After filling out all of the applications and sending them to the colleges I was interested in, I convinced myself that the college anxiety was mostly over.  However, after hearing back from the schools that I applied to, I was quick to learn that my assumption was far from true.  Now, I’m faced with an even more stressful situation: finding a roommate.

The first step to the college roommate process is creating a social media post that includes photos of yourself and highlights what you enjoy.  Most often, each college has an Instagram account where incoming students from each class are able to post themselves.  After posting on one of the accounts, I would open the app back up to see numerous follow requests and messages from those who are also thinking of attending the same school as me.  

From an outsider’s perspective, people may suspect that receiving these messages would be exciting.  While some aspect of it is, having to respond to the same questions like “What are you majoring in?” or “Are you planning on rushing?” or “Hi!! What do you like to do?” feels extremely repetitive and stressful. From personal experience, once all of the general questions are done being asked, that’s it– the conversation is over. In some sense, I’ve started to believe that this whole process feels like an awkward first-date encounter more than anything else.

Another thing I’ve realized is that if I decide to follow up with those I initially reached out to, chances are they might already have a roommate. With housing deadlines approaching quickly and available roommates dwindling, I can’t help but feel like I’m somehow falling behind.  However, the potential of finding a roommate that is enjoyable and could become a close friend makes me excited for what the next four years will consist of.  Yes, finding a roommate for college is stressful and time consuming, but I guess it’s just the beginning of the whole “college experience”.