The College Experience of Arranging Roomates

The feeling of putting down a deposit for college is definitely quite a wonderful relief; however, then comes the dreaded stress of finding a roommate. Most students believe that finding a roommate is significant and one that requires much thought and effort; luckily, there are, now, many ways to find a desired roommate like social media contact and roommate surveys.

The main force behind roommate selection is the use of Facebook. Once a student takes interest in a school they have been accepted into, there usually lies a Facebook group full of other students from all across the country accepted into the same school. In the group, the students are able to interact, post information about themselves, organize any possible upcoming accepted student events, and look for roommates. “I love how the [Facebook] group interacted. We all just have this insane enthusiasm and excitement, plus we’re all on the same boat in terms of ‘Senioritis’ so it’s really funny,” said senior Lea Silverstein, who will be attending American University in the fall.

A typical roommate post usually consists of a paragraph or so with the student posting a small bit about themselves, and what ideal living habits entail. Somebody who enjoys quiet and going to sleep on the early side can now more easily avoid somebody who might enjoy loud music or staying up late.

So say two students are talking for a while, then it comes down to one proposing to the other that they register together as roommates. The question can pop up from anywhere within a few minutes to a few days after first contact. “We talked on and off for around five days before I asked her to be my roommate,” explained Silverstein.

But some students feel that Facebook alone does not cut it for roommate searching. “I think that there’s an unlikely probability that one can find the roommate that one desires through Facebook. I think there’s also a high chance that people will give false impressions through their descriptions. I’d much rather meet the potential roommates in person,” said senior Kaz Ryder.

However, if possible to meet up in person, students will seize the opportunity to do so. “My roommate and I are both going to orientation together and meeting up in the city before school starts!” said Silverstein.

It would make sense to want to get a feel for what a roommate is like in person. After all, you are going to be spending the next four years of your life with this person.

Social networking is always making itself useful in giving strangers a way to become familiar with one another before meeting in person. The experience of meeting a roommate has much less anxiety in it now that roommates can arrange plans months ahead of time. Only time will tell if these arrangements made through the internet will have a positive or negative effect on the overall college experience.