any comments/suggestions will be helpful! please criticize!
Virtually all of Stanford's undergraduates live on campus. Write a note to your future roommate that reveals something about you or that will help your roommate - and us - know you better.
Hey ROOMIE,
I'll admit, when I found out that you were coming from abroad, I was scared. It's just that you're a treasure trove of cultural awareness, and I'm, well, some random girl from the suburbs of Texas.
I guess I've always been pretty self-conscious. I remember when I won the spelling bee in fourth grade (yes, that's right; I beat out those elitist fifth graders). I probably should've been basking in my glory, but instead, as the principal prepared to present my award, tiny cocoons were hatching exponentially in my stomach. The only thing running through my head was, "What will the crowd think when he tries to pronounce my middle name?" It's Y'Tram, pronounced [ee-tchum], for future reference. I get a lot of different reactions from it, mainly questions about whether it's supposed to by "yttrium" or if it's pronounced "why-tram." I used to curse my parents for giving me a middle name that sounded more like the Latin word for that one bug you couldn't identify in science class, but though I used to be particularly insecure, people as diverse as you are remind me that my middle name is my own stamp of cultural identity. Through humiliation I learned self-respect and modesty, and I learned to gain an appreciation for the personal uniqueness my name gives me.
Traces of my diffidence may show through sometimes, but don't worry, because I'm sure that once I learn about your diverse background and once you get to know about mine, you'll find that we can bridge the barrier between our cultural differences to forge an everlasting friendship. Speaking of, we should go fountain hopping. Or we could just hang around Oval Park. Your call. See you Saturday?
Sincerely,
Your future roommate
Virtually all of Stanford's undergraduates live on campus. Write a note to your future roommate that reveals something about you or that will help your roommate - and us - know you better.
Hey ROOMIE,
I'll admit, when I found out that you were coming from abroad, I was scared. It's just that you're a treasure trove of cultural awareness, and I'm, well, some random girl from the suburbs of Texas.
I guess I've always been pretty self-conscious. I remember when I won the spelling bee in fourth grade (yes, that's right; I beat out those elitist fifth graders). I probably should've been basking in my glory, but instead, as the principal prepared to present my award, tiny cocoons were hatching exponentially in my stomach. The only thing running through my head was, "What will the crowd think when he tries to pronounce my middle name?" It's Y'Tram, pronounced [ee-tchum], for future reference. I get a lot of different reactions from it, mainly questions about whether it's supposed to by "yttrium" or if it's pronounced "why-tram." I used to curse my parents for giving me a middle name that sounded more like the Latin word for that one bug you couldn't identify in science class, but though I used to be particularly insecure, people as diverse as you are remind me that my middle name is my own stamp of cultural identity. Through humiliation I learned self-respect and modesty, and I learned to gain an appreciation for the personal uniqueness my name gives me.
Traces of my diffidence may show through sometimes, but don't worry, because I'm sure that once I learn about your diverse background and once you get to know about mine, you'll find that we can bridge the barrier between our cultural differences to forge an everlasting friendship. Speaking of, we should go fountain hopping. Or we could just hang around Oval Park. Your call. See you Saturday?
Sincerely,
Your future roommate
