By Loren Hughes

Staff Writer

As a high school senior going to a college where I essentially know no one, I was faced with the issue of who exactly I will end up rooming with. I have heard all the horror stories about scary encounters with potluck roommates and decided that I would like to pick my own roommate, if possible. After many months of using various tools to find myself the perfect roommate, I have finally found one.

For other high school seniors who are desperately seeking a roommate, here are some tips on how to find exactly what you’re looking for:

1. Once you know which school you are going to, look up your graduating class on Facebook. Simply type in, for instance, Texas Tech University Class of 2014. I promise you there’s a Facebook group for every graduating class in every college across America, and that’s a sure way to meet incoming freshmen before the big move-in day.

2. Also, as an incoming freshman at Texas Tech, I discovered an application on their website called RaiderSpace. It is basically the same thing as Facebook, except only for Texas Tech students. Check with your university to see if they offer an application like this, because if they do, it’s a perfect way to meet a roommate.

3. Make sure to find out if your future university offers learning communities. I am going to be in the Education learning community, meaning that I will be on a floor with other future teachers. If this type of community is offered at your university, make sure to take advantage of it since it is an amazing way to meet other students that will be in the same major as you, and could be your potential roommate.

4. Find out if your college offers personality surveys for incoming students to take in order to match you with your most compatible roommate. My college doesn’t offer them, but most do, and if so, they are extremely handy in aiding the roommate selection process for your college.

5. Lastly, if you are still in dire need of a roommate, click here. At URoom Surf, a survey about your future college, overall character and habits is offered, and then matched with those who best fit your overall character and college choice. It then provides you with a long list of people that have matched you, and allows a means to contact them if you desire. It is a very handy and useful tool that I highly recommend to all seniors.

So, if you are looking for your future roommate, hopefully these tools will help smooth out the process. After all, it worked for me!