On Roommates -- Skip the BFF and Honesty is the Best Policy

No matter where you plan on going next year, you will receive your housing contract sometime this summer. This will also include some personal information that you'll be required to fill out in order for the residence life people to put you with the best possible roommate. This is crucial as this will basically decided whom you'll be living with for the next nine months of your life.

First of all, DO NOT room with your best friend. DON'T DO IT. My best friend and I ended up at Drake together and originally planned on rooming together but eventually decided not to. As luck would have it, we ended up right next to each other. I'm so happy that we didn't live together. And I bet she is, too. You see, just because you're friends with someone doesn't necessarily mean you'll make good roommates. I don't know what it is, but there's some sort of "X factor" that successful roommates have that might not always be found in your closest friends.

Plus, rooming with someone you've known for a while will automatically isolate you. Generally, you won't be tempted to go out and meet people because you'll already have a friend with you and, therefore, don't feel the need to meet others like many of the other kids do. This is especially true if you decide to go to school out of state. I have a feeling that if my best friend and I roomed together, we would have stuck to ourselves and would have become the "Colorado Girls" on our floor. And neither of us wanted that. I'm glad I had her so close, though and knowing that she was there definitely helped my transition to college.

And can you imagine if you got into a big fight? Maybe she left chip crumbs on the futon AGAIN and you can't stand that. Suddenly, you're shouting at one another, and then you're not speaking at all. Then, sooner than you can say "it's over," your friendship is completely destroyed. You really don't want to risk that.

Once you and your BFF have decided to kick it in different rooms, fill out your personal information COMPLETELY AND HONESTLY. Maybe you smoke, but your parents don't know you smoke, so you write that you're a "non-smoker" on your form, just so they don't find out. Then you run the risk of getting placed with someone who requested a non-smoking roommate and causing immediate problems. Maybe you're embarrassed to admit that you're kind of a slob, and write that you're a neat freak instead -- that will cause problems, too. If you're honest, you'll end up with someone who is compatible with you. Granted, you might not be best friends, but getting along and respecting one another is crucial. Plus, you really don't want to deal with the drama of having a roommate that's the polar opposite from yourself. That will cause unnecessary stress during what is supposed to be one of the best years of your life.