Sometimes we hear stories of people who were roommates together their freshman year in college and became life-long best friends. I am living in that same story.
Heading into my senior year at WSU, I can truly say that my freshman year roommate has been and will continue to be my best bud.
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- My freshman year roommate, Lizette, and I at the end of our Freshman year.
Here are some ways my roommate and I connected before arriving at WSU. I hope these ideas and tips help you build a life-long friendship with your future roomie!
1. Connect on social media
In today’s world, the first thing we do when we meet someone new is stalk them on social media. Am I right? Start out by looking each other up on Facebook, exchanging Snapchats and scrolling through each other’s Instagram profiles.
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- Photo by Ka Vang ’16
While you’re connecting with each other, be sure to follow WSU’s social channels to help you connect with other incoming WSU students.
2. Plan a bonding day
If distance allows, try to find a day this summer to meet up with each other. The summer before my freshman year, my roommate drove five and a half hours to surprise me and attend my graduation party! It was an incredibly sweet gesture and made my graduation party so memorable.
Maybe you would rather meet in the middle instead of driving to each other’s houses. If so, here are some other ideas for a bonding day:
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Visit your future home for a day and tour Winona
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Go shopping at the Mall of America
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Ride rollercoasters at Valley Fair
- Grab some ice cream together
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Or, spend the Fourth of July together and watch fireworks
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- Photo by Jacob Striker ’18
If distance is an issue, try scheduling a time to FaceTime each other. I’m so grateful my freshman roommate and I decided to connect prior to coming to WSU. It truly made our transition to college much smoother and strengthened our friendship overall.
3. Create a plan for New Student Registration together
As New Student Registration Day quickly approaches, work together with your future roommate to create a plan. You can help each other plan which classes to sign-up for and figure out what sessions you need to attend on Registration Day. You can also work together to come up with a list of questions to ask WSU faculty and staff about WSU and transitioning to college.
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- Photo by Brooke Powell ’21
Be sure to pick out a place in Winona to meet up for lunch after you get your picture taken with Wazoo. His photo booth will be located in the lower hyphen of Kryzsko throughout Registration Week. Most importantly, don’t forget to stop for ice cream on your way out of town!
4. Know what each other is bringing in the fall
Too often incoming freshmen bring things they simply do not need. Connect with your roommate to figure out what each of you will be bringing. This will help you pre-determine what you will be sharing as well as avoid bringing duplicate items.
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- Photo by Brian Waldbillig ’18
A good way to organize this is by creating a shared Pinterest board. Doing so will create a space for planning and sharing ideas for how you want to set-up and personalize your room. For more residence hall decor ideas, check out WSU’s Pinterest boards.
5. Get excited to be a #FutureWarrior together
As Welcome Week quickly approaches, take this time to not only plan but also get excited for the new adventure ahead! As an incoming Warrior, you will have lots of questions and maybe even some uncertainties, but rest assured that WSU is wonderful place to call home.
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- Photo by Brooke Powell ’21
