For many students at the University of Texas at Austin, finding roommates is one of the most important factors in their housing search.
Especially during your first years at UT, the people that you live with can have a huge impact on your university experience.
@rambleratx Looking for roommates for next year? Here’s 4 tips to help you find the right ones! #utaustin #utexas #westcampus #ut #hookem ♬ Elevator Music – Bohoman
At Rambler, we understand the importance of feeling confident in the roommates you choose. That’s why we’ve made this article with tips and tricks we think are helpful for students looking for roommates at UT Austin.
Tips & Tricks for Finding Roommates at UT Austin
Step 1: Know Your Must-Haves
Before you can start the search for a roommate, you need to figure out what your own non-negotiables are when it comes to your housing situation. A few good questions you can begin to ask yourself are:
- What is my monthly budget?
- Do I want to live on or off campus?
- How many roommates am I comfortable having?
Once you have an idea of what your answers are to these basic questions, you can dive in a bit deeper.
If you already know you want to live on campus, do you have a certain dorm or general area you prefer? On the other hand, if you know you want to live off campus, is there a neighborhood or specific building you want to live in?
Read Next: Where to Live Near UT Austin if You Don’t Want to Live on Campus
Remember, these are just some general starting points. Make sure to consider what matters most to you when establishing your own must-haves!
Step 2: Ask Around!
If you need a roommate (or a few), don’t be afraid to make it known! Even if you think all of your friends already have roommates, they may still know people who are looking. Rooming with a friend of a friend is how I’ve met some of my best friends in college, and dozens of people I know would say the same!
Another alternative to asking friends is to ask around your organization.
If you’re in an organization on campus, you can oftentimes send out a message through their GroupMe or other messaging platforms to let people know you’re looking for a roommate. Especially if it’s an organization you really enjoy being in, there’s a good chance many other members are like-minded people who you could get along with.
While having a mutual friend or organization doesn’t necessarily guarantee that you’ll be a good fit with a potential roommate, asking around is never a bad way to start searching.
Step 3: Utilize Your Resources
No matter who you are or what kind of roommate you’re looking for, you can find a platform to search for roommates.
Facebook groups are an amazing place to search because it’s easy to get specific about the type of roommate you’re looking for. There are groups for incoming freshmen, transfer students, people in the same major, and more!
Instagram can also be a great resource, especially for incoming freshmen. There are specific pages where people submit a photo and short bio to introduce themselves to new classmates, like @texasclassof2028.
Some people also post Instagram photos announcing they’ll be attending UT, then students often DM each other who tag their photos with their class year (like #ut28) when they’re looking for friends or roommates. Particularly for students interested in Greek life, Instagram is a popular way to meet people.
There are also numerous student-specific roommate searching websites. These services are another great way to find people you would want to live with.
Step 4: Make Sure It’s a Good Fit
One of the most important parts of ensuring that you and a potential roommate will be a good fit is establishing that you have somewhat compatible lifestyles.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions to get to know the other person’s living habits. What time do you typically wake up and go to bed? How often do you clean your living space? What do you like to do for fun? How do you feel about visitors?
Creating clear expectations early on helps you set boundaries with a roommate. The easiest way to avoid conflict is knowing what someone expects from you and what you expect from them.
Check out our roommate questionnaire to help you assess your compatibility with potential roommates.
Something else to remember is that just because someone is a good friend doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be a good roommate. If your lifestyles and living habits are too different, you risk losing a friend over roommate disagreements. But if you’re confident that you can share a living space, being roommates with your close friends can be one of the best times of your life.
If All Else Fails…
Random roommate matching is always an option!
Many apartment complexes and off-campus dorms offer roommate matching services. Usually, when you fill out your application to live there, it will ask you a few questions about your living habits and preferences. Filling out this information can allow you to be paired with someone else in need of a roommate.
While everyone has heard both failure and success stories about random roommate matching, it is a completely valid option if you’re unsure of who you should live with.
We hope that this article helps you if you’re searching for roommates. Contact the Rambler team if you have any questions at all during your housing search!
