Moving into a college dorm can be full of excitement, curiosity and concern when choosing to live with a random roommate.

For some students, random roommates make transitioning away from home easier. For others, random roommates just make things frustrating.

Louisville freshman Eric Vazquez said he used WKU’s “Find a Roommate” application but had a difficult time finding someone he felt he was compatible with. Vazquez was assigned a random roommate, and the two met in person to discuss their living situation.

Vazquez described himself as “a sharer” and said he would feel isolated if he lived alone. He said he enjoyed the thought of living with someone.

“Back home I always shared a room; I can’t remember a moment when I didn’t have to share,” Vazquez said. “So, it was a little bit of a comfort of home.”

Although Vazquez said he differs from his roommate culturally, he said living together allows him to be curious and ask questions about how his roommate lives.

Vazquez said he plans to move into an apartment next semester. He said he considered continuing to live with his current roommate, but his roommate doesn’t have the credit hours to move off campus.

Moving into a residence hall with a stranger can create a new experience and force you to live outside of your comfort zone.

Louisiana freshman Tayland Ratliff came to WKU for the speech and debate team and decided to live in the Valley because of its proximity to the forensics office. Ratliff said she allowed her mother to make decisions on housing, and she found out she was moving in with someone she did not know.

Ratliff said she enjoys watching TV shows like “Grey’s Anatomy” with her roommate, but their political differences create a barrier in building a deeper relationship.

“It is something I keep in the back of my head,” she said. “Like you do believe certain things that I don’t so … if you’re going for someone who actually says these things, and you voted for them, you must agree with him.”

Ratliff said she doesn’t mind having political differences as long as political arguments are based on facts. Although the roommates have differences, she described her roommate as a sweet person who is thoughtful of Ratliff’s personal things. While Ratliff adjusted to living in Kentucky, she said her roommate gave her tips on taking care of her car like letting the car warm up before driving if it has snowed.

News reporter Ambriehl Crutchfield can be reached at 270-745-6011 and [email protected]. Follow Ambriehl on Twitter at @ambriehlc.