I cant find a roommie!

Question

So in a few months I am going to college not to far from my hometown. Although, I could live at home I think it would be much funner to room with someone. How do i find a roomie I can trust? I dont know anyone my age going to college since I am going a year early.

Answer 1

Most colleges have a housing department to help with this.  Also, check with them on housing requirements for freshmen.  Many colleges require freshmen living away from home to live in on-campus dorms.  I've always posted/looked at flyers posted on campus.

If you're not stuck in the dorms (and with whoever is assigned to you), there are a couple things I've found important to picking the right person/situation.  First, spend some time think about what annoys you, what you do that might annoy others, and what your expectations are, and talk about these issues when you're interviewing a prospective roommate.  Here are some examples-

-After a meal I ... immediately wash my dishes and put them in the dishwasher (and it really bothers me if other people don't) -- or -- put them in the sink and deal with them later (differences on this can cause HUGE friction between roommates)

-I am/am not okay with overnight guests - and how many days in a row, how many days per week

-I expect guests gone and music/tv down by XX o'clock on shool nights

-I'd like to do communal cooking (it's fun to take turns cooking, and not much harder to cook for several than it is to cook for one) -- or -- you do your thing and I'll do mine

Once you've found someone that you think would be a good fit, spend  some time just hanging out with them.  Club, beach, mall, whatever - but spend 2 hours hanging out with the person where you can talk.  This gets you both out of "best behavior - interview mode" and interacting the way you *really* are.

Finally, put all the house rules in writing, and agree in advance how to handle disputes.  Talking about this stuff in advance will make roommate life much smoother.

Answer 2

go to the college and post a notice on the board that you are looking for a roommate