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Increasingly, College Students Use Services to Find Roommates Online

by Matt Evans on August 24, 2010 at 07:30 AM

screenshot from URoomSurf.com
Dorm life has its pitfalls: the public restrooms, wandering drunks, bed bugs and "performance art" outside your door at 2 a.m. But, for most, when it comes time to make the switch from sleeping at home to passing out at college, the biggest impediment to adjusting well is a bad roommate. Yet, for those entering college in the past couple of years, pesky roommates have become less likely, thanks to online matchmaking services.

While most colleges offer basic surveys pertaining to personal interests and preferences, only recently have colleges begun to aggressively contract with online matchmaking companies to assist students in finding suitable roommates. For the most part, these services have garnered much acclaim for putting the power in the hands of the students, who can better pick and choose for themselves, as evidenced by the decreased amount of requests for new room assignments at these colleges.

Still, as some colleges do not offer exclusive matchmakers, the world of social networking has made it fairly simple for computer-savvy teens to find someone on their own. Through Facebook, Roombug or more specialized services like URoomSurf.com -- which charges $5 or $10 for a detailed search of compatible people -- it is possible to search for a roommate. If a suitable candidate is found, students can simply contact that person through the site, and, if they like each other, can ask to be assigned to one another via their college's application process.

Although we wouldn't choose to room with someone based on musical choice or their thoughts on global warming alone, any alternative to complete randomness is gladly welcomed. Yet, call us embittered, but college without awkward roommate situations just doesn't sound right. Not only do bizarre roommates open up social situations and teach kids about compromise, but, heck, they make for the best stories, too.

Tags: college, college roommates, CollegeRoommates, dorm, dorm life, DormLife, Facebook, matchmaking, roomates, school, top, URoomSurf

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