Hi everyone, I’m Rosie (the one on the right), and I’ve just finished my second term of sharing a college bedroom with my roommate, Lizzie. We were asked to write this blog to give people a better idea of what sharing a room is really like, and hopefully to put your mind at ease if you might be sharing too.
I was apprehensive at first
When I found out I’d been placed in a shared room (only 10 days before move-in day!), I honestly felt quite apprehensive about it, and I know Lizzie did too. The thought of essentially having a sleepover every night with a stranger is a slightly strange concept but I really think that sharing has been one of, if not the best part of first year for me. When we met on the first day, we hit it off pretty quickly and found that a walk into town to get bedroom decorating supplies was a great way to break the ice. We had a lot of fun making our room really cosy and homely, the fact that it is significantly bigger than a single room and has two big windows means that it feels much lighter and more spacious. We’ve found that this, combined with our excellent décor, means that our room is often chosen by our friends as the place to hang out, play games & have a pre-drink together before going out.
We always had each other
Lizzie and I agree that having each other during freshers’ week made the whole process so much less daunting – whereas many of our friends experienced the initial loneliness and having to find people to sit with at meals etc, we always had each other which just made everything slightly less scary. Another great thing about having a roommate is having a whole other wardrobe that you can dip in and someone to get ready with and approve your outfits! Ever since freshers’ we’ve always found we can rely on each other: I can remember Lizzie bringing breakfast up for me when I was in bed with fresher’s flu and Lizzie knows she can rely on me to put her iPad on charge when she falls asleep watching Friends!
A unique and special bond
Despite only knowing each other for just shy of 6 months and living nearly 3 hours apart, we both visited the other one’s house and family during the Christmas holidays (4 weeks was far too long and we missed each other too much!) and Lizzie came with me on a week-long ski holiday with my family, who seem to love her as much as they love me! This is further illustrated by the fact that as I’m writing this, we are currently eating brownies from a package that arrived earlier and my mum addressed it to both of us! It seems crazy how close we have become in such a short space of time, but sharing a room really does create a unique and special bond that I don’t think could be achieved any other way. I feel truly grateful to have benefitted from the experience of sharing and I am confident that I have a friend for life in Lizzie.
Don’t avoid sharing a room
I would urge anyone considering coming to Durham not to avoid applying to colleges with shared rooms as it really is a cool thing that’s quite unique to this university. If you have been placed in a shared room, don’t panic! Colleges do spend time pairing up people they think will be compatible, so allocations tend to work well, and you might meet your best friend! It is also worth mentioning that both Lizzie and I were reallocated from our original college choices but have absolutely fallen in love with Trevs and wouldn’t change it for the world.
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