As second semester begins, seniors are still trying to decide which college they will attend and what they want to major in. While focusing so much on those important decisions, it’s often overlooked that now is the perfect time to begin looking for a roommate.

Although college is seven months away, many students have begun their search including senior Amber Miller who will be attending Southeast Missouri State next fall.

“I found my roommate through [SEMO’s] Facebook page for incoming freshmen,” Miller said. “Usually people’s posts will have things in it like which dorms they want to live in, their major and what they want to be involved in in college.”

While Miller found her roommate through Facebook, senior Emily Crutchfield found hers closer to home. She chose to room with fellow EHS senior Erin Morrisey at Butler University.

“…we decided that if we got accepted we would be roommates so we wouldn’t have to worry about being assigned roommates by the school,” Crutchfield said.

According to Katie Naymon with the Huffington Post, having a roommate who is a friend from high school can be beneficial because there is already common ground and no “awkward getting to know you period.”

She also mentions that you already know their lifestyle and can judge ahead of time if they would be a good fit you instead of trying to find your own roommate or getting randomly assigned.

“Having heard horror stories from my mom and a couple friends, I think it can definitely make a huge impact on how much you enjoy college,” Crutchfield said. “I imagine you would feel a lot more lonely if you don’t have a good roommate.”

But there are plenty of negatives to having a friend you know from high school as a roommate. Naymon said that this could make it harder to make new friends because you are living with the security of an old one.

“Getting a random roommate or choosing to live with someone you meet on Facebook can be a good idea because you can meet new people and learn how to be flexible,” Naymon said.

No matter how you select your roommate, it’s important to find someone who will shape your college experience for the better.
“If you don’t get along with who you live with, I think it would definitely drag down your experience,” Miller said.