With April already here, seniors are getting closer and closer to graduating, which means facing adult life. So let’s learn how to step out of your shell and talk to a roommate. 

Now, depending on where you are going, your college may have an admissions page that lists all incoming students. I know my college had one run by the college, as well as others run by students. If you are lucky enough for your college to have that, then I would recommend using that to your advantage. This is a way to find someone with similar interests, major, lifestyle, or values. 

On the other hand, if your college is not as advanced media-wise, going to your college’s admission day or other events they host is a good way to find a familiar face on campus. Now, personally, I know I do NOT have the social battery for something like that; however, this is a great option for those looking to be social. 

Although I know this might not work for everyone, I’m personally going to talk about my experience finding my roommate. Being an introvert, finding a roommate was a slight struggle for me, but I did manage to find one, and I’m so excited to meet her. 

Let’s start with how I met her – let’s call her Laura.  Laura and I met through the admissions page for my college in October. What my admissions page did for students was post a few pictures (sent by you) along with a little synopsis of yourself for the caption. With this page being run through the college, it was a private account and was based on acceptance. Unlike many student-run pages, a “posting fee” was something I didn’t have to worry about. 

At that point in time, I was looking for someone close to my major, so that took out a LOT of my options, as many of the people  planning on education, nursing, etc., majors. When Laura was posted, the first thing that caught my eye was the fact that she is going into biology. I took my chances and followed her accounts, which leads me to say that sometimes you, yes, YOU are going to have to take the first step. 

Once she accepted and followed me back, I reached out, which was terrifying for me. I consider myself rather introverted, and most of the time will only speak when I at least know one person in the room. Doing this online was absolutely terrifying, but thankfully, Laura is the same way, and honestly, we got along great. 

From her post, I knew we had some common interests, and she was just so whimsical and silly that it was hard not to get along. We both though did not ask each other to be roommates at that time, and both kept an eye out for other people we might like more. Shockingly, because this is an article on how to know your roommate, it is no surprise that she is now my roommate. 

I think the best way to get to know someone is by asking them questions and not just the boring ones, but fun ones that show who you are. Although you want to have fun and get along, you must understand you will be living with this person for a year. If you have any “no-gos,” these should be the first questions asked (partying, sleep scheduling, cleanliness, hygiene, mornings, noise, etc). I know those were the first things that we talked about once we agreed to become roommates. After that, we talked more and just about random things, from activities we are currently a part of to what we want our room to look like. 

Some questions you can ask to get to know your roommate: 

• What color would you be and why?
• Favorite artists?
• Who is the most important friend in your life? 
• If you were an animal, what would you be?
• Favorite scents?
• Why the school, major, etc?
• Family life?
• Relationship? 
• Favorites in general?
• What do you want out of your roommate? 

Once you actually know that you want this person to be your roommate, I recommend actually meeting them. Laura and I are actually meeting Saturday at a concert for an artist we both want to see. I know meeting someone for the first time can be hard, so what my roommate and I have done to ease that sort of tension is by sending voice notes to each other about our days, so we can see how we both are. 

Some ways you can meet up with your roommate in person include:

• Concerts
• College admissions day
• Orientations
• Popular city
• Festivals 
• Coffee shop
• Find what works for you.

I know that meeting someone can be hard, especially when you are going to be living with them, but it is something you need to get done. Overall, I hope that this helps you in ways to get to know someone enough, or help in what to look for when trying to find someone.

Come back to AnchorNews for more stories! As always, go Discoverers.