Confessions of a first-year student Roommate anxieties prove unfounded as friendships form in frosh-land

Author: Katie Glass

Having been here only a little over a month, I am finally getting to know peoples' true characters as they gradually emerge and feel their weird quirks are becoming not only noticeable but also strangely endearing. The process of getting to know people is exhilarating, albeit overwhelming - like discovering peculiar favorite food combinations or unusual sleeping habits.

Whereas only a few weeks ago I was frantically trying to match names to faces - if you have absolutely no idea, just call them Emily or Ben and assume they're from somewhere "just outside Boston or New York" - these faces are now attached to bodies, complete with personalities and pasts. And one of the greatest things about living here is that you can meet someone literally anywhere - the library, gym, laundry room, dining hall, common room or even the study room - and chances are you will start seeing that person everywhere you go on campus. (This of course can make things awkward and embarrassing if you've met someone you don't wish to see frequently... or perhaps ever again.)

Of course, there is already that one person who knows you better than anyone else, whether he or she wants to or not: the roommate. Living practically on top of a random person for an entire year is a challenge, especially under all the stressful circumstances college breeds. When I found out my roommate was Japanese and from Alabama, I thought there could not possibly be anyone more different from me in the entire school, and questioned how on earth Middlebury could possibly think it was a good idea to put us together. (My fears were soon dispelled when she sent me an e-mail introducing herself.) Of course, I was also anxious to disprove her potential misconceptions of my life in Alaska and quickly informed her that I did not live in an igloo or ride a moose to school and was also familiar with indoor plumbing.

We have since discovered we have a shared loathing for people who snore and a passion for interior decorating to the point of gaudiness - our room is the definition of classy but tacky - and take much pride in having the messiest room on our hall, quite possibly the whole dorm. So far we have not experienced any "roommate from hell" moments like those I've heard from other people - the unfortunate guy who was "sexiled" three times the first week of school, the other whose roommate vomited all over her side of the room and another whose roommates duck-taped him to his bed in the middle of the night.

So far it has just been nice to have someone who will watch my back - to tell me if I smell bad, am about to do something I will ultimately regret the next day or to wake me up and drag me out of bed 10 minutes before class starts.

In essence, the camaraderie that has already been established in the class of 2009 over the past month is evident throughout the campus, and is extremely encouraging. In a school where practically everyone makes eye contact and smiles when passing one another, it's hard to imagine what life at a large and competitive university would be like, and makes me truly happy that I'm at a school with such a positive and friendly atmosphere, with so many social opportunities and chances to meet people.



"Confessions of a first-year student" is the second in an occasional series chronicling the trials and tribulations that accompany the first semester at Middlebury.