College Roommate Tips

The Second Class of RevTech Labs Announced

Original Release:  http://revtechlabs.com/the-second-class-of-revtech-labs-announced/

Roomsurf in TeenVogue!

Living in a space the size of a closet is stressful to begin with, especially when you take into consideration that you'll be sharing your dorm room with a total stranger. We've long trusted colleges to make roommate matches, but now students are taking control of the process by seeking out roommates on the Internet, agreeing to live together, and making requests to schools. While self-selecting your roommate can have definite advantages, there are important things to keep in mind so that it doesn't hinder your college experience. We asked the experts about what to keep in mind if you do decide to find a roommate online, and why it's not always the best option.

Talk to your potential roommate offline.
"Meeting online can be constructive if you take real steps to get to know somebody," says Rachel Simmons, author of Odd Girl Out. "If you're only going off of a Facebook profile, that's not a real acquaintance with someone. It's like online dating: Imagine picking someone to live with based on an online dating profile—you're only seeing a much nicer version of someone. It's very important to talk to someone on the phone or meet up in person."

Ask the right questions.
"It's important to go beyond a profile picture and the surface level to see if you can actually get along with someone," says Justin Gaither, co-founder of RoomSurf.com, a social networking site that helps students find roommates. "In your conversations, get a sense of how much a person is going to school to study. How serious are they about academics? How much will they be partying? What's their sleep schedule like? Don't just type back and forth about what TV shows and music you like; communicate with the purpose of finding someone who you may or may not be compatible with."

Look for a compatible roommate, not a new best friend.
"In some ways, the old days of not having control over this process were much better because you just had to make do with who you were assigned to once you got to college," says Simmons. "There's too much power now. When you know too much, you can also set yourself up for big disappointment. Just because someone's nice, it doesn't mean that you should live together."

Don't try to find a clone of yourself.
"It's always been Penn's stated belief that it is a good thing for people of different backgrounds to live together and expand their horizons," says Sue Smith, the Associate Director of Communications at the University of Pennsylvania's Office of College Houses & Academic Services. "Rooming with someone different from you may even result in tremendous personal growth."

Use the Internet to introduce yourself to a wide range of students, not necessarily a roommate.
"Chances are that the first person you chat with—or maybe even the second or third—might not be the person you want to live with," says Gaither. "Talk to as many people as you can, and don't be afraid to say no to living with someone."

Trust the system.
"While choosing one's roommate definitely has its benefits, it has its downsides, too," says Kelci Lynn, an education writer for About.com and US News & World Report. "Schools have been matching roommates for a very long time, and some are very good at it. While getting a bad roommate match is a major worry for a lot of students, the chances of having it happen are actually pretty slim. Additionally, choosing one's own roommate can prevent students from being exposed to new people and experiences that may help them learn and thrive."

Read More http://www.teenvogue.com/connect/hot-topic/2012/05/finding-a-college-roommate-online#ixzz1v8S8qG3W

Roomsurf in USA Today

Original article written by Megan Landau from Dormify in USA TODAY COLLEGE

Link:  http://www.usatodayeducate.com/staging/index.php/campuslife/choosing-your-first-college-roommate

The spring of senior year of high school could very well be one of the most exciting seasons in our whole lives. Committing to a college, going to prom, graduating and, for many of us, choosing the roommate that we will be living with for next whole year. Finding a roommate is a little bit scary and very, very exciting. For some people, finding the perfect roommate even helps to make the final choice on what college to choose.

I’m currently in the process of finding a roommate, so if you’re afraid of the “random” roommate like I am, you might find some of these tips helpful!

Some people find comfort in choosing a roommate that they already have some sort of connection to. Maybe you know the person from your high school, or maybe you have a few mutual friends. This seems like a very comforting option, but remember that if living with this person doesn’t work out, you could potentially ruin a friendship! Sometimes, knowing that you have a friend on campus with you is enough — you don’t necessarily need to be living with that person.

Roomsurf is a great option for finding roommates. When you join the site, you are prompted to take a short survey about your living habits and then fill out boxes such as “About Me,” “Interested In,” and “Message Me If.” Roomsurf then compiles your top matches based on the survey.

After looking through the profiles of your matches, you can seamlessly click the “Find Me on Facebook” button, which brings you straight to the persons Facebook profile. Roomsurf makes it easy to meet the people who you will most likely be successful rooming with—plus, interesting info in your matches’ “About Me” profiles is always helpful for breaking the ice in those awkward first few conversations!

Facebook makes it easy to find roommates, as well. Almost every college creates an official “Class of ____” page, where all incoming Freshman are invited to join. People talk about all sorts of things on these groups, from their own roommate preferences to their favorite movies and foods. Facebook groups also make it easy to find people who will be participating in the same clubs and activities as you.

Okay, so you’ve found someone who looks like they could be a potential roommate. Of course you’ll do some Facebook stalking, but what comes next? Talking to someone for the first time is undoubtedly awkward and can even feel a bit like speed dating sometimes.

Obviously each conversation and person is different, but here are five important subjects to mention when speaking to your roommate for the first time.

1. Study habits. Does your potential roommate like to study in his or her room? If so, does it need to be silent? This may pose a problem if you plan on blasting music in the room at all times.

2.Visitors. If your friends from high school want to visit and stay in your dorm, will your roommate be upset? It would definitely be a better idea to answer this question now, rather than later.

3. Sorority recruitment. Are you planning on going through recruitment? You may be very busy for a few weeks during recruitment and it could be nice to be living with someone who is going through the same thing.

4.Sleeping habits. You definitely don’t want to be up and about in the room at 3 in the morning if your roommate goes to bed at 11 or 12 each night.

5.Common interests. You’re going to be living with this person for at least a year, so you want to make sure that you share some interests! This could be anything from going to the gym together or watching a TV show together every week.

Good luck finding your perfect roomie!

Have no fear, Roomsurf is here!

When a high school senior gets accepted in to college, he or she typically goes through a series of phases. The initial reaction is shock, then celebration with family and friends, and then something dawns on the college student-to-be.

I’m going to have to find a roommate…

Roomsurf, the social networking-based roommate matching service for college-bound high school seniors re-launched on January 20. This website has proven to be very popular among students, offering timid future college freshman a portal to make friends, connections, and potential roommates going to the college of their choice.

Read full article here:  http://nicolettepost.com/2012/03/23/roomsurf-the-best-way-to-find-a-roommate/

Roomsurf on TV!

If you live in the Chicago area, watch out for our 30-second Roomsurf commercial on cable television!  The spots will air on MTV and ABC Family in late March and early April.

You can watch the 30-second spot on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSoDo9fpYk0

Roomsurf Articles

Find more articles on Roomsurf below:

Orlando Sentinel:  http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2011-08-21/news/os-college-roommate-matchmakers-20110820_1_roommate-matching-services-college-students-florida-college-campuses

Wall Street Journal: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704017904575409203223872556.html

Inc Magazine: http://www.inc.com/magazine/20100701/entrepreneurship-education-beyond-business-schools.html

Gossiprenuer:  http://www.gossipreneur.com/?tag=roomsurf-com

Crunchbase: http://www.crunchbase.com/company/uroomsurf

Roomsurf Demonstration:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lw90cazwjtg

Description: http://roomsurf.org/

Roomsurf Commercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSoDo9fpYk0

Roomsurf Re-Launches, Adds Schools

Roomsurf, the Facebook-based roommate matching website for college-bound high school seniors and college students re-launched on January 20th. The website has gained over 20,000 subscribers since its re-launch this year. Roomsurf has helped 175,000 students find compatible roommates from over 1,000 colleges and universities since inception. The service matches students through a proprietary algorithm that makes it easy for students to identify and connect with potential roommates. The website recently added the University of Arizona and University of Central Florida as integration partners to its platform.

Roommate compatibility is a factor that can greatly enhance the college experience. "Roomsurf gives students a platform to self select their future college roommates rather than leaving this important decision to chance" said Dan Thibodeau, Co-Founder of Roomsurf. "By providing a social matching experience, Roomsurf helps users narrow their roommate search by allowing them to communicate with calculated matches to find the perfect fit." A recent Michigan State University study suggests that college roommate conflicts may result in a higher rate of drop-outs or transfers to another institution. Similar research suggests that allowing students to select their own roommates may result in reduced roommate conflicts, increased academic performance and higher retention of students.

Aritlce Link:  http://news.yahoo.com/roomsurf-roommate-matching-college-students-launches-2012-150303180.html

Fresh New Design!

During the summer we've revamped the site and added a fresh new design, while making signing up and signing in easier. Simply click "Login with Facebook" to sign up for a new account, or to sign in to your existing account.

As the year progresses, we will be adding new features and new ways to find and connect with your matches. We hope you enjoy the new template, happy roomsurfing!

In the news!

We've been featured in national publications, magazines, blog posts, startup websites, and school newspapers! 

• The Wall Street Journal - Interviewed Roommates Erica and Katelyn who met on the site last year
• The New York Times - Article about the trend of roommates finding each other online
• INC Magazine - Great article about the trend of student entrepreneurs        
• Cosmopolitan Magazine - Screenshot of the "Hot Trends" blurb, November 2010 issue

• University of Florida student newspaper - Stephanie Ramirez interviewed Dan for the Independent Florida Alligator Newspaper in March.
• KillerStartups - KillerStartups reviews internet startups, and has a wide readership of entrepreneurs, investors, and bloggers that keep up to date with new and upcoming web startups.
• MakeUseOf - MakeUseOf features cool new websites and computer tips and tricks, currently with over 200,000 subscribers.

We have also been interviewed by several high school newspapers across the country, and will post those articles when they become available to us.

You can help by linking to the above in Facebook and Twitter to spread the word about the site, which in turn brings in more students and more potential matches!

How To Get Along With Your College Roommate

Many students will end up living with someone who is the opposite of them in many ways.  It is important to be ready and willing to accept your differences and find ways to coexist.  Your ability to do this can really improve your chances of having a positive roommate relationship. 

Its pretty funny how even the smallest things can drive us crazy after awhile!  Everyone has to understand that you can’t transform your roommate into your new best friend, but there are things you can do to make living together a lot more bearable. 

Here are some ideas:

1. Communicate.  Your roommate cannot read your mind, so if something is bothering you, bring it up in a non-defensive way.  Chances are, your roommate isn’t even aware of the problem.

1. Focus on behavior, not personality.  You can’t expect to get people to change who they are, but you can ask them to consider how they express themselves, especially if it is offensive.

1. Be flexible.  No one is perfect, and it isn’t your job to fix anyone else.  Be willing to look at your own behavior as well.  Consider what you could do differently to help the situation instead of only blaming your roommate.

1. Approach one problem at a time.  There could be a number of things that you don’t like about your roommate, or their behavior.  Instead of complaining about everything that they do wrong, and why you don’t like them, try focusing on one problem first and working towards a solution.

Adaptability and flexibility are key here.  Living with one or several new people can be a challenge, but can also be a great learning experience if you allow it to be!