Finding the right match for a roommate is one of the many changes a new college student has to go through. Moving out of the house, starting new courses, and now having to live with someone you don’t even know is one of the many struggles of starting the college experience. Luckily, there are many different ways to find the right roommate just for you. 

“I had the worst time ever finding a roommate. I reached out to many different people looking for someone to room with and everyone already had found someone. I already felt lost and hadn’t even moved into college yet. I decided to room with someone random and thankfully I ended up with an awesome roommate and had a great experience,” Delaney Porter, a college student at Bloomsburg University, expressed. 

Taking a chance on living with a stranger can be challenging. Either you could end up loving the experience and be so glad you took that shot in the dark, or you could be regretting not putting the time into finding the roommate that best fits your personality and living situation. 

A way to potentially find your future roommate is through social media groups. First download Instagram or Facebook. Next, search your future school and the year that you are graduating. Groups associated with your future school and graduating class will pop up. Within these groups, post a picture of yourself, share some interests, and express that you are looking for a roommate. People can then reach out to you if you include your social media username or you can reach out to them if you find someone that exceeds your interests. This is a perfect way to get to know people that are going through the same search that you are going through.  

“I wish I could have started the process sooner but luckily I ended up having a great experience with who I ended up with,” Porter said, looking back as a sophomore now. 

Beginning this process as soon as possible is important, even if you are not fully committed to a college. By expressing your interest to the public, it is a much easier way for people to find you and for you to find people. 

Do not be fake. You want to be as truthful as possible to get the roommate that you are looking for. By saying something that you’re not, your dorm life will not live up to your expectations. By expressing who you truly are, your match will like you for who you are, not who you’re pretending to be. The truth will all come out eventually so be yourself from the start. 

“Finding the right roommate has made my college experience everything I expected it to be and more. College is the path to becoming who you have always wanted to be and it is life-changing. You only have four years. Do it right. Do it with the right roommate,” Porter concluded.