Should college freshmen room with friends?

A dorm at the University of Florida is about to become an extension of our high school. This is not a good thing.
A large group of kids, and probably even more that I haven't heard about, are rooming together and all choosing the same dorm. The dorm has filled up, so kids who got locked out, including my daughter, are picking dorms as nearby as possible.
When I went to college, you got placed with a roommate you didn't know, and the school didn't consider whether we would be compatible. Now, kids want to control every aspect of the process, from choosing their roommates in the spring and entering the lottery together to picking a dorm with the perfect location for an excellent social life.
Fortunately, UF is a big school, so I hope the kids make friends beyond the security blanket of their high school buddies.
Photo: Mark Randall/Sun-Sentinel
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