How to Find a Roommate

There’s no reason to panic if you’re renting an off-campus apartment and don’t have roommates already lined up, as there are plenty of ways to go about finding roommates. Roommate matching is the easiest way to find new roommates. However, there are plenty of other methods to find roommates that might actually be a better fit based on similar interests. Here are just some of the ideas you can use to find the perfect roommate situation.

Roommate Matching Service

On many college campuses, there are services that help match up people who are looking for roommates. This can be as simple as “She has an apartment, she needs a roommate” to a “likes and dislikes” matching service as sophisticated as internet dating.

Alternative Roommate Searching Ideas

If your apartment community doesn’t offer roommate matching, there’s still no reason to panic. Since you most likely would prefer to have roommates that you share common interests with, consider these ideas:

• Post notices on campus in the buildings where you have classes. If you’re in the journalism school, post them there. If you’re in nursing school, post the notices there. This increases the chance of you attracting a roommate that has similar interests.
• Use your social networks to advertise for a roommate. Your Facebook friends or the other students in your class email lists can be an excellent source for finding roommates.
• Place a classified ad in the campus paper.
• Post a “Roommate Wanted” flyer where you work.
• Tell everyone you know that you’re looking for roommates.
• If you want to live off-campus, but you don’t have roommates lined up, your other option is to rent a room in an apartment being leased by someone else. This can be an easier process than finding your own roommates, especially if you need more than one.

These are just a few of the strategies you can use to find roommates. Now, it’s your turn. How did you find your roommates? Let us know how you found your roommates in the comment section below.