That sounds hard. Interestingly I am hearing that so many kids who go to college with a friend from home regret rooming together. Friendships fall apart, it can prevent them from branching out and meeting new people, etc., etc. But of course kids won’t listen to what we tel them.
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This. And also many people switch around once they have their room. So you can refresh and recheck as new spots open up in different dorms. One mom mentioned getting her daughter out of “The Hill” and into a much better dorm simply by refreshing and checking often.
is he in the honors college or in an RLC? That can make it easier to get a room.
I’m sorry this is proving a difficult situation. My son, and a lot of other freshman, will be entering Auburn without knowing a soul. Your son will not be alone in not having a group of friends going to school with him!
Also coming from far away and do not know any other students.
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So by jumping into solo spots, does the questionnaire become irrelevant? I need to do more reading in this process as I am confused!
I agree. I had concerns about some of the issues you mention, but at the same time, it was kind of nice to think about him already having a friend since he’s going to be so far away, and he’s a quiet, more introverted kid.
Unfortunately, he opted not to apply for honors college for a RLC. I know he won’t be the only one there who doesn’t know anyone, and from what I can tell, Auburn has a great community feel. I know it’s a temporary problem, but it seems hard right now.
Some quick points/answers on housing questions.
I am trying to remember but day 5 you should still be able to get a room. There were a lot of rooms available in 191 College which is blocks from campus and right in the heart of downtown and seems like most who live there really like it. Most units have 4 single rooms and some have 3 singles and one double. Should be able to get a spot in there if choosing the first week of selection but it is hard to remember.
Only worth pairing with someone if they have a selection date in the first three says. Going solo gives you more flexibility.
Fill out the questionnaire. Here’s why. If he gets a room he will be able to see who his roommates are and what they have and common and vice versa.
If you lurk on the housing site esp at night you will see rooms open up. Some kids shuffling around and some kids end up choosing a different school.
My son was able to swap from south Donahue where he was in a double with someone who was not a great match to the village three weeks after initial selection.
Rooms will open up. So if you get shut out or don’t like dorm or not a great match with roommate you can jump around.
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I hear your concerns. My son also was choosing between Alabama and Auburn and it took him four months. Meanwhile his best friend was going to Auburn. He just wasn’t into the whole going to college hoopla at the time. All the kids would wear gear of the schools they were going to and he wouldn’t. Some kids are just like that.
He didn’t do anything to find roommates and when he did he missed the housing deadline for honors Dorm (but ended up there anyway).
He and his friend did not room together and joined different fraternities. They still eat together and work out a few times a week. Has worked out great. They know hundreds of kids between them now.
Is your son thinking about rushing? Great way to meet people if you go about it the right way.l, esp being far out of state and having no ties to Auburn.
If not, religious groups, interests, clubs related to major?
There are a ton of clubs and activities. My son loves it there and after not wearing Auburn gear all summer he came back with about three Auburn polos and a few tshirts. And he wants to stay there this summer.
Feel free to message me if I can be of any help or you have any other questions.
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I am not sure if you can see “who” is in the room with their profile until after. But I also heard there is a lot of moving around and switching once people secure a room so the room you initially select might not be the one you end up in if you decide to switch once you see profiles.
I bet he will meet a lot of people at Camp War Eagle over the summer and can then keep in touch until move-in and feel like he knows a few kids. I am hoping that is the case anyway and I have heard from many that Camp War Eagle is awesome for that.
All good info, my son has the 29th so hoping he gets something. From what I’m reading that is late? Sounds like there will be a lot of movement and required stalking of the portal;)
Did your son make a final decision?
my question is how do you move rooms when you still can’t see who is in any of the rooms. If you get an initial roommate who is not really compatible, but then want to switch, how can you find a roommate you are compatible with when you can’t see their profiles until after you’ve selected the room?
did your son get into the OOS RLC?
Yes he is committed to Auburn 
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Yes, he’s excited
Thank you! That is encouraging to hear. I don’t know if my son plans on rushing. He loves to fish and golf and is planning to major in neuroscience with a pre-med focus, so I hope he will join some groups/clubs and get involved in some volunteer activities. He does have an Auburn hat he’s been wearing more lately, so maybe that’s a positive sign he’s working toward a decision!
I know Auburn has a bass fishing club and I think they’ve won some awards. A great golf team and some rec golf teams as well. My son always took a golf course 1 semester each year just for stress release as the engineering classes got harder. Ended up being a pretty good golfer even though that wasn’t what he was aiming for.
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