For many students at The University of Georgia, finding roommates is one of the most important factors in their housing search.
Especially during your first years at UGA, the people that you live with can have a huge impact on your university experience, and can become some of your best friends.
At Rambler, we understand the importance of feeling confident in the roommates you choose. That’s why we’ve made this article with tips and tricks we think are helpful for students looking for roommates at The University of Georgia.
Read Next: Ultimate Guide to Living Off-Campus for UGA Students
4 Tips for Finding Roommates at UGA
1. Know your must-haves
Before you even begin to search for a roommate, it is crucial you know non-negotiable things you are not willing to compromise on. A few good questions you can begin to ask yourself regarding your living situation are:
- What is my monthly budget?
- Am I willing to share a bedroom or bathroom?
- How many roommates would I be willing to have?
- Where is my ideal living location?
Once you have thought of your answers to these questions, you are ready to dive deeper into what you are looking for in a roommate.
Do you plan to live on-campus or off-campus? Is there a specific area of campus you desire to live near? Answering these questions will narrow down your housing options and make finding your new home less overwhelming.
Your must-haves are important, so make sure you have a general idea of these before you start the roommate-search process!
2. Ask Around!
Whether you need one roommate or a few, it’s always a good idea to ask around. Even if your friends already have roommates, they might know people who are still looking… you don’t know until you ask!
In addition to your friends, you may want to ask people in your organization, whether it be a club, fraternity, sorority or team. These organizations typically have GroupMe, so sending a message in the group chat is an efficient way to reach like-minded people. You will find that there are a lot of people also searching for roommates, so you can meet with them to get to know them better and see if they would be a match!
While asking friends or reaching out in your organization doesn’t guarantee finding a perfect roommate match, it is a great way to exhaust all your resources when searching for roommates.
3. Utilize Social Media
If you are looking for an alternative to asking around, you can always utilize another platform to search for roommates.
Social media is a great resource when searching for a roommate. UGA has Facebook pages, such as University of Georgia Class of 2027 and UGA Transfer & Current UGA Students Roommate Finder, where students can post a little bit about themselves and read other students’ “about-me” posts. These pages are for incoming freshmen, transfer students, people with similar majors and more!
Instagram is also a great platform to search for your roommate. There are Instagram pages where you can submit a photo and short bio introducing yourself to new classmates. This is how I found my freshman year roommate, and living together was so awesome that we are planning to live together again after college!
For the Class of 2027, Instagram pages include @uga__class27 and @discoveruga27.
Instagram is a great resource to use in helping you find a roommate, and if you plan on joining Greek life, it is an extremely popular way to meet students similar to yourself.
4. Make Sure It’s a Good Fit
One of the most important parts of ensuring your future roommate will be a good match is establishing that you both have similar lifestyles.
Make sure you are asking questions like: what time do you typically wake up and go to bed? What do you expect your weekends to look like? How do you feel about guests? How will we work together to keep our communal spaces clean?
Asking these questions off the bat will prevent any miscommunication about what is expected from one another. These will help to establish boundaries and make sure you and your future roommate are on the same page!
Remember, college is time for you to start a new chapter in your life. Just because someone is your best friend does not necessarily mean that you both will be compatible roommates. If you are unsure about whether or not living with prior friends is a good idea, this could be your chance to branch out. However, if you both have similar living habits, rooming with your friends can turn out to be an awesome experience!
If All Else Fails…
Random roommate matching is a great alternative option.
Although it may not seem ideal, random roommates are a great way for you to branch out and meet new people.
Many apartment complexes offer roommate matching services. If the property offers roommate matching, when you fill out your application to live there, it will likely include questions about your living habits and preferences. This will provide information that can be used to pair you up with someone else in need of a roommate.
We hope this article provides you with some steps that can be taken in order to help you find a roommate. Contact the Rambler team if you have any questions during your housing search!
