How to Find a Roommate

inding a roommate that you click with is a lot harder than it sounds. As someone who went to an out-of-state college, I know that it’s scary to start over in a place where you don’t know a soul. Plus, it’s likely that your roommate will be the first friend you make, and—if you make the right choice—they’ll be one of your closest friends for years to come. So, how do you actually find a roommate? 

In this article, we’ll be diving into some great tips:

• Things to Consider as You Make Your Decision
• Living with Friends
• Social Media 
• Roommate Apps
• And Communities Within Your School

Some Things to Consider

It’s important to remember that you’ll be living with another person in a very small dorm room for almost nine months. That’s a full-term pregnancy. You need to establish a few ground rules and preferences before jumping into your roommate decision. 

1. Cleanliness 

A messy room is a lifestyle for some and a panic-attack waiting to happen for others. Make sure your roommate shares the same idea of “clean” as you do. 

2. Sharing

Some snacks may be communal while others may not. Your roommate may be pretty chill about sharing clothes or chargers, or they may lay a personal claim to everything they own. Make sure you and your potential roommate are verbal about what can and can’t be shared. 

3. Guest Policies

Springing a bunch of strangers on your roommate isn’t cool. Communicating your thoughts on guests in shared spaces is a must. Don’t offer up your dorm as the hang-out spot without your roommates consent. 

4. Smoking/Drinking

Smoking and drinking can make some people very uncomfortable. It could go against their views or could pose a health issue. Whatever it is, make sure to have an open discussion about any habits that may make someone feel distressed. 

Basically, Just Communicate

If you’re not sure how your roommate would react to something, just ask! And, if your roommate is doing something that makes you uncomfortable or, let’s be honest, irrationally angry—say something! A lack of communication is the downfall in any relationship, especially when you eat, sleep, study, and do pretty much everything together. 

Keeping all that in mind, let’s move on to how to find a roommate!

Friends

Pre-established friendships are probably the easiest way to find a roommate. Whether you went to high school together or knew each other from a mutual activity, dorming with a friend is the simplest option. But remember, just because you’re friends with someone doesn’t mean you can stand to live with them. And you’ll still need to get out there and get to know other people on campus. Still, rooming with a friend is a great way to find a roommate.

Instagram

Instagram is a great spot to get your name out there. A lot of schools have accounts where you can DM a short bio and some pictures in order to get posted. This also eliminates the awkwardness that comes with reaching out to potential roommates—they come to you! Others can easily see your major, your interests, your handles, and any other information you choose to include, making it easy to find people who may have similar interests. It also gives you the option to reach out to others in the same way and explore if they may be the perfect roommate for you! 

Facebook Groups

Facebook groups are pretty similar to Instagram class pages. Your school will most likely have a group dedicated to your year where you can reach out to others and inquire about finding a roommate. You could also simply post a few pictures of yourself and a short bio containing any interests, fun facts, major and minor info, as well as other social media handles if you’d feel more comfortable having someone reach out to you. 

Your Class Snapchat Story

Last but not least in terms of social media is the class story function on Snapchat. As far as social media goes, this one is probably the least reliable. A lot of your peers simply want an audience to their shenanigans and will post a lot of meaningless pictures and videos. Plus, for whatever reason, there is an odd bug in Snapchat’s system that automatically adds you to every class story within your school, which can be a lot of clutter. 

However, the good thing about the class feature on Snapchat is that it adds a badge to your profile so others within the community know that you are also part of the community. So while the story itself may not be helpful, others can simply see that you are going to your selected school and reach out with inquiries!

RoomSync

RoomSync is a personal favorite of mine because I found my roommate through their app. The great thing about RoomSync is that you simply have to answer a few designated questions on a slider from one to five. For example, it may ask about your tidiness. You would then select a number one through five, with one being the least tidy and five being the most. Then, after answering a few extended response topics, you will be able to swipe left and right (similar to Tinder) on other accounts. And it will automatically give you a compatibility score with each account. 

My roommate and I ended up being 100% compatible, and I can attest to the fact that we got along quite well. If your school uses RoomSync, you’ll often get a link to sign up after putting down your housing deposit and filling out the form.

LLCs

Finally, LLCs (or Living Learning Communities) are communities centered around specific majors and interests. For example, the University of Pittsburgh has LLCs for Engineering, Music, Outdoor Recreation and more. It brings students with similar interests together and automatically places you with someone you’ll likely have classes with. LLCs are a great way to connect with those in your program and build relationships that could extend into the professional world as well. They’re a great way to find a roommate with interests similar to yours! 

That’s how to find a roommate!

While there are so many different ways to find the perfect roommate for you, these are some of the most popular and easily accessible options. Remember to start your search early and communicate with your potential roommate to ensure a long friendship and stress-free home environment!