“Hey everyone my name is Lauren Hawkinson and I am 100% committed to…my hobbies include exercising, hanging out with friends, etc.” As college decisions roll around, seniors begin to join their chosen college’s Facebook group to meet and share interests with other students; most use this opportunity to find a potential roommate for their first year at college.

Very few students would believe that they would ever download Facebook. Most teens and young adults use Instagram and Snapchat, while Facebook gets pushed aside and labeled as the “old person” app. Therefore, it has come as a shock that the most common way to reach out to other students attending the same college is Facebook.

To start off, students search for their chosen school and request to be added to the group. Most groups are private and are not affiliated with the university. Once students get their bearings, they click on “post” to share pictures and a short or long intro about themselves. Not only is the group a place to find a roommate, it is also a place to ask questions about the school and about its courses; although most students refer to the university’s website as a general guide. “I’m finding people through the Facebook group and Instagram. I think it’s super helpful to be a part of a social media group before going to college. It’s nice to just chat to people and find some common interests before being on campus in the fall,” senior Grace Bauer said.

Facebook is not the only way to find a roommate. Many students decide to room with a current friend, or choose to use another social media platform. “I don’t think Facebook is very helpful. I found most of my friends and a roommate over Instagram and Snapchat groups since that is what more people are used to,” senior Myka Field said.

Some students go through their university to search for a roommate. “I have not found a roommate yet but most people find their roommate through the university’s website. They have you create profiles and you can search for people with similar interests who you could room with. As for social media groups, I think it could be helpful but if I’m being honest, I would only look on social media after finding someone I might want to room with on the university’s website. I think social media would be a good secondary source to find roommates,” senior Daniel McCoy said.

Otherwise, students can play the lottery and get a random assignment from their school. The lottery system was the norm when current BSM Spanish teacher Allison (Profe) Terell attended college. “I did not find my roommate like most do nowadays. I had no choice in the matter and was assigned two roommates at Boston College freshman year. They had a housing shortage at the time and for the first semester we had to fit three girls in a dorm room meant for two,” Terell said.

Though “blind” roommate assignments can seem daunting, the luck of the draw can work in your favor, not excluding the occasional roommate horror story. “I had an excellent roommate. For some reason we got only one TV station to display (and we were too cheap to pay for cable), but I remember we got to watch Iowa State University games and we both appreciated that sport,” science teacher Mr. Porisch said.

When choosing a roommate, it is important to self reflect and determine what will work best. If you need any help, follow these guidelines from BSM math teacher John Groess. “Pick someone who you match with when it comes to sharing or not sharing food, sleep times/routines, and about having people in the room or not (do you want to have tons of friends over or not all the time). After that everything else works out,” Groess said.

Wishing all the seniors best of luck as they navigate their next steps after graduation!