Finding a Roommate for Grad School
Sooner than expected, the excitement of getting into graduate school is coupled with the nervous realization that you are going AWAY to graduate school. For some of you, this means moving away from home and family for the very first time. And for most of you, this means living on your own dime. Whether you’re using a paycheck, a stipend, or a loan, your monthly income might not be enough to live comfortably on your own. Instead of picking up another job (and potentially sacrificing your graduate studies) or subsisting on instant ramen, you can cut living expenses by finding a roommate.
One of the easiest ways to find a roommate is to check with incoming and current graduate students in your new department. By getting in contact with your cohort, you’ll reach out to a group of people who need to move into the same place at the same time. And although incoming graduate students will be more likely to look for roommates, it might be handy to contact current graduate students as well. Current graduate students may have a room available, need a new roommate, or know someone who needs a roommate.
But how do you contact these people? You might have met some of them during interviews, but you might not have met everyone or have all of their contact information. So, contact your recruitment coordinator! The recruitment coordinator will know the contact information for all of the graduate students joining your department and all current graduate students. You can ask the coordinator for the students’ email addresses or ask if they can send an email on your behalf. Explicitly say you want to send a roommate inquiry email to current and incoming students in your department.
In your email, explain why you’re reaching out. Explain that you’re an incoming graduate student looking for a roommate. Ask if they have any rooms available or if they would be interested in finding a place with you. If you have any fixed preferences (e.g., you only want female roommates, you don’t want someone in your research lab), say them now. And don’t forget to add your contact information!
In time, you’ll hopefully have a few potential roommates to choose from. You need to have conversations with each person about living compatibility. These conversations will be difficult and awkward, but necessary. There are basic questions to ask, such as their expectations for bills and household chores, but you might not initially think of other vital questions. Below is a website that has come up with a list of questions you might want to ask. You can share this link with your potential roommates or bring these questions up casually in conversation.
http://www.mydomaine.com/questions-to-ask-a-potential-roommate
At the end of this process, you will hopefully find the right roommate for the upcoming school year! Finding a good roommate may sound draining, but your wallet and your sanity will thank you if you put in the time and effort.
Joanne Angosta received her BA in Psychology with a minor in Public Health from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 2016. She was a member of the Interactive Measurement Group from 2013-2017. Joanne now is a graduate student at the University of Houston, pursuing a PhD in Social Psychology. She is a member of the Social Influences and Health Behaviors lab.