Everyone can make fun of me all they want: my two obsessions in life are unicorns and the American flag, and my side of the dorm room reflects that.
Not only do I need friends who accept this weird personality quirk, but I need a roommate who can deal with my patriotic wardrobe and rainbow color scheme.
As this year's housing application deadline grew nearer, I began to think more about how I live and the things I do. I realized more than anything that filling out the housing application is a self-reflecting process. In order to know with whom you can live, you need to know yourself.
For example, one of my very closest friends - and next year's roommate - went to a math and science magnet high school. Her school had an even ratio of international to domestic students, so she considered herself to be worldly and cultured, even though she had never roomed with any international students.
She was wrong. When selecting her freshman roommate for the 2011-2012 school year, she specified that she wanted an international roommate. She was expecting a roommate from a country like Denmark who would teach her all about European fashion, Vikings, how to make pastries and probably have some royal connections so she could meet and marry a prince.
But she was wrong again. When the time came and she finally met her roommate. They barely talk because of the language barrier, have no common interests, never bothered to get to know each other and it is both of their faults.
Never having lived with an international student, her expectations were far different than reality. She now understands that she will still be able to find a roommate she can learn from and spend time with, as long as the language is the same.
At home, I had never shared a room with my brother, but we did share almost everything else.
Upon moving into my dorm, I thought I would need some sort of chart of who was using the TV or who had friends coming over in order to keep a spatial balance. This is where I goofed. My roommate and I have different schedules and we never even needed to establish these things. Occasionally we did, but for the most part I have learned that our division of space comes with a division of schedules.
We always think we know exactly who we are, but new situations challenge us. Here we learn who we really are, where we really fit in and what we're really like.
Some people rise to the challenge and get to know themselves, while others go along as usual and repeat the same mistakes or never challenge their own identity. The ones that find self-awareness become better at making life decisions.
So, next year's roommate, thanks in advance for putting up with my extreme patriotism and mythical obsession. I promise you that this year was a learning experience for me. I know under what conditions I need to live in order to do well and so do you.
The college housing experience is a self-reflective one in which we learn about ourselves.
Before you can choose next year's roommate, you must know what works for you. For many, the dorm living experience is a good one, for others, it's unpleasant. But what else can I say? It's part of life.
- McDonough is a freshman from Glen Ellyn, Ill., majoring in communications. opinion@thedepauw.com