So as a senior, I got the chance to live in a dorm room without a roommate. My old roommate (who is also Punjabi, woot!) and I were planning on getting a triple with her sister, but the dorm was being bleh and it didn’t work out. We still see each other at least once a week and I can say that she is my best friend and basically my sister.

Living by yourself means you don’t have to be quiet or worry about waking up someone. You can listen to all the rap music you want and start dancing to Bollywood all without embarrassing yourself.

After being alone for about a month now, I’ve realized that there are somethings that are better done in pairs. Here are the cons of living by yourself in a dorm room:

CONS.

1. It gets lonely.

Yes, I know this is obvious. Seeing that I’m already antisocial, my roommate was basically the one person I got to see and talk to everyday. Yes, it might have been forced (since we lived together) but she was the one person I could talk to about anything and everything, including being a typical brown auntie and gossip 24/7. Now, I just kind of stare at a blank wall and talk to myself… or Skype my mom, like a normal human being.

2. No more late night movie/TV sessions.

We had a thing of watching TV shows and movies together. Our biggest thing was ordering takeout and watching The Walking Dead every weekend. We would guess who was going to die next and even had our favorites (her’s is Glenn, mine is Daryl). It was nice to be able to have a “sleepover” type of scenario without ever having to leave my bed.

3. No more relying on your roommate for forgotten items.

Sometimes I forgot my wallet or a book and it was nice to be able to text my roommate and ask her to bring it to me (well, not out of the way, like if she was headed my direction already… I’m not that mean). Or in her case, her keys. Now, I have to stop at the door and make sure I have everything (especially keys) before I even think about stepping outside. #firstworldproblems, am I right?

4. We don’t get to see each other as much.

Like I said before, since we lived together, it basically meant we would see each other every day. But now, we only get to see each other once a week for a quick sushi and coffee break. It feels weird not coming back to my room with her either working or sleeping or watching dramas – it feels out of place and wrong. Luckily, she has already decided on a set few events I have to go to because “I’m a senior now,” and stuff. Now whenever we see each other I tend to get a pep in my step and attempt to run toward her (but usually stop because I’ll trip and fall on my face and running is effort).

5. No more late night brown girl gossip sessions.

I think it’s like part of our genetic makeup for brown girls to gossip (I know that is scientifically false but just go with it).  Coming from relatively similar cultures, we would have a lot of fun talking about our surrounding and just things in general, especially things about the brown community. Whether it was about movies to guys or even what was happening in the world or otherwise, we would always have something to talk about. When we couldn’t sleep, we would just start talking to each other about anything and everything. And even if she was asleep, she would talk to me (literally…. I’m still freaked out by that you know!), but that’s a story for another time.

Yes, a single room is nice – it’s like my own little safe haven from the craziness that lives in my halls. But every now and again, I wake up at night or stop reading from my laptop to ask my roommate a question, only to realize that I don’t have a roommate anymore. Living alone in college isn’t for everyone – if you can handle the loneliness and the scheduling, then go for it. As for my roommate, we better be having sushi soon! 🙂