We have all heard the roommate horror stories that people experience during their first year in college -- and most of us are not good at judging a book by its cover so finding someone who will mesh with your personality can be stressful. It is awkward when you are setting off to a new college where you know no one and there is a huge pool of random people to choose from, and the fear of picking someone who could possibly be a psychopath or all out weird is very real. Hollywood has even produced movies on roommates from hell, but the last thing that most of us are thinking is that it will happen to you. Well, it did not exactly happen to me but don't worry I have put together a few ideas that you might want to consider and think about before choosing your roommates from those “Class of 20**” Facebook pages.
1. Choosing a roommate who shares your major.
This is a key factor that I did not even consider when looking for a roommate my freshman year. A lot of us only focus on the social aspect of the person and forget about the academic one. Choosing a roommate who shares your major may just make your life a whole lot easier, because the both of you will generally be taking the same classes you have a solid study buddy. Stress wise they understand what you are going through when it comes to midterms and finals because they are going through it too.
2. Choosing someone who is generally from the same area as you.
My freshmen year I went to a college that was at the completely other end of the state and my roommate happened to be from only a few towns over from mine. When I started to get homesick it helped a lot because I could talk to her about people and things back home and she understood. She also knew what it was like to be stranded on a campus without a car for weeks on end. One last benefit of being from the same hometown area was that we could always carpool home on long weekends and breaks which made it easier for us to come home and go back to school.
3. Choosing a roommate with the same relationship status as you
This may seem like an odd quality to consider in your potential roommate requirements but it’s a must. Choosing a roommate who is in a relationship when you are not can cause potential issues especially if you are living in one room together. Social life could be different for you as well because your roommate’s social life probably revolves around her SO, and you could potentially find yourself out on your own most nights. If you are in a relationship having someone who is also in a relationship as a roommate can be a huge help. More times than not you will be able to talk about issues with her that she could better understand than someone who isn’t in a relationship. She will also understand more when you have them come up to visit for the weekend.
Now that you know some essential questions which you should be asking before choosing a roommate, remember not everyone will match all your standards and it is okay to branch out. Someone that you thought you might not click with could be the perfect person to live with. There are hundreds of different types of people that you could end up living with and even if you do not end up loving your roommate freshman year remember it is not forever and you can switch if not that semester then the next. Hopefully, these three things will help you avoid some awkward roommate situations like those. So get out there and start asking!
