The anticipation of sharing a room with a roommate can be one of the more stressful parts of starting at a new boarding school. Will they snore? Will they be messy? Will they like a different kind of music? What if they like to stay up too late? The answer to these questions may be yes, but we want to reassure each new boarding student that the opportunity for personal growth and formation of deep friendships makes having a roommate one of the most valuable experiences you will have at Proctor. Here are what a few of senior dorm leaders have to say about the benefits of living with a roommate. 

Katherine ‘22 

“Going into Proctor I was nervous not knowing exactly who my roommate really was and if we would work out. It turns out that she was soon to become one of my best friends. Going into my senior year we have been roommates ever since, even after off-campus programs. Unfortunately this fall she will be away in Spain and I am going on the new Ocean Classroom program in the winter, so I hope we can room together one last time in the spring. Proctor is great at pairing people up their first year at Proctor, and I know many other people who are still rooming with their freshman year roommate.”

Nora ‘22 

“As a rising four year senior, I have had experience with rooming in a double freshman year, a triple sophomore year and a single junior and senior year. Living with a roommate gives you a chance to talk about your day with someone, and your roommate can also be someone to guide you in school work and high school life in general! Your roommate could possibly be your life long friend, or can just help you learn more about yourself and what living situation you prefer. I think roommates and dormmates in general are such an awesome part of going to boarding school and can give you such meaningful friendships as well as memories.” 

Andy ‘22

“My time at Proctor has flown by so far and roommates have played a crucial role in my success at school. Each roommate has pros and cons, but what I think is even more important than just that single roommate is the other people in your dorm. When you go out of your way to make friends with everyone in the dorm it keeps you grounded and you know you always have someone to go back to and talk to at night.”

Mason ‘22

“Living with a roommate was nerve wracking for me at first, but I definitely came to rely on that built in relationship through the years. My roommate and I were never in many of the same classes or sports teams so we really only saw each other in our room. It was nice to see a familiar face around campus but I also appreciated that we could have our own interests and activities.” 

Ang ‘22

“I’ve had the opportunity to live with a roommate and also have a single. One thing that I have enjoyed the most is the sense of independence you experience living with your roommate but also living in a dorm. Your roommate is your first friend at Proctor and living away from home with that person is such a fun journey. There will definitely be ups and downs but really push yourself outside of your comfort zone to get to know this person and appreciate who they are.”