The class of 2024 is approaching the end of their high school career. In this case, with change comes one of the more enjoyable aspects of college preparations: the roommate search.
Albeit different from most, senior Katy Dykstra’s college roommate search has been, first and foremost, more of a dog search.
“I applied to this program [at the University of Minnesota] where, basically, they’ll give you roommates, and you can foster a dog, so I’m waiting to see if I got into that,” Katy said. “At the moment, I’m going in blind. The program sounds great because it allows you to foster a dog, and I’m going into vet medicine, so it’s cool [to have that opportunity]. Plus, I love my own pets, so it’s nice.”
The specialized opportunity for Katy to care for a dog in her dorm is a unique one at that and so is the prospect of going into living arrangements blind.
Most people prefer the comfort of finding a connection with someone and creating that roommate bond, but others are more open to the idea of going blind. Regardless, there are ups and downs to the idea, as with any.
“I haven’t found [a roommate] yet because of the program,” Katy said. “I need somebody who’s motivated enough that we can both help each other to do our homework and actually try. I can’t have someone who talks 24/7. I know that’s some people’s thing, but I just need two minutes [to gather myself]. It’s also worrying me, though, because it’s like, “Who am I going to get paired with?” I had to answer a lot of extensive questions for it, but it’s still in the dark, so I’m somewhat nervous.”
While Katy is leaving her roommate up to chance, others—like seniors Kadence Roelfzema and Bella Preston—have a plan set in place to room together.
At Grand Valley State University, the pair has nearly solidified their living arrangements with only minor adjustments to be made.
“At first, we were the only two who knew each other and knew that we were both potentially going to Grand Valley,” Kadence said, “and we’ve also known each other for about six or seven years now, so it made sense with us being such close friends. We come from similar backgrounds, so it should work well.”
The dynamic between the two serves as living proof that the roommate search doesn’t have to be stressful, but rather, it can be just another activity for them to partake in together.
Even with the stress associated with the college-planning mindsets, figuring it out with a friend has been successful for many students at FHC.
“I guess at first I did [worry about finding a roommate] until I knew Bella was pretty sure she wanted to go there,” Kadence explained. “I’ve always been thinking about it because she doesn’t know for sure if she is going, so I’d like to have a backup plan, but I haven’t really looked for anybody else.”
While it won’t be constant fun and parties, there is still a sense of relief in knowing that one’s roommate is their best friend.
Being such close friends, the two share a mutual understanding of their anticipated dorm rules and expectations as well as the importance of the maintenance of both their friendship and their living arrangements.
The things we have to do will be on the schedule, and the things we want to do will be organized into that schedule afterward.
— Bella Preston
“I think it’s going to be more planned out [than not],” Bella said, “But, also, we’d have everything planned out with a time opening of when we can choose what we want to do during that time. Otherwise, we’d have it planned out when we can choose and figure out at that time what we want to do, and we’ll have our schedule more set so we know when we can choose. The things we have to do will be on the schedule, and the things we want to do will be organized into that schedule afterward.”
One thing that is important to keep in mind is the social part; living together brings a lot of new experiences, and there should be an understanding of what that entails.
In this, Bella and Kadence are both cognizant of the strengths and weaknesses they each bring to the table, and that is something they are taking into consideration while planning.
“We don’t argue that much,” Bella said, “But we’re also good at compromising. Kadence and I don’t really confront issues. If there’s an issue, we won’t talk about it at first, and we usually let it sit there for a while. After that, we’ll talk about it, and it’s fine, but we don’t do it right away.”
While Kadence and Bella see each other every day, other people have chosen roommates with whom they don’t have that luxury, including senior Maggie Kelderman.
Maggie’s situation is a little bit different: she’s rooming with a friend, but not one she sees on a daily basis.
“She’s one of my friends from West Catholic,” Maggie said. “I played volleyball with her in sixth grade, so I’ve known her for a long time. We don’t see each other a lot, so I feel like it’s perfect because we’re not super close, but we still know each other really well. It wasn’t always set, but we were talking one time, and it just came up. She asked if I wanted to room with her at State, and I said that’d be amazing, so that’s what we’re doing. She wants to play volleyball [at a different college] for two years, so I’ll probably have to find another one.”
Since there is so much to be considered when looking for a roommate, many FHC students are managing to prioritize their needs in a way that can help them with their roommate search.
As many other people are doing, Maggie is making sure to keep her criteria in mind, and she makes sure that she knows what she wants before making a full commitment to it.
“I want someone that’s clean,” Maggie explained. “I think a big deal-breaker would probably be someone who’s super messy. I’m very particular about how and where I put my things, and I definitely want my own space.”
