Freshman year means a lot of things. Starting college, leaving high school sweethearts behind, meeting new people, living away from home for the first time, and so on. One experience which almost all freshman share is having a roommate. Sure, some of us have shared a room with our older siblings, but most of us have never experienced living with a complete stranger. My freshman year roommate was named Elliott Karenty. I received his name and home address during the summer and wrote to him to see what was he like. He wrote back describing himself as a small Jewish kid who lived in New Jersey all his life and who wanted to become a doctor. Good enough. I wrote back explaining that I was a tall Korean kid who lived in a billion different places and had no clue what I wanted to do with my life, even though I was in the School of Engineering. We wrote back and forth, called each other a few times, and then met on the first day of move-in. The strangest part of the roommate experience has to be that first night when you're about to go to sleep. You're sitting there in your boxers, all washed up and most likely a little intoxicated, and there is your new roommate, a complete stranger, in your room. The next strangest aspect of having a roommate has to be waking up. You're all groggy, half awake, and there's this stranger snoring in the bed 2 feet away from you. Weird. Most of you will relate to what I have to say next. We got along well in the beginning. We went to all the freshmen orientation programs together. We ate meals together. In fact, the only time we didn't hang out together was when there were parties, because he didn't drink. Then comes the time when you're pretty much acquainted with your roommate and have no problems yelling at him and telling him how much his nasty habits bother you. This happened to us around the first month of school, and will most likely happen to all of you, if not sooner. He started writing on the walls with this chalk that he bought at the ever-so overpriced Bookstore. Not just a few scribbles, but stupid childish drawings, stupid quotes, and the like. It was kinda embarrassing to bring dates back to my room and have them see the words, "Long live Bob Marley!" scribbled on the wall. I asked him to erase them, but he insisted that he paid for half the room. Then he started rearranging the room. Okay, not much you can do in a Hill double, but we had bunks, so there was an extra 5 square feet to work with. Call me anal, but I like the desks arranged symmetrically. He didn't. His desk was placed at a diagonal in the corner, so that he actually had to climb over his desk to sit down, and was facing the door when he was seated. What is the point? Well, I'm hoping to share my mistakes with all of you. You may all hate your freshman or even sophomore year roommates. Some say that your best friends make your worst roommates, and vice-versa. I know I hated them both after the year was over. But now that my senior year has passed, and our college experience is over, I look back and realize how much I wish I could take back the years. I didn't talk to Elliott much after that freshman year, and I deeply regret it. This was my first college roommate. We shared so many experiences together that can and never will be duplicated. No matter how much you may detest your roommate after that first year is over, put aside your hatred for a second and think about what it's going to be like after your four years are over. Graduation makes you think back on your years together with your friends, and one of the strongest memories you will have will involve your freshman year roommate. There are so many things I regret about my college experience, and not keeping in touch with Elliott is one of them. Take my advice and avoid what I did. So, to Elliott Karetny, hope you got into the med school of your choice. Sorry for all the arguments that we had. And good luck in whatever you choose to do.
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