J is for Jammies

Not only is the first day on campus with a new roommate awkward enough, but keeping your dignity while changing into jammies and what you select to wear can set the tone for the rest of the year. I have slept in just boxers since I started dressing myself and when I came to school, I was not sure how my country raised roommate would handle the idea.

I was unable to make contact with my roommate before move in day. Thankfully, I moved in early because of Marching Illini band camp but because of the same reason, I only saw my roommate for all of 20 minutes between rehearsals.

When I came home that night we went through the same awkward conversations all new roommates experience as I tried to wait out the clock until bedtime. Would he snore? Would he want pillow talk? How will I react if he sleeps in the nude? Most importantly, how will he react when I strip down to my boxers to go to sleep? My roommate made the first move and wore a pair of shorts as his night attire and I now thought it safe enough to get down to my boxers; rite of passage complete.

If you are moving in with a new roommate decide early what you plan to wear to bed and invest in some jammies if you need to. Also, do not worry about changing in front of your roommate; they do not want to see you naked more than you do not want them to see you. Grin and bear living with a new roommate, if you are lucky you’ll end up like me and live with your random freshman roommate all four years.

Michael Stein is a senior in FAA.