BY BECKI DEGEEST
Email
Finding a roommate that you get along with and share similar interests and patterns with can be a hard task, but thanks to the new trending app called RoomSync, it’s making it a little easier for students to do just that.
When trying to think of ways to help accommodate student needs and lessen the chance of roommate conflicts, MSUM’s housing and residential life staff, felt as though RoomSync was the answer to problems many students face.
RoomSync is a leading Facebook app for college roommate selection. The app has “reinvented the roommate-finding process,” according to its makers. The app essentially lets students select their roommate match by allowing them to search on a mixture of lifestyle preferences and Facebook profile information and more. Students using RoomSync can also view mutual friends, giving them the ability to gain further insight into potential roommates.
Kirsti Fleming, the assistant director of business services along with other members of the Housing Department, believed this was the next step for housing, after attending an annual Association of College and University Housing Officers – International (ACUHO-I) conference.
At the conference, Fleming tested several apps and initially liked each of them, but after finding out that Mankato had been successfully using RoomSync, she thought this would work well for MSUM students. The app was implemented in December 2013, with several students using the app per week.
“I get emails everyday about people who want to be roommates after using RoomSync,” Fleming said. “I would say there is around 10 new users every week.”
When signing up for RoomSync, there are several steps the app goes through in order to find the “right matches” for the user. First the user/student must fill out a general information form along with stating the university and hall that is preferable to live in. Next the user will need to put in a passcode for admittance. For MSUM underclassman (incoming freshman and sophomores) the code is 12345, for upperclassman the passcode is 16789. After entering the code the app goes through your likes and preferences for issues that often occur including what time the user goes to bed or wakes up, if the user is messy or if the user is social or less social.
“I think when you put the control in the hands of students, or anyone for that matter, it works out better,” Fleming said.
In order to sign up for a room and a roommate from RoomSync, students are still required to fill out a contract online or in the housing office by May 20.
“Everyday we get new users, so it’s pretty exciting,” Fleming said. “Even if you don’t find a match today, new users are popping up everyday.”
Fleming suggests before students use the app that they review their Facebook likes, groups, pictures, etc. to make sure they are still relevant to students interests.