As seniors prepare to end their high school career and move into the next chapter of their lives, those who are attending college have been through a stressful application process. Between writing supplemental essays and maintaining grades, the process can be overwhelming until a student is accepted into a school. Yet, even after acceptance, there are many other factors about which students have to consider– such as finding a roommate. 

While some students have the ability to live on their own in a single dorm, many want to be with a new person as a way to meet people and have a traditional college experience. Universities allow students to find a roommate prior to move-in or give the option of random assignment. 

Through a random match, students answer a variety of questions about their lifestyle and preferences. It is important to find someone who respects your sleep and wake times, light and dark preferences, sound, interests, study habits, and many other factors. 

Senior Jordan Doty says, “Some things that I specifically asked people about were what is their major, where are they from, what are their interests, do they wake up earlier or sleep in, and do they want to keep the room cooler or warmer.” 

For Doty and senior Ella Corigliano, they have had different experiences in trying to find a roommate. Doty, who is attending Boston College, says, “I have found a roommate. She is very nice, and we FaceTimed and spoke on the phone to get to know each other before we decided to room together.” She found someone relatively quickly through an Instagram page. 

Almost every school has multiple unverified Instagram accounts that serve the purpose of connecting students; students can send in photos of themselves and a short description of what they are studying, if they are looking for a roommate, and things they enjoy doing. From there, they can message other students and get to know them. 

Sartorio was unaware of this tactic prior to this year. “I had no idea that there were commitment pages. I thought you could only do in person or random, and I thought a lot of people did random, so that’s what I was going to do. But now I am seeing a lot of people are finding people, so I have to start reaching out more.”

Corigliano, who will be attending the University of Miami, shares that it has been more difficult than she previously thought. “It has been difficult because a lot of people have already found roommates or are not starting the fall; they are spring admits. It’s starting to get more stressful that I don’t have a roommate because, at first, I found someone who wasn’t fully committed, but recently she told me she isn’t going. Now I am stressing to find a new roommate and people already have roommates, so it is difficult.”

Even for those not committed to a school yet, many of them choose to look for potential roommates at their top choices. Senior Jianna Sartorio says, “Finding a roommate is definitely hard, especially on social media like Instagram; it’s hard to tell what’s fake and what’s not. But you can develop more of a connection by talking to them directly.” 

According to Georgetown Student Health, “One third of college student have problems with roommates and the same number report having relationship difficulties within a year. Roommate and relationship difficulties impact academics in 17% of students.”

While all difficulties are inevitable, it is certainly crucial to reach out to potential students and get to know them before deciding to live with them. Corigliano says, “I look at their major to see if they would be studying a lot like me and be understanding of it. Also, if they are in fall or spring admit so we start at the same time. Lastly, if they also want to rush for a sorority; that way during that process I have someone going through the same stress and excitement.”

Despite the long process, it can also be exciting for students as it allows them to meet people from different areas. Sartorio says,

It is important for students to remember that there are many others on campus, apart from who they room together with. Doty says, “I feel like it is a lot more exciting to try a roommate compared to finding a college! Worse comes to worst; you don’t have to be best friends with your roommate, since thousands of students are at one college.”