It may seem like you’re set and done when you commit to a college, but there are many more steps you need to take. One of the more difficult steps is finding a roommate. Picking a roommate isn’t exactly easy, but it’s such an important decision because you’ll be stuck with that person for many years. There is a lot that goes into picking a roommate, depending on if you want to choose one or not. 

One way people choose roommates is just rooming with a friend, that happens to be going to the same school as you. This is probably the easiest way because if you are already friends you know things about each other and may have similar interests. Having similar tastes and interests is important, not only because you will get along better, but also because you can decorate and organize your room the way you both would like it. Reissa Marshall, a high school senior, has made the decision to room with her friend at Liberty University. She mentioned how they are already friends so it will be easier to “live well with that person” and “you don’t have to worry about [things] being offensive”. Already having that friendship and connection makes daily life way easier and could take away some stress for the start of freshman year. 

Another way people choose roommates is over social media, where they get to know someone that used to be a stranger. Most people try to find a roommate in time to submit housing because they would rather live with someone they at least know a little. Actually finding one is more complex and there are just so many people to choose from. The most common media platform people use to find roommates is Facebook. There are usually groups on Facebook that are specific to the college you plan on attending. Most people will post a short paragraph about themselves and their interests. Once you post your own, you can then interact with other people’s posts and respond to people that interacted with yours. After that step, you can connect on other social media platforms and get to know each other more

The last way people find their roommates is by letting the college pick, which means they are totally random. There are some colleges, like Temple University, that have their own roommate matching service which allows the process to be less random. Unlike Temple, Penn State University just chooses roommates totally randomly if you do not pick and submit your own. Being put with a roommate can result in a new long-lasting friendship or can go totally south. Peter Kratz, a sophomore at Eastern Mennonite University who had a random roommate freshman year, said that “it was pretty intimidating going into it, not knowing who this person was”. There are a lot of questions that come along with a random roommate and you just have to hope for the best. After a few days or weeks, you should be able to get along with your roommate, if not, you can always request a change. Picking a roommate is something that flies over many people’s heads, but it is a very important decision that greatly affects your life.