As your summer progresses, your anxiety and excitement as you embark on a new journey at Gonzaga will only continue to grow. This is a wonderful time in your life, but it is also filled with an abundance of emotions. A big part of this experience will be living with somebody else, whether a current friend, or a complete stranger. But the most important thing I want to share with you as you anxiously wait for your roommate assignments, is to be open minded and respectful to whomever you are assigned to. I am a strong believer that in life, one needs a little bit of uncertainty to overcome some of the obstacles that we fear the most.
Freshman year will be one of the craziest years as it may be the first time you are independent, and because you will truly begin to make some self-discoveries. Some of these will come from having a roommate, which will bring you both benefits and challenges but will allow you to grow. Go out and explore what campus has to offer and get to know each other. This doesn’t mean that you have to become “besties;” however, it will benefit the two of you in the long run to understand each other. The two most important tips to remember are to (1) be respectful and (2) communicate. These will take you and your roommate a long way.
As my first days at Gonzaga approached, I was completely and utterly terrified about who I was going to be living with for the next year. Many of my friends from back home kept telling me how crazy I was for going random for a roommate. As it turns out, I was assigned a roommate who wasn’t only going to be an individual with whom I was going to share a living space with, but a friend and someone I confide in.
Part of the University’s mission statement includes, “Gonzaga University is an exemplary learning community that educates students for lives of leadership and service for the common good.” Having this as part of Gonzaga’s mission statement helps to reinforce that this whole experience goes beyond your roommate, and includes your hall mates and others who live in your residence hall. The University aims to form men and women for others, and the community you will be a part of in your residence halls will help to direct you onto that path. By making friendships and being part of a community that strives to be leaders, I have no doubt that you will quickly find purpose here at Gonzaga. The people you will meet here will teach you new qualities about yourself and what it means to be part of a community of leaders.
I wish you the best as you embark on this journey, and I have confidence that you will succeed here at GU! Go Zags!
Sofia Alvarez is a sophomore Business Administration Major with a Minor in French. She is from Boise, ID.