I suggested that the young lady inquire about cleanliness, because nobody wants a slob for a roommate. My daughter, perhaps the biggest slob I know, just rolled her eyes and said she did not want a roommate who would tell her she had to clean up her half of the room. It was, after all, her half of the room. We still have another year to go before reaching this stage, but boy do I ever feel sorry for Allie’s future roommates. I’m sure she’ll have many. Like a new one each semester.
I’ve been noticing similarities between teenagers and toddlers lately. (Actually, I’ve also noticed a lot of similarities between senior citizens and toddlers, too, but that’s another post.) But this particular attitude reminds me of the child who puts her hands over her own eyes and thinks that nobody else can see her. Does she really think that a roommate will feel comfortable living in half filth? Or will college be an opportunity for my only child to learn to play nicely with others?
Any advice I give her now is generally met with an eye roll, or “I know” so I can’t tell her that a neat room will seem bigger, or that no one will want to come and hang out in a messy room, or that her clothes will start disappearing and she won’t even know it. She won’t hear me when I say that a wet towel gathers mildew or that cockroaches make disgusting roommates. And she probably wouldn’t believe me if I told her that the friends and roommates she makes in college will be the ones that stick - the ladies that will still be around when life starts throwing some pretty tough challenges her way. I’m afraid this life lesson, like so many, will be learned via trial and error.