During the first few weeks of university new students are exploring unfamiliar territory. As freshmen, we’ve officially left the nest. While some students may rejoice over the newfound freedom that accompanies no longer living at home, others may start to feel the effects of homesickness and loneliness. A student’s living situation can be the make or break factor in determining his/her feelings during these first few weeks away from home. Many factors including: whether or not you were assigned to a “good” residence hall, how you decorate your room, the types of people on your floor, and most importantly your roommate are all crucial in setting the mood for the start of your freshman here.
Roommates are a key part of the “college experience.” It all begins with the roommate selection process, which is a somewhat anxiety-inducing situation in this day and age. Thanks to the advancement of technology and the invention of social networking websites we, as a population, have said goodbye to the days of freshman showing up on move-in day and finding out with whom they will be sharing a room. Haunted by the horror stories about “the roommate from hell” nowadays, many incoming freshman choose to room with a friend or acquaintance. Meanwhile, others opt for the truly 21st century method of finding a roommate: Facebook. On the other hand, some brave students chose to risk it all by using the university’s random partnering system. Are those of us who opted for the school’s system “old school?” and since when did the roommate selection process become a form of online dating?
