Possibly one of the biggest decisions to make as a college student is who you are going to live with.

Your roommate has the potential to be one of your closest friends. He or she can help you in the gym, be a study friend, someone to talk to when you’re stressed and basically a key to college survival.

When renewing housing, it’s easier to just room with your closest friend from high school or past semesters. However, there are several factors you should consider before making a final decision.

If you and your roommate have conflicting schedules, it can be hard to cohabitate a room. If you like to go to bed early and have 8 a.m. classes, it may be difficult to live with someone who prefers staying up late and sleeping in.

Some people can find ways of working around this through compromise, but if it potentially affects your college success and experience, you should aim to find a roommate with a similar class and sleep schedule.

The getting ready, morning routine can also play into this. If you like to throw on clothes and walk out the door to class, you may get irritated by noises your roommate makes while going through an extensive routine.

Having similar interests can also be beneficial for a healthy roommate relationship. If you and your roommate prefer to study or be in the room with music playing, but you have entirely different music tastes, it can be an issue. This is why, when applying for housing, you’re asked about music style preference.

Also consider the cleanliness of your potential roommate. If you thoroughly clean the room twice a week and despise clutter and mess, you could have conflicts with a roommate that is more relaxed about where they put things.

You can’t always have the perfect roommate, however you should be selective in the things that will help you succeed and have a good experience. If someone wants to room with you that you know could inhibit either of these factors, you should seek another option.

It’s always risky to choose a random roommate but it can also present great opportunities. You can expand your friend group and potentially get along better with a new person.

If you are still nervous about blindly receiving a roommate, there are apps and sites available to match you with someone with similar interests.

WKU is a part of the Schools App, which also functions as a site through Facebook. On this app you can find people living in the same dorm as you and learn about them through a small biography and picture.

If you find someone you are interested in, you can send a message or meet up in person. From here you can find the best option for you and your experience.

Reporter Rebekah Alvey can be reached at 270-745-6011 and [email protected].