site known to man, just trying to get an idea of who this kid was and to get a glimpse of his personality.

Long story short, from what I could see he was a great fit for me. He showed interest in athletics; he had pictures with his youth group; and most importantly pictures with attractive girls! What more could an 18-year-old guy ask for in a future roommate? I was pumped and ready to start the year.

After a few months of living with him in good ole Kreischer Ashley, I came to the realization my supposed “great” roommate was not all he was cracked up to be.

He hated sports; he drank in our room almost every day of the week; and he was the most socially awkward person I had ever met.

My worst nightmare had happened. I was the next horror story the people from my high school would end up telling each other next year!

Although I did not have the experience I had truly hoped for, I ended up learning a lot from the situation.

I learned you don’t have to be best friends with your roommate to have a good living situation! You simply have to sleep in the same room and make it through the year.

My roommate and I maybe spoke a total of maybe 10 words to each other during the course of the year, but it ended up being a great situation for me in the long run.

I was forced out of my room to meet other people on campus and in my hall.

My bad roommate situation, also, forced me to break out of my shell and get involved on campus in great organizations that have made a huge impact on my life.

Yes, having a bad roommate was an experience that I will never forget, and I could probably talk for days about stories from that year.

However, in the long run when it comes to a roommate, every new student needs to just have an open mind and make the best out of whatever situation happens.

The college life is simply too much fun to let a bad roommate impact your experience!