Finding A Roommate

What To Look For In That Ideal Roommate.

Finding the ideal roommate(s) can be tough and a hassle. I’m here to tell you a couple of ways to make that process easier. Being an incoming freshman is a stressful time with a lot of different things to worry about. While you might find yourself scrambling to get everything done, you do not want to rush picking your future roommate.

One easy way to find a lot of different possible roommate options is to join the official class page for your graduation year. For example, I joined the FAU Official Class of 2020 page on Facebook. The Facebook page is a great way to find people that you gel with. Once on the page, I uploaded a couple of my favorite pictures of myself, and a short description of me and what I was looking for in a roommate. This is a great way to find someone who has similar interests as you, as they will then like or comment on your post if they think they would be a good fit as your roommate. I also recommend you do the same, and browse the page looking through other posts as you may stumble upon someone you like that you already know, or someone new! Some of my friends have met their best friends (that they are still friends with) from making a post in the Facebook class page, starting up a conversation, and then becoming roommates.

Another great way to find a roommate is from mutual friends. You would be surprised what a small world it is. While I did not personally find my roommate this way, many of my friends did. A good way to do this is to reach out to your friends and ask if they know anybody who is going to FAU. They could have friends from their high schools going there, family members, or camp friends who are going to FAU or know someone who is going. The great thing about finding a roommate this way is that you know they will be a good fit. If your future roommate is friends with one of your friends, you know they will be an awesome match because you mesh well with the same people.

In addition, if you want to try something exciting and spontaneous, you could do a random roommate. For as many people who have horror stories of their random freshman year roommate, there are the same amount of people who turned out to have a great experience. Sometimes people create the best memories with someone they barely know. While it is a risk, it could turn out to be the best leap of faith you ever took. Besides, college is the time to try new things and step out of your comfort zone, why not start off with a random roommate?

I am a sophomore transfer student at FAU, so while I didn’t do a random roommate for my freshman year, when I moved into Upark this year I got three random roommates. Upark has you take a personality test with questions about yourself and your habits. While we all aren’t necessarily friends, we coexist well and I enjoy living with them. Sometimes we have our differences, but they always get worked out quickly. Next year I am getting three new random roommates, and I am looking forward to the experience.

Overall, my advice to you is to describe what you are actually interested in and your priorities, that way you can find someone most suitable for you, not the façade you put on. You can tell a lot about a person by who they surround themselves with, and what is important to them in their lives, so keep that in mind when you’re lurking their social media. And finally, don’t stress too much about the process, even the “perfect” roommate has their faults, living with someone new in a dorm is an adjustment period for everyone.

I wish you the best of luck in this endeavor. Happy roommate hunting!

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