Finding Roommates on Facebook

Parents Forum
#1

<p>The Washington Post had an interesting article about freshman looking for roomies on Facebook:</p>

<p>College</a> freshmen turn to Facebook to find roommates - The Washington Post</p>

<p>My D graduated this year so it was a bit early for her to have used Facebook, but I think she would have if it were more common then. She had a nice roommate her freshman year, but they mostly respectfully coexisted and rarely saw each other after freshman year. Also, the the hall/dorm dynamics were not to her advantage, so the bonding will hallmates I had hoped for didn't happen. Fortunately, she made friends from campus activities and roomed with people she had met there for the subsequent three years. </p>

<p>I wonder if anyone's daughters/sons have gone or are going this route and how it turns out?</p>

#2

<p>My daughter used an online message board through her college to find a roommate for freshman year, sophomore year her roommate was a friend & this year will be a combination of a young woman that she considered freshman year & two others.</p>

<p>It worked really well freshman year, I think the online part allows to establish common ground.</p>

#3

<p>my daughter's college used Roombug on facebook called and anyone going to the school lookngn for a roommate joined and you could look there- she didn't find one there- the school assigned one so we will see how it works out- she was so funny -she said she looks"normal" when she looked her up on facebook- I wonder what isn't normal.....</p>

#4

<p>A sense of humor is always good. ;)</p>

#5

<p>DS got roommate name (one assigned to him) from school website. He looked at his pic on FB and I don't think he was too happy. Hopefully it all turns out well. He's looking forward to making new friends and living on the "other" coast.</p>

<p>Now female friends of DS going to various colleges seem very excited to connect with roommate before they leave and coordinate everything.</p>

#6

<p>I think it is a really wonderful life challenge to just get a roomate randomly assigned. Expectations might be too high when you pick one that is "just like you". You really don't have to be best friends with the roomate.</p>

#7

<p>Thats one way to look at it- but believe me there will be plenty of challenges in a new college students life without arranging for some.
;)</p>

#8

<p>A lot of incoming freshpeople for fall 2011 have their own FB groups - something like "SuchAndSuchUniversity Class of 2015". Once the kids join, they can meet prospective roomies as soon as the admission decisions are off the press (March-April). That gives a couple of months at least to get to know (a) the campus better from reading postings from others (locals) about the good and bad dorms, etc, and (b) picking roomies based on a lot more information than goes on the housing form. </p>

<p>My DD1 did this and after both girls flooded the housing office with roomie change requests succeeded in getting the roomie assignment she (and her roomie) wanted. The SuchAndSuchUniversity Class of 2015 type groups are incredibly useful as there's more information there than in ten orientations...</p>

#9

<p>Experience with some of those FB groups is that there are some way over excited students...not everyone's cup of tea. My DS just wants to get there and experience it...</p>

<p>As a Mom, wish he would join in, but it's his life and I know he'll do great (but I still worry).</p>

#10

<p>D found a like-minded roommate through her college's Facebook group, and wound up meeting her in person during Admitted Students Weekend. Seems just fine and dandy to me. I think the Facebook groups are really a great idea, and so much better than "our day" in which you walked onto campus pretty much cold.</p>

#11

<p>There definitely is a ton of over-excitement on them FB groups - DD1's school being in the South (read, south of here :-)) seems to have elevated the excitement by a few tons (what's with Southern schools and incoming students acting like 3 month old Dachshund puppies? we never had such craze at Purdue :-)) </p>

<p>But it's a great way to get a good idea of who is who, what they're in for, and so on. I was quite relieved to see DD1's pick for a roomie be a 4.0 / 2300 / 5-on-all-APs pre-med type who worked her way thru things rather than the 'I got a new Civic and plastic surgery for getting out of high school' original roomie assignment (I kid you not). </p>

<p>(Good thing I'm not going to college - anyone want a Halo / photography / Dachshund aficionado for roommate?)</p>

#12

<p>D had a bad experience with this. She "met" a girl on fb and they seemed to like each other a lot. When D found out they'd been assigned to each other (small college), she was thrilled, and she built up in her head the idea that this girl was her roomie soulmate -- and I did not do my job by helping her to ratchet down her expectations. Once they met, it quickly became apparent that they were incompatible in almost every way, and the real-life relationship couldn't bear the weight of the preconceptions. By the end of the year, they were barely speaking. In retrospect, I think D would have been better off walking in cold.</p>

#13

<p>It's all about expectation management. If one expects that the roomie is the magic fairy that rides to Macy's on her unicorn and all that, of course she'll be crushed. Most people usually get along with others, and to be brutally honest, in cases where both roomies are in demanding majors (pre-med accelerated program and architecture) there is little idle time to ride unicorns, let alone do much else. </p>

<p>From my observations roomie and DD1 are quite different in every aspect imaginable - socio-economic background, family college experience, study habits, majors, and the like. Yet I feel this won't be a bad match. So far they have been very good in coordinating what to bring and establishing a good working relationship. </p>

<p>Regarding compatibility, I can't think of a single thing I have in common with Mrs. Turbo yet we're celebrating our 25th anniversary this month. I've had roomies that were the same mentality as me (read, the immature know-it-all international students from the same country burning their inheritance :-)) and it was awful. In contrast, I had a heck of a time with people totally incompatible with me, be it the Cajun guy or the Palestinian guy etc etc etc)</p>

<p>"Phone call for Mr. Au-Bear? I'm afraid you have the wrong number. My roommate's last name is spelled 'H-E-B-E-R-T'"</p>

<p>(Hebert is pronounced "Au-Bear" in Cajun English :-))</p>

#14

<p>Students who are less socially adept i.e. aspie-like in their interactions face to face may find that breaking the ice online buys them some time & or leeway to meeting IRL.</p>

<p>An aspie student may be pretty hard to get to know & come off to those expecting better social skills as rude. But if you have already been able to establish some common ground, it might be easier for everyone.</p>

#15

<p>Regarding compatibility, I can't think of a single thing I have in common with Mrs. Turbo yet we're celebrating our 25th anniversary this month.</p>

<p>Happy anniversary- but I wonder- would she also say you have nothing in common?</p>