To my dear returning readers: Welcome Home! To all of my new freshman readers, welcome to the best four years of your life, here under the Dome. Ahead of you lies adventures and experiences galore. As you settle into your new dorm, many of you are perhaps wondering what it will be like living side by side with a person (or persons) you have never met before. In honor of this special rite of passage, I have compiled a handy list of every type of roommate you are likely to encounter here at Notre Dame:

1. The Legacy – His last name isn’t actually Hesburgh, but you would never know from talking to him. Not only did his father, mother, and sister all attend ND, but also his grandfather, who still talks about the good ol’ days before the “women folk” moved in and ruined the place. His blood is as green as the Chicago River during St. Patrick’s Day, and he considers the fight song a spiritual experience. Best way to make him mad? Talk about how pretty the colors red and gold are, and how USC was your backup school.

2. The Athlete – She didn’t come to Notre Dame to play school, she came to play ball. She consumes more calories on a daily basis than an elephant in a peanut factory, yet still somehow manages to remain in perfect shape. Her life is dominated by her team, to the point where you might not actually see her for days on end. While you might think this is a blessing, wait until pre-season starts: she will be waking you up at 5:30 a.m. each morning. Good luck.

3. The Really Involved One – He was the head of his debate team, student body president of his high school, and ran an initiative to bring library books to inner-city school children. He was voted ‘most outgoing’ by his senior class, and considers an afternoon without at least 3 club meetings a wasted day. He will constantly push you to sign up for as many clubs, teams, and extracurricular activities as you can physically fit on your schedule. Amazingly, none of this will tire him out. If anything, he will only become even more excited. Be careful though, or you will soon be receiving daily emails from the North Dakota Hay Lovers Club until the day you die.

4. The Really Not Involved One – For her, the most basic tasks are a life sentence of toil. Even the simplest requests to take out the trash are met by sighs of unhappiness. Her first class starts at 11, but in her eyes this equates to child abuse. She half-heartedly signed up for SIBC because all of her friends did, went to one meeting, then called it a day. The best way to deal with her? Reward her with snacks (Sour Patch Kids should do the trick).

5. The Bro – He is just here to have a good time. Want to play a game of wiffle ball? He is your guy. Need a grill master? Look no further. He is the man you go to when you need to borrow a Hawaiian shirt, or need advice on the proper way to set up a game of corn hole. He is the life of every party, and also the most likely to spill at every tailgate. However, he always makes up for it with a slap on the back and a bear hug for the host.

6. The Normal One – ALL OF THEM! At Notre Dame, all types of roommates are normal. No matter which type you end up with, you will make lots of friends and have a great year.

Declan Feeley is a senior theology and finance double major whose interests include writing and investment theory. Declan can be contacted by email at dfeeley@nd.edu.