This whole roommate search thing is stressful - regardless if it's dorm roommates or roommates in an apartment.
I was surprised when I looked on the IUB Facebook Page (located here for those that are not a part of it), and everyone's status and criteria of a fellow roommate included the following.
And in all honesty, I felt like most people on the page: I wanted a little bit of the social life, the academics, friends, the whole nine yards.
But there were some people that made me go:
However...
As I watched roommates find each other, much like a mother goose finds her babies, I had already found a potential roommate who had become, quite possibly, my first real friend going to Indiana with me. We spent a good two and a half months talking, getting to know each other, and endlessly discussing all of the things we wanted to do when we got to IU. We even were going to declare the same major, which would have been all the better.
Sadly, it had come to the split decision between IU and Murray State in Kentucky (which both schools had their pros and cons on her list). In order to seem fair and trusting, she released me to find another roommate, knowing that her decision on where she would spend her next four years was still unknown, and stringing me along (in a non-harsh way) was not what she wanted.
With Niagara Falls basically spewing from my eyes (and yes, there were tears, people), I tried looking for roommates, but the housing application date was approaching quickly.
Every facebook message was the same: "Hey, you seem pretty cool! Do you have a roommate yet?"
The non-personal tone of each message struck me deep, as I was not going to find another girl like the one I'd had before. In most cases, the girls that I seemed to connect with had already found roommates.
Until one caught my eye.
With flaming red hair, freckles up the wazoo, and a cute smile that could make a puppy seem ugly, I sent another message, optimistic for another roommate. And it so happens that she had not found one.
Though the same old message was sent, I felt different about it; I knew that there was a little light at the end of the tunnel when I pressed send. Once we started talking and getting familiar with each other, I could already tell this girl and I would get along great. Soon, much like asking to go steady (because who doesn't love the 50s), I asked her to be my roommate, and finally, my dream was complete.
Keep in mind, I met all of these potential roommates through the Facebook page I hyperlinked above. Obviously, not all of the admitted students are girls, and some of them aren't even sure that they're going to IU, but it's a great chance to meet people and see some hopefully new faces that you might know in the coming months. For someone that's coming from the south to a whole new region of the continental US, the whole social media revolution has given me hope that when I come to IU, I'll already be home.
That being said, I have a couple of personal tips on finding a roommate, for those that are relying on the May 1st deadline.
- Be yourself: I cannot tell you how many times that I've met people over facebook through mutual friends, or just met people in real life and they've tried to appeal to my every attribute so that I will like them. Personally, I find that having relationships with people who aren't exactly like you are the ones that last the longest. Don't say you workout if you don't -- kind of stuff. Everyone goes to college to essentially start over and try and build a life for themselves, so surrounding yourself with people who are trying to be something they're not will not be good for your mental health.
- Don't be guilted into being a roommate: There were a lot of girls who said that we would get along well, and, while they seemed sweet and worthy of being friends, I couldn't see us being roommates. There was no prejudices or preemptive criteria that any girls I talked to had to meet; it was simply that when I pictured myself at IU, coming home from class to see my roommate and have a chat or go out to dinner, those girls weren't it.
- Get to know them first: It would really suck if your roommate was a convicted serial killer or had a weird obsession with scotch-taping people. So get to know your potential or actual roommate before actually deciding on living together. Nothing is worse than showing up and not knowing who you're going to be living with for the next nine months. Do some research if you have to, ask them questions out of the blue. Do whatever you need to do to get to know them better so that when you finally do live together, you've already gotten that awkwardness out of the way.
- Understand that they're going to be living with you for nine months: It might seem great that you have met this person who is so cool and really fun to be around and you're friends and all that jazz, but you'll be living with this person for nine months out of the year, coming in and out of the room, studying in the same room, eating, changing, all of that. Getting along with your new roommate is something that you have to put a lot of work into. It may end up that you're not the best of friends by the end of the year, but hostile room situations should be avoided at all costs.
I wish y'all the best of luck in your roommate endeavors!
Please check out these related articles for more ideas/tips on roommate stuff!