<p>I am attending school in Washington from New Jersey. Should I try to find a roommate who lives somewhat close to the college? I wasn’t sure what to do! I don’t know anyone who is going to my school!</p>
<p>why does it matter where your roommate is from?</p>
<p>Which college will you be attending? Actually, I think it might be kinda weird to have your roommate running off home every weekend while you are not!</p>
<p>Seattle, Tacoma and Olympia are all cities with lots of things going on. Whitman in Walla Walla is a good bit more isolated but the students band together and have tons of fun. </p>
<p>I think you’ll like Washington! We do!</p>
<p>I’m curious what you, the OP, see as the benefits in having a local as a roommate. Not all local students go home on weekends and there is nothing saying that you’ll be best friends with your roommate anyway. Check out your school’s facebook group for incoming students and when you get to the school, be friendly, but not creepy. WA is a great place to live or attend college, but it will probably be different from living in NJ. You might hear about the “Scandinavian Reserve” of Washingtonians when it comes to friendships. Really, it’s a cultural hurdle, per se, and is easy to overcome, especially with those from younger generations, e.g. college students. You’ll get to know more people over the course of the school year.</p>
<p>A roommate who comes from the local area has its advantages and disadvantages. He/she will likely have a group of friends who aren’t part of the college community, and possibly a girl/boyfriend–one of the reasons someone would choose to go to a private school in their home town. That person is less likely to engage fully in the freshman experience. On the other hand, it would be nice to have that extended home for various reasons (flights that get you to campus a day before the dorms open on breaks, access to a car when you’re new on campus and haven’t met students with cars yet, a place to store your stuff over the summer…) Personally I think you should just take it as it comes since the thing that will make the most difference is if you are compatible.</p>
<p>Being from another state (that has better public transit options) you may be surprised to see that a “local” kid does not contact home that much. For instance, we have young friends who attend Pacific Lutheran and University of Puget Sound in Tacoma and they don’t come home to Olympia all that often. It’s about a 50 minute drive – I think they are having too much fun on campus to come home to mow the lawn!</p>
<p>Are you living in the dorms? If so, I don’t really think it will matter as much as finding a roommate with whom you have a lot in common. You will quickly meet other people and it won’t matter that you didn’t know anyone at the beginning of school.</p>
<p>Worry more about being compatible as roommates, SERIOUSLY.</p>
<p>However, I’ve really liked having a roommate who’s a local. We go back to her house to cook & play with her dog & help with her mom’s new foster baby almost weekly; it’s nice to be able to get off campus occasionally, but still feel connected to campus.</p>
<p>No, you should not try to find a roommate close the school. There will be plenty of people for you to meet and ways to make yourself feel apart of the community. Also if your seeking a roommate that is local to the area to live at their home during breaks ( in which you can not afford transportation cost) universities typically housing for breaks.</p>
<p>olymom-actually i am going to spokane for gonzaga. the benefit i saw was just having a safety plan since i have no family out there!</p>
<p>janemac- Pick a roommate from another country like France, Italy, then you can go to a cool place to visit rather than a local homegal</p>
<p>I don’t think it’s necessary to have a roommate from the area, but I would highly suggest having at least one friend with nice parents who live near the area. This is remarkably useful should you have any sort of crisis, get really sick, or anything like that. I go to school across the country from my home and was hospitalized this year. My friend’s mother (who lived in town) came and stayed with me in the hospital and was able to relay messages to my mother and help keep her calm (as well as keep me from getting too lonely) until my mother was able to get there. It’s also useful if you need a recommendation for something, if you need some place to store stuff, if you need transportation somewhere and don’t have a car, and any number of other things.</p>
<p>You can also ask admissions to share your email address with other students from your home town or home state. It can be nice to have some contacts on campus that have a home town connection. </p>
<p>I highly recommend that you participate in any “welcome freshmen” activity. Many colleges have outdoor excursions or a mini-camp shortly before the fall semester begins. This is a great way to begin to make friends – having some buddies from the first is a great way to feel a bit safer and stronger as those first few weeks unfold. </p>
<p>The first few weeks of college are incredibly hectic. I hope you’ll arrive having had your vaccinations up to date (including meningitis and H1N1 flu) and with a box full of vitamins/flu remedies. Don’t hesitate to get over to the health center the minute you feel crudy. Once you have a few weeks under your belt, you should have lots of contacts and much of the beginner’s worries will evaporate. Good luck!</p>