Hi! My name is Morielle Mamaril. I’m a freshman in ILR from a small agricultural town in California called Watsonville or “Strawberry City.” March 30th, 2023: Ivy Day. After nervously waiting for the “Application Status Update” email, a steady stream of tears flowed as soon as I read, “Congratulations!” Busy in joyous celebration with my mom right beside me, I relished the unknown of what the next four years of my life would look like at Cornell.  

During my first year of college, my roommate was a friend from high school. We communicated that we wanted to be roommates over the summer, and because I knew her, I thought, “Oh, I don’t need to talk to her about anything ahead of time.” After living with a roommate, I’ve realized you should talk deeply and set expectations no matter how close you are. It’ll help you both acclimate and help each other if you have a new roommate or will in the future. Be sure to reference these tips to help develop a strong roommate relationship.