As my senior year comes to an end, the season of starting over and nerves of a new place swiftly begin. In continuing my education at Loyola University-Chicago, I realized that no one I knew would be going to Loyola, leaving me to find a new crowd and even scarier, a roomate. Through my ongoing experience, I’ve learned a few helpful tips that will help guide your friend-finding/roommate-finding situation a lot smoother.

ZeeMee: 

ZeeMee is a free, downloadable app that students can use when searching for people admitted to the same schools as them. Once downloaded, students are able to create a profile and connect with certain schools they have been admitted to. Through the schools, students can engage in group chats of different categories: Admits:Class of 2027, Admits:Announcements, Find a Roommate, Ask a Counselor, Ask a Current Student, and a General chat. Through each chat, you can message all students who are admitted and use ZeeMee to get to know others and learn more about each other. For myself, ZeeMee was the first source I used to find other students going to Loyola but it was hard to get to know many people at a time. Many of the girls I would text separately in private chats often didn’t respond to messages for multiple days at a time, making it hard to easily connect. The app itself is a great tool to use before resources like Instagram accounts are made, but I don’t believe I would have connected with the people I have solely using ZeeMee. 

Instagram:

Just like the notorious Class of 2023 pages for seniors and their future endeavors, many (random) students will start accounts for incoming freshmen at colleges to post and connect with others. Off the bat, the Loyola class of 2027 page was such a big help in finding friends, given that many people often engage in their Instagram accounts, making it easier to talk and message back and forth. Though some accounts ask for a minimal price, many accounts simply require you to send in photos and a written-up caption explaining who you are and things you like to do. In my own submission, the Loyola page had a fee of $3 through venmo, but the outcome of one simple post was a lot more than I thought. In my post alone, I gained almost 40 new followers, many of whom went further and reached out to me in hopes to get to know each other more. Through their individual posts themselves, and their separate Instagram accounts you are able to see more about them through their posts and tagged posts.

Now, here are a few tips when talking and chatting with new people you meet. 

First and foremost, always start with the basics. Ask questions surrounding where they’re from, intended majors, hobbies and interests. Beginning to know a new person can be hard, especially when it’s over text. Try not to think too much into it, if you want to make friends you need to take the steps to make them. Secondly, never ask the roommate question too soon. With many people I’ve connected with, asking about potentially being roommates too soon left the conversation very one-sided. In post submissions to Instagram, many people will note that they are looking for roommates. With that, simply get to know them and their personality to determine whether they’re a good fit for you. Thirdly, don’t be discouraged when someone doesn’t respond or the conversation ends quickly. There are always many other people that you will have the opportunity to meet. Frankly, your bad experiences with making friends makes a good topic for discussion with other people you meet. Lastly, don’t be scared to keep asking questions. The conversation will most likely start to die out and things will get awkward. When that happens, think of additional things you’d want to know about your future roommate. After talking for some time, you will begin to understand their vibe and personality, and nine times out of ten there will be something similar about you two that can become the focal point of the conversation. 

All in all, moving somewhere new and finding a new crowd can be hard. With the help of ZeeMee and Instagram, and through your bad experiences, don’t be discouraged. Remember to stay true to yourself through it all.