It is that time of year when seniors are accepting offers to colleges and preparing for the next chapter of their lives. Part of this process includes thinking about a living situation while furthering their education. Most colleges have dormitories with roommates and some offer multiple suite options. Multiple state universities in Pennsylvania have options from a traditional dorm room to a personal suite. Students have the option to choose suites with one to four roommates and rooms with a living area and kitchenette.
Erica Gerner has committed to Millersville University for early childhood education. She will be staying in a traditional dorm where she shares a room with a roommate. Most universities have upgraded their housing where each room gets its own bathroom which Erica will share with her roommate. On Instagram, there is a Millersville Class of 2029 page where Erica found her roommate. She saw that they both are attending with the same major and reached out. It was easy to start a conversation because all Erica had to do was mention their mutual major and mention that she was looking for a roommate. The process of finding a roommate was stressful, especially when the people she reached out to already had roommates. Erica said, “After reaching out to a few people who already had roommates, it made me feel behind and that I wasn’t going to find a roommate.” While she was looking, she tried to keep an open mind and was not looking for any specific characteristics. Erica wanted to find a roommate on her own if possible to avoid a random placement. She has plans to meet her roommate in person on Admitted Students Day on March 22 and is very excited.
My experience finding a roommate was very different from Erica’s. I will be attending Shippensburg University with an English Secondary Education major. I knew that I wanted a particular suite, and once I selected a room, a roommate who also wanted that suite was placed there. We both chose a suite where we got individual bedrooms and a shared bathroom. Although this increases the price slightly, I believe it will be beneficial for me since I prefer an individual space. Since we have become roommates, we have reached out over email and text. There has not been much communication yet, but I hope to get to know her more and meet her at the new student orientation on June 13.
With the advancements of social media and room options, there are so many ways to find a roommate. It is important to not stress out over this process as everyone goes at their own pace. This is a huge transition for most students and there are multiple avenues to take when in search of a roommate. Most colleges and universities offer random placement which can alleviate the stress of finding a roommate.
