Congratulations! You’ve likely been accepted to college and from there chosen one to commit to! There are a lot more decisions to be made, so why not make life a little easier and have a roommate selected for you?

The “lottery” system isn’t just some algorithm that randomly pairs you with someone. While each college is a little different, most take into account your personal habits and characteristics so that you are paired up with someone that you share some similarities with. This system allows you to meet someone new and may allow you to experience situations outside of your comfort zone.

The randomization of it gives you an opportunity to have your own independence. You won’t be tied down to your high school life, like you would be if you were rooming with a friend. With that independence you have the opportunity to participate in the entire college experience.

Many people worry that they may not like their roommate if they decide to go random. However, there is always a chance that they would be in that same situation if they had roomed with a friend. Being with your friend 24/7 can really test your friendship, especially if you’ve never shared a space like that before.

Not liking your roommate is becoming less of an issue anyway, as social media and technology are becoming more prevalent. Colleges assign roommates much earlier so that roommates can get to know one another and discuss hot topics such as who’s bringing the mini-fridge and what decorations are going to be hung on the wall.

Essentially, a random roommate is someone a college sets you up with so that you don’t have to waste your valuable time searching and trying to connect with other college-bound students in vain.

This process also takes care of the prospect of exclusion. The vast majority of students will be assigned a roommate and you won’t have to worry about artificial things such as looks or selling yourself. Colleges match you solely based on how well your personalities and habits match up with another’s.

At the end of the day, the experience is going to be what you make of it. If you enter into it regretting that you went random or that you procrastinated and didn’t have time to look for a roommate, you probably will go in with negative feelings.

On the flip side, if you trust the system, you should receive someone that is at least bearable. So cheers and remember that no matter what you only have to live with this person for one school year – less than 365 days!