Going away to college is an exciting adventure with new independence, and for the majority of students, finding a roommate for the upcoming year can be challenging. Making sure to find the right roommate can significantly impact the college experience.
The earlier a person starts looking for a roommate, the better! Some Colleges have websites to help get in touch with other students and find a roommate there. There are also social media sites and school forums that can prove to be good sources of meeting other students before move-in day.
Most colleges have roommate-matching surveys, so that students can get compatible roommates based on their lifestyles. If your school doesn’t have this option, you can create your list of questions to ask potential roommates to get a better idea of their lifestyles and preferences. Senior Nina Kale says, “Whenever I submitted my application for a dorm, it showed me this roommate finder thing, and I just answered a bunch of questions and got matched with someone.”
Some people consider having a friend as their college roommate, but there are definitely pros and cons to it. If you are going to try to do it, have an honest discussion with the friend before making any decisions. Talk about boundaries, chores, scheduling, and guests. Establish Ground Rules and have expectations established early to avoid misunderstandings. Make Space for Other Social Circles and don’t rely solely on one another for social interaction.
Finding a good college roommate requires effort, but with these tips, finding the perfect roommate can be done in no time.
