Can you imagine what was going through my head as I walked into my room my first day at college–wondering who my roommate would be?  Would we get along, would we have things in common, would she be neat or messy?  Would we be best friends?  Living with someone that I didn’t know prior to coming to Urbana University was a very fun experience.

Just coming out of high school to college, you never really know what to expect for your new upcoming living environment. Well, when I first arrived on campus I was shown to my dorm, after filling out some paper work for the nurse, getting my key, and figuring out my financial aid. When I got there, my roommate Mehrnoosh, who is from Iran, was there with open arm (she was there two weeks prior to me arriving.) Since she already had a feel for the school, she showed me around and I felt at home right away at the welcome weekend events.

My roommate and I get along very well; we discussed our likes and dislikes, and we try to be courteous of each other’s pet peeves. The cultural differences that we both share her being Persian and I being African American, surprisingly add to my education. Sometimes when we are about to go do something fun, we even share makeup. I have learned so much and it’s only been about one month and half–she is even teaching me how to speak Persian!! So all in all having a new person to live with that you didn’t know has a lot of positive effects on your life and helps with the “you live and you learn” motto that I like to go by!  Don’t be nervous about living with someone you don’t know–you might just learn something new about yourself as you learn about them! :)

Thanks for listening–Talia Jones