After four exciting years of college, you’ll have to part ways with your awesome college roommates. As if your mind isn’t already busy enough day-dreaming all about your post-graduation life, the last thing you want to worry about is how to find a new roomie for after graduation. Here are some of our best suggestions for finding a roommate after college so you can have one less thing to stress about!
Use social media
You’ve probably become an expert at procrastinating on Facebook, which makes it an easy place to start with your roommate search. Since your graduating class most likely has a Facebook group, use it to your advantage by writing a post about needing a roommate after graduation and see what comments might appear. You can also skim through the group members to remind yourself of who is in your class whom you could reach out to about living together after graduation.
If you go to a big school, you can use Facebook to keep an eye out for friends who might post status updates about needing a roommate after graduation. You can also ask other friends to keep an eye out for you, too, since they might know people you don’t know and can introduce you to potential roommates.
Once you’ve narrowed down some options, reach out to anyone who might be a good candidate. This process works well if you’re not quite ready to dive into the roommate world without a somewhat familiar face by your side.
Additionally, try using Twitter by tweeting, “Looking for a #roommate in [city] starting on [date].” Use caution when putting this method into practice, since you may receive irrelevant tweets in return, but it can help to get the ball rolling. The most essential part of your tweet will be utilizing the “roommate” hashtag, but you can also add a hashtag to the city that you’re hoping to live in as well. Adding the hashtag will help you because people searching for information about a certain city can easily search the hashtag to get more information. Once you receive legitimate responses, reach out to them via direct message to try and get to know the person better before deciding if you would like to live together.
Use a roommate matchmaker tool
An awesome tool that can help you to find a roommate is Roomidex. This website allows you to search for a roommate based on who is in your network, or Facebook friends list, so it’s another way that social media can play a part in your roommate search.
To use the website, you pick a city you’re moving to and then select the month in which you plan on moving. From there, Roomidex will connect with your Facebook account to show you other people in your network who need a roommate as well. You can also customize your search based on rent, moving date, neighborhood, gender and school, which are all super important factors to consider.
Currently, the application only serves those looking to live with a roommate in New York City or San Francisco, but more cities will be added soon!
Another option to try is Roommates.com, which claims to be the top roommate matchmaker service with more than 50,000 visits a day. It gives you roommate options based on the city you choose. You’re able to write a small bio about yourself to give potential roommates a feel for what type of roommate you’re searching for, and from there you can search through potential matches.
Look on Craigslist
Craiglist is a valid place to find a possible roommate, just use your best judgment when searching. Be aware of possible scams; to avoid them, always meet up with possible roommates in person to make sure they aren’t lying about who they say they are.
“I found a great short-term living arrangement on Craigslist once,” says Andi Haskins, a recent graduate of Messiah College. “I didn’t know any of the people ahead of time and we didn’t become great friends, but it was only a three-month agreement, so I could move on quickly. I didn’t risk any friendships by moving in with friends and finding out that we weren’t compatible roommates, which has happened to a few friends of mine.”
If you’re a Craigslist newbie, visit the website and click on the city where you plan on living. After that, it will take to you a list of all available offers in the city that you’re looking for. Look under the housing section and click on whichever type of housing you are in need of renting. From there, you’re able to reach out to possible roommates, as some of the offers will include people looking to share space with a roommate. You can also post that you’re looking for a roommate, and from there people can reach out to you.
Reach out to extended family
If you’re not looking to live with your parents after graduation but still hope to be close to your family, you can always reach out to some of your extended family members. You might have a cousin who’s also graduating or who has recently graduated from college who doesn’t want to live at home after graduation either. A benefit of moving in with a family member is that you already know the person well enough to decide whether or not you’ll work well together as roommates. You both have the same crazy interesting family, so you’ll be able to relate to each other and you’ll have similar connections. If you’re both close in age, you’ll also be able to bond over what it’s like to be a young twenty-something.
“I moved in with my sister after graduation,” Andi says. “It’s great to move in with family if possible so that you can have time to settle into a job and find friends who you can live happily with before signing a rental agreement. That way, you can avoid getting stuck with a long commute or incompatible roommates because you rushed to move into a new place immediately after graduation.”
If you don’t have a family member living in the city that you’re hoping to stay in, reach out to your family members and ask them if they have any friends or connections living in your future city. This broadens your network beyond your immediate connections and opens you up to potential roommates who are close to your family members.
Talk to members of your church or community group
You never know if someone in your church or community group is also looking for a roommate if you never ask!
“Whether you will be living inside or outside of your hometown, it helps to ask around your local community,” says Kristal Smith, a recent grad of Messiah College. “My friends who found housing after graduation found that very helpful.”
If you volunteer around your city or if you’re involved with extracurricular activities on campus, you can also discuss roommates with those people as well. If they personally aren’t in need of a roommate, they also might be able to recommend people they know who are in need of roommates.
Ask for help from your new employer
Employers know that not every new employee has lived in the city where the company is located before. If you talk to your future employer, he or she might be able to help you figure out a housing situation. Your new job might also offer a housing plan as part of your commitment.
Kelsey Lightfoot, a senior at Wheelock College, will be working with fifth-grade students in Korea after she graduates. Even though she’ll be working internationally, she was still able to figure out a housing plan ahead of time. “I have been set up with an apartment through the Korea International School and will be living alone,” she says.
Get assistance from your graduate school
If you’re heading directly to graduate school, you’ll have enough on your mind, so don’t let housing arrangements become an issue. Just like new employers want to help you to get housing, the staff at your graduate school wants to help you succeed as well. They usually have tools or certain sites that will help you find somewhere to live.
“I used the University of Pittsburgh off-campus housing site,” says Kristyn Brier, a senior at Messiah College who will be attending graduate school in the fall. “People looking for roommates post listings, and I picked people with similar studies, cleaning habits and personal qualities.”
At the end of the day, remember that you’re not alone in your roommate search, post-collegiette! Soon enough, you’ll be enjoying your new lifestyle with a new roommate who could turn into a good friend.