As second semester rolls around, one of the biggest things on most of seniors’ minds is college. Some of us have committed, and some of us are counting down the days until the big news. One thing that scares a lot of seniors, girls especially, is finding the perfect roommate. Is there really some stranger out there that I am going to be able to live with for an entire year? But, someway and somehow it works out, at least for most people.

More and more people are committing to colleges, making the search for a roommate more prominent. It is scary for some, though, because they either A. haven’t found out where they are going yet, or B. just can’t seem to make a decision, and many colleges have deadlines for housing. The University of Iowa and The University of Colorado in Boulder have had their housing up for months now, and the University of Missouri opens up in just about a month. For some people, they have already talked to people and even have a roommate. Or, what I like to call it, a potential roommate.

Molly Wasserberg (12) said, “ I have talked to three people, and I think I have found my roommate but I don’t want to jinx it.” Wasserberg will be attending San Diego State University next fall. She hopes to continue talking to this potential roommate in hopes that they will become roommates.

For many students, the schools that already have housing up are their backup schools, and they are just waiting to hear from their number one choices. Some students don’t find out until March or even April, which can make the roommate search very stressful. They don’t know whether to talk to someone from their backup school, because if they don’t get into their number one, they’re going to need a roommate there. But, if they do, then they feel like they led on the other person. Also, some people even talk to others who are waiting for that same number one school in hopes that they both get in. I even know a few friends who have put deposits down on residence halls in hopes they get in.

Samantha Saliba (12), who has put a deposit down in a residence hall in hopes she’ll get in, said, “Although I am in the Facebook group for my number two school and have been reading posts in search for someone who would be compatible with me, I plan on really beginning my roommate search once I find out from my number one school.” So many students are in the same place as Saliba. Trying to decide who and when to start talking to someone is very stressful. Trust me, housing and roommates is a big deal.

I will be attending the University of Missouri next fall, and since I have known this since the first week of September, many people wonder why I haven’t found a roommate yet. Well, I have talked to a few girls but no one quite fits what I am looking for. Yes, most girls have a checklist of things that their future roommate must have. Good style, cute, similar taste in music, similar sleep schedules, etc. But how can you really tell if someone is the perfect roommate just by talking to them over Facebook? It seems absurd to me.

Some of the most common questions are: What time do you go to sleep? When do you wake up? How clean/organized are you? Do you like to workout? What sports did you do in high school? Why did you pick this school? How often do you plan on going out? How important is school to you? There are tons more questions and things you should learn about someone before really choosing them to be your roommate.

What is also scary for some people is they do not get to choose their roommate. Some schools assign a roommate for you, and all you find out beforehand is their name; it is then up to you to reach out to them and learn more about them. One such school is New York University, which Emily Fagel (12) is attending next fall

“They try and match you with someone who lives in a different state or country than you, which is really cool,” Fagel said.

Other than not choosing your roommate, some schools don’t allow you to choose which residence hall you want to live in. Once you have your roommate, the school just places you in a hall. This may not seem like a big deal, but it totally is. This means you can’t choose if you would like community or suite style rooms and the location of it. Both of these things, at least in my eyes, are super important.

But, somehow it all works out. I have tons of friends who are freshmen in college now and love their roommates. Some of them knew them before, and some met them the day they walked into their dorm room. But, either way it finds a way to work out. Your freshman roommate may become your best friend for life, so how crazy is it that we choose them over social media? Websites such as roomsurf; or Facebook pages allow students to see kids who are attending their schools in hopes to find someone with common interests. Many people also get set up by mutual friends.

The roommate rush is definitely a hot topic, and as more and more people continue to get accepted and commit to college, we will begin to see more and more people choosing their roommates. So, how will you find your roommate? When will you make the courageous decision to talk to someone? I know it can be scary, but we all have to do it somehow. So don’t be scared. Reach out to people, and enjoy the roommate search.