By Kaitlin Hurtado
If you have the opportunity to move out, one of the harder decisions may be finding who to live with. Deciding to live with someone may not be the first thing on your mind when you think of your upcoming independence, but deciding to live with someone will come up when you realize you may not be able to handle the burden of rent alone and need to find other people to share your room or apartment with.
It's hard enough to find someone to live with, but finding your ideal roommate is even harder when they are so many factors that will lead to your final decision. You may think you are the best roommate ever, but finding someone to match your idea of a matching "best roommate" can be tricky depending on your standards.
There are plenty of factors that go into deciding who to live with, such as which of your friends are available, how well you get along with someone, and how clean you are. If you find yourself struggling in deciding who to live with or if the person you are considering to live with is the right choice, here are some starting questions to ask when you are deciding to live with someone.
What is your daily routine like?
This question may seem personal, but it's a good starting point in getting to know the type of person you are going to live with. Deciding to live with someone is a personal choice as you are going to be sharing your personal, living space with them. Asking for your potential roommate's daily routine gives you a first taste as to what kind of person you are considering as a roommate. Many things can be learned from knowing someone's daily routine. You get to know how much time they spend out and about or at home, what kind of things they like to involve themselves with, and much more.
Ask them to describe their typical day. What time do they usually wake up to start their day? Do they take a lot of naps? Do they stay up all night, only to sleep well into the next day? Sleeping schedules are often revealed when a daily routine is described as you can get a general read on their sleeping habits, which may be very important if you are planning on sharing a bedroom with the person. You don't want to have them up all night trying to be productive (and very noisy) as you try to sleep, or be an early riser when you love to sleep in. Finding someone with a similar sleeping schedule will help you avoid later conflict that can come up when you realize you and your roommate run on completely different schedules when it comes to sleep.
Finding out when common routine factors, like showering, can also be helpful when it comes to deciding to live with someone, no matter how trivial it may sound at first. If you both have a similar schedule, down to the same shower times, living together may be less than ideal when your daily fights spark from something as simple as who gets to shower first.
Likewise, the activities they list out when describing their daily routine will also reveal how much time they spend in and out of the house. If they say that they only really go out when needed, like for class, you may want to consider how that would affect you if you decided to live with them. If you like to stay home and have your own personal time, but they are always home, living with them may not be your best bet if you are going to be sharing a room with a lack of personal space.
Getting to know an individual's daily routine prior to deciding to live with someone may save you the trouble of realizing that you and your roommate run on clashing schedules, which can lead to future roommate conflicts.
How do you feel about having guests over?
A common cause of conflict between roommates is on contrasting opinions on having guests over. Before deciding to live with someone, it's important to ask them about how they feel about having guests over - especially if you know that you feel strongly about having guests over.
You can think it's perfectly okay to have guests over, even if it's having a friend inside while you grab something to change into. However, someone else may want to keep their living space extremely quiet and not want any guests over. It's important to find a common ground regarding guests - both daytime and nighttime - prior to deciding to live with someone as you want both yourself and your roommate(s) comfortable in their own living space, regardless of the time.
Make sure you also draw a distinction between overnight guests and daytime guests. Someone may be okay with the occasional guest over at daytime with a heads-up text, but be strictly against having any overnight guests. It may not seem like that much of a big deal, but for those with significant others that want to spend the occasional night or two, not being able to spend time together just may be a deal breaker when it comes to deciding to live with someone.
If you know you hate your roommates having overnight guests over or when people come over without any warning, make sure you make that clear to the person you are deciding to live with. Alternatively, if you know you love to have friends over at your apartment all the time, make that apparent when deciding to live with someone. It's unfair to you if you can't have any guests over at all if your roommate doesn't want anyone over, but it's also unfair to your roommate if you are always bringing someone over without permission, leaving them feeling uncomfortable in their own living space.
When discussing your respective thoughts on having guests over, you may also want to discuss what you think of having parties or larger gatherings at your apartment. You definitely don't want to live with a party animal and only find out when you realize that your roommate has been throwing parties several weekends in a row.
What is your definition of clean?
An even more common cause of conflict between roommates is getting into fights over the cleanliness of your living space. To avoid such conflicts, it's important to ask about someone's idea of clean before deciding to live with someone.
If asking someone if they are clean or not, they can say that they are a clean person and think they are being completely honest. However, once you live with them you may realize that the "clean" they were talking about isn't even close to what you think "clean" should be. Instead, make sure to ask what they consider as clean. Asking this instead will allow you to gauge just how clean, or dirty, you can expect them to be as a roommate.
Having the same definition of clean will make living with each other easier as you both will have the same standard of cleanliness to uphold. You won't have to worry about telling them to clean the countertop, only for them to clear it off without actually wiping it down with anything. It's important for both parties to be honest in this case, if you know you are the type to clean once a week, whenever you find time to clean - make sure your future roommate knows that so that they don't expect you to be cleaning up after yourself as soon as you make a mess.
At the same time, while you may say you are pretty relaxed when it comes to cleaning your own personal living spaces, you may have a different standard when it comes to common living spaces, like your living room, kitchen, and/or bathroom. If you want dishes cleaned as soon as they are used, or for everything in the living room to be neat and tidy at all times, be sure you make those desires known to the person you are deciding to live with. This will decrease the chances of you constantly having to remind them to pick up after themselves or worse, having to pick up after them.
If you discuss cleanliness standards and possible cleaning schedules before deciding to live someone, you will help eliminate the future headache that comes with nagging between roommates regarding cleanliness.
What do you expect out of a roommate?
Just like how everyone has a different standard of cleanliness, everyone has a different idea of what a roommate should be and all have their deal breakers when it comes to deciding to live with someone. Asking your potential roommate what they expect out of a roommate is a great way to figure out the expectations that your roommate holds and can also potentially reveal what you can expect of them as a roommate in turn.
Some people think of getting a new roommate as a great opportunity for making a new friend. They may want to become very close to you, meaning, they'll ask to spend more time with you, whether it's time spent having movie nights in your living room or tagging along with your friend group for dinner. This may sound like an ideal scenario as you'll be on friendly terms with your roommate, but you might want to think about what you want out of having a roommate. If you just want someone to live with and get along with casually, you may find their attempts to incorporate themselves into your life aggravating or troublesome, especially if you want time at home to be your own personal time and they attempt to spend any and all time at home with you.
On the other hand, if you are the type of person that wants to become best friends with the person they are living with, you may want to ask what your potential roommate's idea of a roommate is as they may just want someone to share a living space with, and nothing more. This may mean that you have to prepare yourself to give your roommate a lot more room than you would regularly give your roommate or potentially finding another roommate if you want to be close with the person you live with in order to be comfortable in your living space.
This question will also entail figuring out with your potential roommate's lifestyle choices when they explain what they expect out of a roommate. If they say they don't want to have to keep constant watch of their roommate, it probably means that they want a clean and orderly space, and don't want to have to constantly nag at you to do your share of the cleaning.
If they have a smoking habit, they might expect you to be okay with that, or any other normally undesirable habits (constant overnight guests, partying, etc.). They might reveal this as "I want someone that is okay with all my lifestyle choices" and if they are being vague, you might want to consider asking them for more details or explaining what you are okay with (the occasional overnight guest) and what you definitely are not okay with to avoid later conflicts.
Remember that both of your wants and needs are important, and if both of you have completely different expectations of roommates, it's okay to keep looking for a roommate elsewhere.
These questions are discussion starters to help you in deciding to live with someone. It's important to be honest in discussing the answers to such questions as you definitely don't want to be called out on lying about a clean person when you are clearly not, or for your roommate to reveal a pet that you had no prior knowledge of when you move in together.
While someone may not give you the ideal answer you are looking for, don't completely rule them out of your housing decision. Remember that compromise is always an option and that both of you can work toward reaching a starting line that works for both of you as potential roommates. These questions and their following answers may help you decide on finding your best possible roommate.
Roomsurf has reached 1 million sign ups! Since 2010, Roomsurf has helped over one million students find compatible roommates across the United States. Click "Get Started" to join them and find great roommates at your school.
Coming summer 2017, Roomsurf will get a massive visual and functional make over. Stay tuned, exciting things are ahead.
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The transition into college is one of the most exciting – and frightening – times in your life. For the very first time, you are completely on your own. But more freedom also means more responsibility. Not only will you have to be accountable for your studies, but it’s also your duty to look out for your own safety.
With that in mind, take a minute to look over the following safety tips for incoming freshman:
Get to know the campus
It’s a good idea to get to know your way around campus before school officially starts. Find out where emergency contact phones are located and map out the safest routes to all of your classes. You’ll want to use well-lit walkways at nighttime and avoid walking through areas where shrubs, trees or buildings could potentially hide a thief or an assailant.
Make sure people know where you are
Make sure that your family and close friends are aware of your daily routine. Provide your parents with a copy of your class schedule, and, before you go out, always let someone know where you’re going, who you’re going with and when you expect to be back.
Take advantage of campus resources
Every university is concerned with promoting a safe campus environment. In fact, you’ll find that most of them have fantastic safety resources and programs for their students. These may include 24-hour escort services, counseling centers, self-defenses classes and more. Don’t hesitate to utilize these resources if you feel compelled to.
Get in the habit of locking your doors
While it seems obvious, locking your doors is essential to ensuring your safety. However, you would be surprised at how many students simply neglect to do so. By locking your doors, you will not only help keep intruders out, but also help protect your valuables. Remember to also lock your car if you have one on campus. If you live in an apartment or other off-campus student housing, it’s also a good idea to invest in a home alarm system. Check out SecurityChoice if you’re looking for a high-quality system that’s affordable on a college budget.
Be smart about social media
In this social media culture we live in, many young people feel to publish tweets and status updates about their daily experiences. Unfortunately, criminals are beginning to exploit Facebook, Twitter and other social media services to target homes for burglary and commit other illegal acts. Therefore, you should avoid posting live updates about any vacations or trips you’re taking. You should also be suspect of people you correspond with over the Internet. Furthermore, make sure to adjust your privacy settings to limit the amount of personal information you share with others.
Original Release: http://revtechlabs.com/the-second-class-of-revtech-labs-announced/
Packard Place announces the 2nd class of RevTech Labs in Uptown Charlotte. RevTech Labs is geared toward Charlotte’s burgeoning developer community and provides a place for tech startups to launch. The 3 month program focuses on early stage mobile, software and web companies. RevTech Labs provides free work space, mentorship, and programming all geared toward revolutionary technology startups. The program is now launching its second class this week and working through the end of April. The program will end with a Demo Day where the companies will have an opportunity to pitch to investors and the business community.
RevTech Labs has selected 10 companies for the second round of the program (listed below).
RevTech Labs is all about community, mentorship, and connections. All companies will be required to locate within the same community space. The 4,000 sq ft space, located within Packard Place, provides shared desks, break space, and casual meeting space. Mentorship from local, regional, and national tech talent will help to guide startups as they focus on building their products and defining their business models.
Packard Place is the foundation of like-minded entrepreneurs sharing skills and business opportunities in Charlotte. It serves as a community center for entrepreneurial activity in the heart of the Queen City, allowing access to technology, education and hands-on assistance to help business partners and start-ups design, build, market and deliver innovation and solutions. This is accomplished by the collaboration of key organizations in the region including entrepreneurial, industry, civic, economic and university groups that together are changing the landscape of Charlotte business.
Current partners in RevTech Labs include Charlotte area Interact Authentic Communication, CLT Blog, and Twilio.
Interact Authentic Comminication:
Interact Authentic Communication is our partner for the purpose of helping participants breakdown, practice and polish their pitch. RevTech Bootcamp will be held at Interact Studio in the Grinnell Building off West Morehead Street in early April. Bootcamp leader Lou Solomon is the founder of the Interact, which focuses on authenticity as the driving force of communication.
CLT Blog:
CLT Blog is Charlotte’s blog of record. Our mix of citizen and professional contributors have earned CLT Blog the reputation of “Best Local Blog” by way of Creative Loafing and Charlotte magazine’s regular contests. As a locally born and bread collective, CLT Blog focuses on Charlotte’s most pressing issues and inspiring stories, and through the use of rich media like live streaming video, engage the next generation of Charlotteans.
Twilio:
Twilio, the cloud communications company, is reinventing telecom by merging the worlds of cloud computing, web services and telecommunications. Twilio provides a telephony infrastructure web service in the cloud, allowing web developers to integrate phone calls, text messages and IP voice communications into their web, mobile and traditional phone applications. The company is privately held and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.
RevTech Labs Second Class of Companies
eCampus
The company goal is to deliver the products, services and experiences that students look for throughout their college career. eCampus currently operates Roomsurf. Roomsurf is a social network that helps students find compatible roommates.
Principals: Justin Gaither, Dan Thibodeau
Alcohoot
Alcohoot is the world’s first smartphone breathalyzer. The small device connects to your smartphone and together with the Alcohoot mobile app enables you to test your blood alcohol level quickly, accurately, and easily.
Principals: Ben Biron, Jonathan Ofir, Max Koeppel
Womadz
Womadz affords its creative members the opportunity to showcase their talent in circles that matter, earn recognition with brand executives and accrue serious cash. Womadz provides its online community with an environment populated with entertaining videos, enabling users to earn money by selecting and sharing the very best of these videos.
Principals: Diek Minkhorst, Sam Wright
MyLearningID
MyLearningID was formed by two business partners that share a passion for education and security. Through facial, voice recognition and additional digital signatures, an individual can maintain the integrity of their identity online while schools to maintain the academic integrity of their distance education programs.
Principals: Velvet Nelson, Mike Murphy
Podanize
Podanize is an innovative website and mobile app that provides moms with an efficient and fun way to stay organized with their kids’ ongoing group activities. The activity leader brings the group online by forming a “Pod” where the parents have free-flowing discussions, schedule recurring events, set up task lists, and easily reference the group’s information in one central location.
Principals: Nikki Sacks, Steven Sacks
Reward Summit
Reward programs are confusing and the costs to consumers on average are between $400 and $700 per year in lost rewards. Reward Summit is a mobile and web-based platform that makes it super easy for customers to always pick the right card, and also to find the best new cards to use to further add benefits.
Principals: John Espey, Chris Hart
InspireInYou
Is the Pandora Internet Radio for messages centered on self-help and religious and non-religious inspiration. Users are gauged on various preferences and then matched with audio messages arranged into customized channels for each user. Contributors of the content include churches, certified counselors, motivational speakers, and certified life coaches.
Principals: Shaun Andrews
Shomo Live
Web based start-up ShomoLive, Inc. is currently developing a social media platform that provides valuable tools for anyone interested in playing, booking, or listening to live music. The main focus of the company’s website (www.shomolive.com) is to help local musicians and venues streamline and automate the process of booking and promoting gigs, as well as other types of events.
Principals: Scott Jermyn, Tony Verrioli, Tim Beidear
Campus Carriers
Campus Carriers is a full-service solution for university students that makes the campus moving process easy and economical. By using technology to fine-tune customer management and logistics as well as providing a streamlined e-commerce website, Campus Carriers is determined to deliver the highest quality of services and amenities to university communities throughout the country.
Principals: Daniel Burdi, Justin Burdi
Plate Share
Plate Share is a smartphone application that allows diners to round their restaurant bills up to the nearest dollar and donate the change to feed the hungry. The non-profit organization runs on a micro-giving transaction platform to tap into the power of the social web to make social change by making charitable giving easy, accessible, affordable, and attractive.
Principles: Katie Levans
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
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!
ABOUT THIS SERIES:
Dorm, Sweet, Dorm.
At Dormify, we believe that dorm rooms should be just as fun, hip and fashionable as the college students who live in them. We get it. You want to walk into the white-walled, four-by-four, tiled dorm room that tons of people have lived in before and feel like this space is all you. That’s why our Dormify Style Advisors share so many creative and stylish design tips and tricks, do-it-yourself projects and design solutions with students across the country.
But our spirit for style doesn’t end there. We also design fashionable bedding, wall art and other home accessories—created specifically for beautifying dorm rooms. Our imaginative products bring style, comfort and personality to college students everywhere through bold colors, patterns and overall design innovation. Above all else, we want students to feel at home in their new homes—by feeling inspired to style their space. So read our blogs, listen to our Style Advisors, and be sure to look out for our full e-commerce site launch with a full product line this April.
If you like us in real life, you should definitely like us on Facebook and you should also follow us on Twitter. So read our blogs, listen to our Style Advisors, and be sure to shop dormify.com for inspiring dorm décor products.
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/
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
