Online dating or searching for a college roommate? The pressure of finding the perfect person to spend the next year with has frequently been compared to looking for a romantic partner, yet it’s more stressful since there is a deadline. Seniors want to find a new best friend, but also someone who won’t drive them crazy. Locating the ideal roommate who aligns with their standards for cleanliness, social life, sleeping, and more creates quite a struggle for North Atlanta seniors. Therefore, these rising college freshmen turn towards options such as texting on social media, Instagram pages, and even apps where you can scroll through roommate options in hopes of finding a compatible living partner.
The last thing seniors want is to fall victim to the next roommate horror story. In fear of hating the person they are forced to live with for an entire year, some seniors stick to the well-known path and choose to live with someone familiar. Whether this be a best friend or a mutual, the odds of despising one another are much lower. Senior Anna Hammond hopes to branch out at college, but she doesn’t love the idea of living with a stranger. Fortunately, when she was admitted to the University of Georgia in the fall, a friend from her summer camp was as well. For Hammond, this was the perfect person to spend the next year with because she knew she enjoyed her company, even though they aren’t the closest of friends. “My roommate and I have gotten lunch together a couple of times now, and I have loved getting to know her,” said Hammond. “She is always happy and positive, which is exactly what I want to surround myself with next year.”
In recent years, new methods of finding roommates have emerged. Some universities utilize apps, such as Roomsurf and MeetYourClass, where students can create profiles to introduce themselves and match with other students. Similar to dating apps, this is a great way for students to branch out and meet others they might never have known. Many colleges also have Instagram pages for the rising freshman class to post bios and photos of themselves. Senior Christa Jenkins matched with her new roommate on Troy University’s class of 2029 page. A senior from North Carolina, also attending Troy in the fall, reached out to Jenkins via Instagram DMs. They began texting and clicked instantly, so now they FaceTime all the time. “After a bit of small talk, we figured out we are pretty much the same person,” said Jenkins. “We watch the same shows, have the same hobbies, and have the same horoscope sign, so I can’t wait to finally meet her in person.”
Unfortunately, not every North Atlanta senior is as lucky as Jenkins. For some, it takes multiple attempts to find the perfect roommate. Senior Vivian Carroll who is committed to the University of Georgia has, so far, been unsuccessful at finding “the one.” Carroll has reached out to a few possible candidates, in hopes of finding someone nice, but not too outgoing. For Carroll and many other seniors, reaching out feels like awkwardly texting a guy she likes. “I ask super simple questions to get to know the other person,” said Carroll. “I now know a bunch of random people’s majors, favorite movies, and sports they play.”
Whether they like it or not, May is just around the corner. Soon, the North Atlanta seniors will have graduated, moved away, and started a new beginning. Hopefully, the seniors will find the perfect roommate match and gain a new best friend in their next chapter of life. If not, there’s always next year!
