SophiaWilliams
New member
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2026
- Messages
- 11
I just need to take a moment to publicly appreciate my roommate, because without her, I would currently be a sobbing mess on the floor instead of a slightly-less-sobbing mess who has just submitted her 500 word essay. The assignment was for my intro to political science class: analyze a current event using one of the theoretical frameworks we've studied. I chose a news article about a recent trade dispute and decided to use realist theory. I thought I had it under control. I really did. I wrote what I thought was a perfectly good essay. It had an introduction, three body paragraphs, a conclusion. It hit the word count. I was feeling pretty good about myself. 
Then I asked my roommate, who's a political science major, to glance at it. Just a quick look, you know? She sat down with her reading glasses on (which she thinks makes her look serious, and it does) and started reading. About thirty seconds in, she made a face. Not a good face. A "hmm" face. My heart sank. She then proceeded to spend the next hour and a half gently but thoroughly explaining everything that was wrong with my essay. My thesis was too broad. My evidence didn't actually support my argument. I had misunderstood a key concept of realist theory. I had used the word "hegemony" incorrectly. It was a gentle but complete demolition. But here's the thing: she didn't just point out the problems. She helped me fix them. She asked me questions that guided me to a better thesis. She helped me find stronger evidence in the original article. She explained the theory again, in simpler terms, until the lightbulb finally went off in my head.
By the time we were done, the essay was completely different. It was better. So much better. It was actually good. I learned more about political science in that one conversation than I had in the last three weeks of class. She saved my grade, obviously, but more than that, she saved my confidence. She showed me that struggling with an essay doesn't mean you're stupid, it just means you haven't figured it out yet. And sometimes you need a friend to help you see the way. So here's a public shout-out to my amazing roommate, the real MVP of my college experience so far. I owe her unlimited snacks and emotional support for the rest of the semester. Does anyone else have a friend or classmate who's been a total lifesaver? Let's share some appreciation!
Then I asked my roommate, who's a political science major, to glance at it. Just a quick look, you know? She sat down with her reading glasses on (which she thinks makes her look serious, and it does) and started reading. About thirty seconds in, she made a face. Not a good face. A "hmm" face. My heart sank. She then proceeded to spend the next hour and a half gently but thoroughly explaining everything that was wrong with my essay. My thesis was too broad. My evidence didn't actually support my argument. I had misunderstood a key concept of realist theory. I had used the word "hegemony" incorrectly. It was a gentle but complete demolition. But here's the thing: she didn't just point out the problems. She helped me fix them. She asked me questions that guided me to a better thesis. She helped me find stronger evidence in the original article. She explained the theory again, in simpler terms, until the lightbulb finally went off in my head.
By the time we were done, the essay was completely different. It was better. So much better. It was actually good. I learned more about political science in that one conversation than I had in the last three weeks of class. She saved my grade, obviously, but more than that, she saved my confidence. She showed me that struggling with an essay doesn't mean you're stupid, it just means you haven't figured it out yet. And sometimes you need a friend to help you see the way. So here's a public shout-out to my amazing roommate, the real MVP of my college experience so far. I owe her unlimited snacks and emotional support for the rest of the semester. Does anyone else have a friend or classmate who's been a total lifesaver? Let's share some appreciation!
