New and returning students to Grand Valley State University have many choices to make before the upcoming year: What major should I choose? What classes should I take? Where should I live? Along with an important question asked early on: Who should I room with?

Students feel pressure to make the right decision when it comes to new roommates. Whether they decide to go in blind, meet someone online, or happen to know someone in person.

“I’m lucky because I know someone from high school that I can room with, so I don’t have to go through the whole process of finding someone,” incoming freshman Taylor Siitari said. “We are very similar, so hopefully we get along living together.” 

Unlike Siitari, many students have trouble finding a roommate. Many, like returning GVSU student Sam Shotroff, turn to their class Facebook page in search of someone compatible. 

On the Facebook page, hundreds of students may post pictures of themselves, along with a caption including their likes, dislikes, hobbies, major, hometown and grade and social media handle, Shotroff said.

“Every day I would check the GVSU Class of 2024 Facebook page looking for someone who had similar interests with me,” Shotroff said. “I found someone who seemed like we would work well together. I DM’d them and asked if they wanted to room together, they said yes and the rest is history.”

The class Facebook pages have become a helpful resource in finding a roommate for many GVSU students. Shotroff said that without a class Facebook page, the process would have been nerve-wracking. 

Another option for students is being assigned a roommate without knowing or meeting them beforehand. For incoming GVSU students, the roommate assignment process has been updated. 

My College Roomie (MCR), an online matching system, helps students network and engage with others. Interested students can fill out what they are looking for and the algorithm will pair them with a like-minded roommate, according to the GVSU housing and residence life website. 

While it’s important to room with someone you get along with, there are many other ways to meet people and make friends during your time at GVSU.

“I filled out the GVSU roommate form to find a roommate and was paired with someone who was really similar to me,” GVSU student Josie Hoffman said. “We ended up not meshing very well, but it helped me to get out of my room and meet new people.”

Despite the many avenues available to students searching for a roommate, the pressure is on to find the right fit. Regardless of the outcome, tools like social media and MCR are there to support Lakers through the process.