The Ultimate Guide to Choosing Your College Roommate

There are so many things to think about when it comes to colleges. Starting from an application, then waiting for a response and getting anxiety attacks whether to open the envelope or not when it finally arrives.

Moreover, that is not the end of it. In life, you will confront tough choices regularly and concern if you made the right one. However, not all decisions are serious, and some can even be fun and less stressful.

College is your way to try being independent and make your own decisions, without the safety net of the family at home. This absence of familiarity is also good for teaching you how to deal with dilemmas in a mature and responsible manner.

Although deciding where you will live is not that hard, choosing a roommate will be. After all, this is the person you will share your living and lifestyle habits, and so some preferences are welcoming and necessary. Therefore, here is the ultimate guide to choosing your college roommate that will help you during the selection process.

Think about who you want to live with

It’s always good to write down pros and cons for anything and the same applies to your future roommate. Think it through and decide whether you would like to share accommodation with a boy or a girl, or if both genders come into consideration. Then, see if you would like a person with whom you share the same taste in music, books, or even go to the same classes at college.

It’s normal to have certain expectations, but also writing those down will help you realise when you’re going over the top. Your roommate differences can be just the thing you need to get used to the college scene more easily. Getting to know someone new is always interesting and by accepting that you can’t mould your perfect roommate you will certainly have fun with a new friend in your life.

Publish an ad

If you are the one looking for the roommate, then start by publishing an ad online. Usually, this will be enough but you can also ask friends on social media to send recommendations your way or share the ad with their followers. This will bring you interested persons in no time and you might end up having a lot of candidates to choose from.

If you want to avoid that and narrow down the potential roommates from the start, try to be more specific in your ad. However, don’t go overboard with details and expectations since that might chase some potentially good candidates away. Make sure what you don’t want in a roommate and concentrate on the good sides of their personality you expect to find in a roommate.

Look for them online

If you’re the one who needs to find a flatmate, then online is also the right choice for you. Some might say that it's easier to look for the roommate in ads then publishing one and being the one to decide. But actually, in both cases, you will have to see if the person is right for you.

However, if you’re looking accommodation and a roommate, then you will certainly have to make a tougher choice. For example, you might like your roommate but not the accommodation and the other way around. Additionally, you will have to put an extra effort to present yourself in the best possible way since you can get a flat and a roommate at the same time.

Do the research

Don’t be ashamed if you thought about checking out your potential roommates’ social media accounts or Googling them.  It’s perfectly okay to do so since, after all, you will spend at least a year sharing space with this person. However, bear in mind that social media profiles don’t tell the full story about somebody and there is more to a person than posts, comments and likes.

Expect the same treatment

Just like you will have your preferences about the future roommate, so will they. This means that you will also be under “investigation” and have to present yourself in the best possible light. Nevertheless, try to be as truthful as you can about your lifestyle and habits since you expect the same from your potential roommate.

Establish a comfortable atmosphere where you can be open about yourself and what you like. Being rejected can sting a little but it's nothing personal. Actually, it can be helpful and save you the whole year of potential torture or starting the process all over again and look for a new roommate.  

Finally

It’s may take you some time to sharing a living space with a stranger, but the sooner you get over that fact the faster you will get to know your roommate. Don’t rush the selection process and define your pros and cons before you start the search.

However, keep in mind that you will have to make some compromises just like anyone who shares a flat with another person does. The question is how much you are ready to change your lifestyle when you live with a flatmate and if they will compromise, too. On the other hand, you can always part ways if you don’t fit together and look for a new roommate.