Separation Anxiety: 6 Things That Happen When You Leave Your Roomies For The Summer

Many college students have already moved out for the summer, and that time is quickly approaching for me as well.  I’m not so sure how to feel about this.  I mean, I love home.  Home is where the heart is, and all that. But how am I supposed to just quit college – and, more importantly, my roommates – cold turkey?  Once you get used to sleeping in the same enclosed space with your roomies for almost a year, listening to all their favorite music and sharing in their rough test grades (and even rougher nights out), there’s no going back.

They say the first step is admitting that you have a problem.  Then, you can expect to experience these stages of separation anxiety from your closest college friends.

1. “Clothed” in grief.

Your closet takes the first blow when the convenience of living with someone who wore the same size jeans as you is no longer. The pain of separation is only made worse when you realize you’re actually pretty fashionably challenged now that you can’t exchange various articles of clothing.  Your favorite top you always wore out on the weekends?  Yeah, that was never “your” top.

2. Room feels lonely.

You miss having someone to giggle with at your beck and call.  Namely someone that doesn’t hesitate to curl up on the end of your bed to avoid doing homework, and also feels no shame in getting right on up underneath your covers for maximum comfort during a Netflix binge.  What are you supposed to do with all this extra space in your bed now?  It just feels all wrong.

3. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

The texting begins, almost incessantly.  If it was directed towards anyone else, they’d think you were a terrifying stalker, or an ex that just couldn’t let go. “I miss you already, WTF.” “Come back to me.” “Why does it feel like I haven’t seen you in 92,178,578 years?”  Suddenly everything becomes text-worthy, from last night’s episode of Scandal to the cute dog you saw at the park.

4. Formulating a plan so you never have to be apart ever again.

Bridesmaids at each other’s weddings to next-door neighbors to godmothers of each other’s future kids.  The usual.  It’s not like you guys are obsessed with each other or anything.

5. Adjusting to separate schedules.

It’s a slow process.  Sunday morning breakfasts at the dining hall are no longer a thing, and neither are your Tuesday night Dance Moms dates in front of the TV.  You’re not quite sure what to do with yourself during these periods of time.  It even feels odd not getting ready for the day together, squeezing in next to one another to secure a spot in the full-length mirror to do makeup.

6. Settling in.

Although you may have a running countdown going on your iPhone until you’re finally reunited, you’ve finally gotten used to (for the most part) not seeing your roommates’ sunshiny faces bright and early every morning. But, you can’t wait to get back on campus and do it all over again, sharing bathrooms and stupid boy stories and hoards of late-night snacks.

All people grieve differently.  However, if you miss your roommates, you’re not alone.  As for me, I feel lucky that I’ve made such close bonds with mine in such a short amount of time.  They say that your college friends will be your friends for life – if that’s the case, I’m cool with that.

Featured image via cottonbro on Pexels

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