Every year, the Scroll publishes a series of college essays written by the graduating seniors. This is the college essay of Caroline Gentile, who will be attending Harvard University this fall.

Dear Future College Roommate,

Neatness has never been my forte, and for that, I apologize in advance—unless of course, your messiness rivals mine.  For years, my room has been a conglomeration of books and pencils and pens and papers and clothes.  Last I cleaned it, I discovered many lost treasures: 17 empty water bottles, my little brother’s blanket, countless caps to markers, and all 164 of my history readings from sophomore year.  Though the state of my room may imply otherwise, I am not a slob and I am not disorganized.  My belongings may be in random piles, but I know how to navigate those piles.  I don’t wear the same sweatpants everyday or forgo showers for weeks on end, nor do I turn in assignments late.  In fact, I diligently keep a color-coded plan book, bathe quite frequently, and only wear sweatpants to and from sports practices.  On the surface, I might even seem like a neat freak.

I am constantly rushing from one place to the next.  My typical day consists of travelling from home to school to sports practices or games, and then to Starbucks.  As long as I know where I can find my belongings, I don’t care if they are strewn across the top of my desk or shrouded in the darkness under my bed.  There are so many other things I would rather do than clean, and I only do so when I can no longer make room for any more mess.  I like to think my messiness is just a phase, and that one day I will be able to see the floor of my room on a regular basis.   My mom, who is constantly frustrated with the state of my room, has always said that if my college roommate was anywhere near as messy as I am, I would become so annoyed by the constant disorder that I would change my ways.  Though I will certainly try to be neat, I cannot guarantee that I will be successful.  However, I will make up for it by letting you borrow anything of mine, whether it be food, clothes, or school supplies, and I will always be willing to help you out if you need it.

I also think it important for you to know that my musical preferences are a bit unconventional.  Though I certainly enjoy more modern music, I listen to 50s and 60s music every day and every night.  After a month of being my roommate, you will know every word to any Everly Brothers song, and will be fully accustomed to hearing me sing along to Del Shannon’s 1961 hit “Hats Off to Larry.”  My (self-proclaimed) beautiful singing voice might annoy you at times, but the music itself will make you happy.  I love music from the 1950s and early 1960s because even songs about breakups or working on a chain gang are upbeat.  Nothing cheers me up better than good, old-fashioned doo-wop, and I can assure you that it will have the same effect on you.   So, when my mountain of clothes and school supplies starts spilling over on to your side of the room, or if you have had an otherwise horrible day, you can count on me blasting some cheerful 50s and 60s music to put you in a better mood.

Looking forward to finally meeting you,

Caroline