Giving students more control over their living situations results in fewer conflicts. [1] Social media connects billions of people from all over the world, so why not use it to find your college roommate?
Facebook™
- Check with the college to see if there’s a Facebook group for incoming students. [1]
- Post a status update on your profile to let your friends know you’re looking for a roommate.
- Check with your school to see if they offer a roommate matching service.
- This can give you a list of potential candidates. [1]
- Start conversations and send friend requests to people on the list.
- Nearly 50 colleges use RoomSync, a Facebook college roommate matching app, to help their students. [2]
Twitter™
- Post a tweet that you’re looking for a roommate, using the hashtag #roommate.
- Narrow down the search by using your city name as a hashtag, too.
- Search Twitter for “roommate.” [3]
- Use email and other social media networks to connect further with potential matches.
- Weed out matches accordingly.
Google+™
- Post an update to let people know you’re looking for a roommate.
- Start conversations with potential roommates.
- Invite prospects to a Google Hangout so you can video chat and interact with each other. [4]
Tips for Living With a Roommate [5]
- Set clear expectations for each other.
- Discuss guest preferences. [6] – Is it okay to have people over late at night/early in the morning?
- Discuss cleaning habits [6] – If you’re a fan of clutter, it may not be a good idea to select a roommate who’s a neat-freak.
- Discuss pets [6] – Are there any allergies to consider?
- Make plans for what to do if one roommate is unable to pay their rent. [5]
- Discuss the lease terms. [5]
- Outline who pays for what utilities. [5]
- Place bills where your roommate can see them
- Have bills emailed to you so they’re easy to share with your roomie. [6]
- Clearly mark bill due dates on a calendar you both have access to. [6]
- Outline whether or not subletting is okay, if allowed by the landlord. [5]
- Outline who pays for what utilities. [5]
Brought to you by Homes.com and ForRent.com
Sources:
[1] http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/college-freshmen-turn-to-facebook-to-find-roommates/2011/08/05/gIQAmHAJxI_story.html
[2] http://www.roomsync.com/heh—testimonials.aspx
[3] https://twitter.com/search?q=%23roommates
[4] http://www.google.com/+/learnmore/hangouts/
[5] http://offcampus.osu.edu/roommate-resources/roommate-tips-tools-for-success/
[6] http://blog.forrent.com
Special consideration provided by: Neighborhood Services and Collaboration, Office of Student Life at The Ohio State University
Please Use The Code Below To Embed This Graphic