April is a chaotic month to say the least.
It marks the end of spring break and the beginning of the end for seniors who will graduate in the next month. Gulp.
April also means the start of housing selection for next year. Exciting for some, positively gut-wrenching and stressful for others.
For those with stable relationships with their roommate(s) (must be nice), housing selection isn’t too bad. If this is you, all you have to worry about is getting a room in the residence hall that you and your roommate(s) are hoping for. Shout out to the housing heaven that is Blazer Hall (still can’t believe this is the name they went with…bleh).
Housing selection is far more hectic for those who are still in need of a roommate.
If this is you, you have two options. You can take your chances with random roommate assignment, which I highly DO NOT recommend, or you can find someone on your own to register for a room with.
The issue with random selection is that it truly is random in the worst possible way. Yes, you have to fill out the personality compatibility survey before selection, but a person who is messy isn’t going to admit to it in a survey.
Avoidance is a key component of living as a messy person…not that I would know.
Plus, I tell you from personal experience, if someone checks the “likes to go to sleep early” box on the personality survey, they will stay up on Facetime with their annoying boyfriend until at least 3 a.m.
Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
The better of the two options is to locate a roommate on your own. Talk to your friends and see if they know anyone who is looking for a roommate. Friend-of-a-friend is a great way to go about the roommate search.
This way, your friend can tell you whether or not this person is someone whom you’ll want to live with for the better part of a year. Only ask your friends whose opinion you trust.
I wouldn’t suggest asking your “blind to red flags” friend (we all have one) to vouch for a potential roommate. There is no world in which that works out well for you.
If you are a person who would rather live alone, a single room is always an option. The trick with that is there are limited singles in select buildings, which somewhat limits your options. Singles are also more expensive than a double room but may be worth it if you like having your own space. AKA anxious introverts who need room for their emotional support plants (again, personal experience).
Whatever you choose to do, my most important piece of advice is to plan ahead. PLAN AHEAD. Sorry, I just really want to get that point across. Don’t wait until four days before housing selection to start looking for a roommate.
You might end up choosing a roommate out of desperation and end up rooming with someone who has a pet rat or a “Saturday is for the boys” flag. A literal waking nightmare.
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