Yes, it’s time to make the biggest decision that might possibly change the whole trajectory of your first year. Time to pick a roommate… or not. Which is what I did.
Instead of writing down a name, I went completely random. There was always a lot of pressure when picking a roommate - making sure you have enough in common to talk about, but not so much that you’re the same person. I figured I’d let the universe decide my fate (and, to be honest, I also didn’t give myself enough time to put someone's name down).
The way housing works here at Berkeley is through a lottery system. You rank your preferred dorms and can list a roommate if you have one in mind. Most people found their roommates through Instagram class pages or Facebook groups, but I somehow missed that memo. So, I clicked ‘random’ and hoped for the best. The lottery system placed me in a triple in Unit 2 (one of my top choices). I thought having more roommates meant double the chances of making friends, right? Not quite.
I foolishly assumed that by default, my roommates would automatically be my first friends. If there's one thing I learned during that first week of move-in, it's not to put pressure on your roommates to be your friends. I came in as an overeager freshman fully expecting to be instant besties with my roommates. When this didn’t immediately happen and I was the only one opening up and sharing my whole life story (I know, very mysterious of me), I was confused and honestly disappointed. Looking back, I realize how overwhelming I probably came across. I wanted a connection so badly that I forgot everyone else was adjusting too.
It made for a couple of awkward first weeks where we were all definitely going through the transition period of going from high school to college. We were all learning how to live without our families, manage new schedules, and survive 8 a.m. lectures. This was until I made friends with some of the other people also living on our floor. Talking with them helped me realize that friendship can’t be forced, especially when you’re literally living with strangers.
After that, I shifted my mindset and attempted to be more casual and relaxed about it all. For context, I’m a first-generation college student, so every part of this experience felt new to me. Luckily, my roommates slowly started warming up to me, little by little. One night, we all decided to go to the dining hall together, then another, and another. Soon, it became a nightly routine where, even with different schedules, we always found time to eat together and talk about our days. These small moments made the dorms feel like home.
If you’re debating between going random or choosing someone you know, here’s my advice: do what feels right for you. You know you best, so if you’d feel more comfortable with a friend, go for it. But don’t let the roommate horror stories scare you away from taking a chance. Embrace the randomness of who might be your roommate. It’s inevitable that some pairs are going to be stronger than others, but every experience teaches you something, and sometimes, it leads you to the people you were meant to meet.
Living in the dorms was full of highs and lows, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. You are surrounded by other students of a similar age to yourself, all figuring life out for the first time, moving away from their support system, starting more challenging classes, and living in what's basically a shoebox. Have fun with your first year. My random roommates turned into some of my closest friends that I’m still living with to this day. From awkward first weeks to late-night talks about random nonsense, those moments shaped my Berkeley experience. Although initially scary, I am forever grateful for who those experiences led me to. And for that, I’ll always be grateful.