One of the most exciting steps in preparing for your first year of college is finding your first roommate. Wondering how to find the perfect one? At UW Oshkosh there are four primary ways to find a roommate. To learn more about these options, read on!

1. The Social Network

You can meet potential roommates using UWO’s class pages and groups on Facebook. This is a very popular option, especially because it will also help you identify familiar faces on campus once school begins. Students often post a little bio about themselves and comment on each other’s posts to find similarities in hobbies, majors, clubs and more. Additionally, the class Facebook groups are moderated to make sure only students in that class are in the group.

I didn’t have a Facebook account before college, so I had to make an account at the end of my senior year to find a roommate. The class group helped me meet one of my best friends in school and I’m greatly appreciative of it! Using Facebook class pages is a good method to use if you want to find a roommate and meet people before you even step foot on campus.

2. Friends (or Friends of a Friend) [Or Friends of a Friend’s Friend]

You may have heard that rooming with a friend from high school can be a bad idea, but it can also be a great way to have a roommate that you like and already connect with. If you know that one of your friends will be going to UWO, and if you get along well and enjoy hanging out with that person, it doesn’t hurt to ask them if they would like to room with you. This is a great way to already have a friend when you start college. Don’t have a current friend available to room with? Try rooming with a mutual friend of someone you know on campus. Even having a friend’s friend as a roommate means you start off the year with a couple connections. Either way, don’t be afraid to seek advice from a mutual friend. Someone who knows you both can help you know if a potential roommate might be a good match for you. Being able to take the advice, consider it for yourself to make your own decision is a great life skill that is well developed in this situation.

3. The All-Knowing Questionnaire

It’s like eHarmony, but for finding a roommate at UW Oshkosh. When you’re completing your housing application, you will be answering lifestyle questions that include topics such as what you like to do, how late you like to stay up, how messy or clean you are, if you like to study in your room and more. This questionnaire will match you up with a list of other students who have answered the questions similarly to you, so that you can choose a good match.

4. The Random Roommate

We have all heard the horror stories about getting a random roommate, but we don’t always talk about the frequent times that random roommates become best friends. When you get a random roommate there are a lot of positives to be aware of. One of these things is that you’re forced to meet new people and expand your horizons because you have to get to know your new roommate and their friends. As a result, you’ll boost your communication skills and your confidence, gaining new friends along the way. By the way, the random roommate option utilizes the answers you gave in the questionnaire. This means even though it’s a random roommate, you will still be paired with someone who has some similarities to you. Freshmen year is about expanding your horizons, and having a roommate you didn’t know before college is one of the best ways to start.

These four possible ways to find a roommate helped me find the best person for me to live with. I didn’t have anyone to help me find a roommate or to tell me what to do, so if you’re in the same boat I hope this helps!

Having a roommate is an exciting time in your life. You want a roommate who will be there for you when times are tough and who also shares in your happiest moments. College is a great experience and a time to discover yourself, and picking your first roommate is one of the quintessential first steps in that journey.

Best of luck!

Sie’anna M.