Like many seniors going off to college next year, I’m on the lookout for some potential friends and roommates. I’m trying to get on top of things and meet people before I even get on campus. So, just like everyone else, I downloaded Facebook. As I created my account and joined my school’s “Class of 2024” group, I scrolled through profile after profile. However, they all looked and sounded the exact same. From “I love going out but also can go for a chill night in” to the excitement about rushing, it seemed like every person was the exact same. The further I searched and read through the profiles, the more convinced I was that finding a roommate is exactly like online dating.

When you make your profile, you want to seem like the nicest, most approachable person you can be. You pick out all the best pictures of yourself with a variety of different people you are friends with, that way you don’t look like you only hang out with three people. You stick to the script that everyone else follows. I can’t even disclude myself, as I had similar priorities and activities as the rest of them. But this begs the question: how do I find the right person to room with if everyone puts out the same exact profile?

Before I even uploaded a profile, I was approached by a long time friend to see if I’d be interested in rooming. She is incredibly kind and trustworthy, but I didn’t want to give a yes right away. While I know that she would be a good roommate and keep our room clean, part of me wants to put myself out there and room with someone outside of LT. I don’t think it’s bad to room with someone from high school, but I also think that it’s important to reach out and at least try to talk to some potential roommates.

On a Sunday afternoon, I uploaded my profile on Facebook. I said the basics, kept it as minimal as possible and attached seven or so pictures. When I started to see people liking my profile and following me on social media, I felt really good. People actually thought I looked nice and approachable.

From there, I started talking to a few girls that had liked my profile, and they seemed like they could potentially be good roommates. While all of the girls have been very nice and easy to talk to, I quickly began to notice which people I talked to effortlessly. I’ve been able to talk with some of these potential roommates the same way I talk to my friends here.

I’m still talking to quite a few different potential roomies and friends in general for next year. Surprisingly, I’m beginning to get more and more comfortable with people I’ve never even met before. While it’s scary at first to put yourself out there and chat with strangers, it’s actually been a good experience to have. So, thanks Facebook.

With college approaching, it’s really important to be able to put yourself out there confidently and make new friends. Even if it is hiding behind a screen and not physically talking, it’s still an important skill to be able to talk with people you’ve never met.

So, as I continue on this search for “the one,” I’m keeping in mind that there is more to the person than their profile. Just because they seem nice and trustworthy doesn’t mean that they won’t steal my food when I’m gone.