Recently, my friend Louisa and I both got into UIUC (yay!). So the topic of our conversations has been if we should room together if we both end up attending. As we discuss, it is imperative to weigh all the pros and cons. What if she is a slob? What if I hate her one week in? What if she embraces the computer science stereotype and does not shower? All of these concerns are important and need to be addressed. Thus, for this week’s blog, I will be weighing the pros and cons of having Louisa Zhang as my maybe, potential, possible, prospective roommate.
Con #1: We are Both Indecisive
Louisa making deicisons
Unfortunately, Louisa and I have one, singular flaw… we cannot make decisions. Let me set the scene: it is 8 pm and Louisa and I have been “studying” in the library for the past 3 hours. Finally, our stomachs start making more noise than us and I ask the daunting question “where do you want to eat?” I am met with silence. I repeat my question, “Louisa, where do you want to eat?”.
But this time I am not met with quiet, instead, I receive the dreaded answer – ”up to you.” This exchange goes on for about fifteen more minutes until Louisa finally puts down her trump card and states “I am driving so you have to pick where to eat.” Ultimately, by roughly 8:40 I come to the decision that Chipotle will be mutually loved and we leave the Nichols before the librarian can boot us.
This is just one example of us trying to make a minor decision. What happens when we have to decide where to live at University? Or when we want to go out to eat together in college? Will we just miss our classes discussing options for forty minutes? For us to be compatible in the near future, one of us has to evolve and become decisive. Hopefully, by the time college rolls around this issue will be resolved (I will force Louisa to make any and all decisions 🙂 ).
Con #2: She Takes Bad Pictures of Me
For the past seven years of our friendship, I am positive Louisa has not taken one bearable photo of me where I do not look like a melting witch. As someone who is highly un-photogenic, I want a roommate with Adobe Photoshop Premium for hands. To my dismay, Louisa’s photo-taking skills (specifically photos of me) lie between a Blackberry Pearl and the Chromebook built-in camera. To add to my predicament, she also loves taking atrocious pictures of me AND POSTING THEM.
This is a serious problem. I cannot be having hideous photos of me saturating Louisa’s social media in college. What if she has a cute friend? My chance will be gone before I even know they exist. To be fair, I am equally malicious when it comes to posting photos of her, but only as revenge, I never take the first shot.
Louisa eating alone lol
Pro #1: She Can Drive
Apart from those two major concerns, being roommates with Louisa may have its perks. If you are unaware, I do not have my driver’s license. Yes, I realize this is extremely embarrassing for a seventeen-year-old who turns eighteen this month to not have their license. In my defense, Ivy Chen is a whole adult who turned eighteen last month and does not have her license. I also have an excuse: I hate driving. As soon as my palms touch the steering wheel I start profusely sweating and become hyper-aware of every car within a two-hundred-mile radius. It is like I was born to be a passenger princess. The upside of Louisa is she loves driving and has been willing to drive me around for the past few years. Although I probably will get my license by graduation, it is nice to know my roommate will not go into a full-blown panic attack when heading to the grocery store.
Pro #2: Both Have the Same Complaints
At Chipotle!
Whining, complaining, and grumbling are Louisa and I’s favorite past-time. It could be a minor inconvenience like a long red light or a major inconvenience like multi-variable calculus, you name it and we complain about it. For instance, yesterday (in between trying to decide where to eat) we mutually agreed that physics is a nuisance for computer science majors and grumbled about being required to take it. I know that I will be complaining throughout college about every annoyance and I am happy to know that I will have someone to do it with. Honestly, having someone who shares the same worries and burdens as you is comforting. Also knowing that I have support right next door will be reassuring and help me struggle through the wild ride of college.
At the end of the day, neither Louisa nor I know where we are going to end up. Many college decisions are still coming out and having one of my closest friends as a roommate definitely is enticing. Am I a little scared I might end up hating her guts? Yes. But I doubt that will happen.