Make your first college friend before you even arrive on campus by meeting your new roommate.

Getting to know your future college roommate in advance will not only be a comfort when you arrive on campus, but also allow you to plan your dorm room weeks before you move in for good.

Have a Friend When You Arrive

Getting to know your future college roommate is one of many important things to do before moving to college. US college dorms can be very social places, and by taking the time to get to know your future college roommate before you even leave for school, you are taking the first step in getting involved in student life on campus. You and your roommate will feel more comfortable if you’ve gotten to know one another a bit before coming to school. Befriending your roommate early also means you’ll have someone to explore campus with you, and to go out on the town with in those early weeks of school.

Plan Who Will Bring What

Contacting your college roommate before moving to college is also practical because it allows you to make plans for the dorm room you will be sharing. While most dorm rooms are furnished, they usually don’t include much beyond the bare minimum of a bed and dresser. Many students bring their own televisions or mini-fridges, for example. Talk to your roommate about what college supplies you will be packing, and what each of you can bring to the room. Discussing this kind of thing beforehand will ensure that you don’t end up with two mini-fridges and no chairs! Some roommates even discuss how they will decorate their dorm room or the color scheme, so they can buy coordinated sheets and bedding. How detailed you want to get is up to you and your college roommate.

Getting in Touch with Your Roommate

So how do you get in touch with your college roommate before you’ve even met him or her?

Many schools will provide you with your roommate’s email address after you’ve been assigned housing.

It’s also likely that you can find your college roommate on social networking sites. This is a great base, and you can go on to exchange email addresses and even telephone numbers so you get a chance to talk.

Already Hate Your Roommate?

If you’ve gotten in touch with your future college roommate and have already decided that you have nothing in common, try not to get ahead of yourself. Wait until you’ve gotten a chance to meet your roommate before you decide you hate him! Also, realize that not all students are best friends with their college roommate. It’s a question of whether you can share a living space with your college roommate — not whether you’ll be friends forever. If it really seems impossible that you and your roommate will be capable of living together, contact your school’s student housing organization as soon as possible to find out if it’s possible to switch college roommates.