Along with rigorous college applications and never-ending questions from family about future plans, seniors attending college in the fall also carry the weight of figuring out their living situation for next year. With apps designed for finding potential roommates and Instagram pages dedicated to connecting rising student bodies, this process can seem extremely overwhelming.
When deciding on who to live with during the freshman year of college, students are given the opportunity to specify someone they already know or elect to have a random roommate assigned to them by their college. While it can be reassuring to room with a familiar face, it is also important to branch out and make new friends. This new phase of life is an opportunity to break out of comfort zones and explore new relationships.
Many colleges have Instagram pages designed to help the incoming freshmen class find roommates and connect with those who share similar interests. When creating a post, include photos showing your favorite activities and explain any personal interests. Many rising freshmen also add their hometown, what they plan to major in, any clubs they are interested in joining and if they are planning to rush greek life.
Along with Instagram accounts, there are also apps designed for this similar purpose. There are several to choose from, but the most popular ones are ZeeMee, Roomster, Roomi, Diggz, Roomie Match and Symbi. All of these are essentially the same; therefore it is not necessary to download all of them. In these apps, people post pictures of themselves and a list of subjects they are interested in, all very similar to what can be posted on the Instagram pages.
While scrolling through the seemingly endless posts on the accounts and apps, find someone who shares similar interests and seems genuine. While it is difficult to get to know someone solely through text and Instagram DMs, there are several questions to ask in order to get an idea of what the individual is like.
It is crucial to ask what the person is looking for in a roommate, if they consider themselves relatively organized or messy, which dorm they are interested in, what their sleep schedule is like, what they enjoy doing during free time and any other fun questions. Remember to be honest and genuine in these conversations so that you can find the best fit for a roommate.
After finding someone that checks all the boxes, it is a good idea to stay in contact with them through texting or calling. Remember that even though this process may feel awkward, everyone is in the same position and just wants to meet new people while exploring new friendships. Everything will work out in the way it is supposed to, and a roommate does not necessarily need to become an automatic best friend.
