For many soon-to-be college students, one of the most stressful parts of preparing for university life is finding the right roommate or roommates. Being matched with a compatible roommate can make or break the entire college experience. With such high stakes, it’s no wonder students lose so much sleep over this decision.

The roommate you choose will be the person you live with for at least an entire academic year. You’ll share a small space, struggle through late-night studying sessions, endure stressful exam periods, and experience all the ups and downs of college life together. Picking the wrong roommate can be disastrous – constant conflicts, distractions from studying, awkward living situations, and potential impacts on your grades.

But finding your ideal roommate match is like going on a series of blind dates. You scour websites like ZeeMee and Instagram, messaging back and forth with potential roommates, trying to get a sense of their lifestyles, habits, and personalities. Are they neat or messy? Night owl or early bird? Partier or studious? You ask probing questions to try to assess compatibility. But it’s difficult to truly know if you’ll truly be perfect matches to be roommates and hopefully friends. It’s like matching with someone on a whole new level because you’re not just picking a study buddy but someone you’ll share your personal space with. It’s super important because a good match can make your college experience amazing, while a not-so-great one… well, let’s just say it can be a learning experience.

Makena Mellito and Gabby Hansen, both Colonia High School seniors, have yet to find roommates as of May of their senior years. They have both mainly used Instagram in their search for a roommate. Mellito and Hansen have waited for others to reach out to them before doing their own reaching out. Mellito’s non negotiable in a roommate would be someone who is overly messy. Hansen’s non negotiable in a roommate would be someone who is not social. Hopefully both girls are able to find their roommates as Mellito attends University of Rhode Island and Hansen attends the Pennsylvania State University. 

So, you start with those roommate surveys where you gotta spill your living habits. Are you a night owl or an early bird? Do you like blasting music, or do you need pin-drop silence to study? It’s like creating a profile for Roommate Tinder! Then there’s the research phase. You’re diving deep into social media, trying to get a sense of who they are. But let’s be real, everyone’s putting their best foot forward online, so it’s a bit of a gamble.

The stress is real because this person is going to be part of your daily life. You’ll share laughs, maybe some midnight snack runs, but also the bathroom cleaning schedule. It’s a partnership where you’ve got to balance each other out. But when you find the right one, it’s pretty sweet. You’ve got someone to navigate the ups and downs of college with, and sometimes, they even become a lifelong friend. So, the stress? Worth it when you hit the roommate jackpot!