First time living with someone you’re not related to, your first roommate!
Living in a dorm during my freshman year was probably one of the best decisions I made while attending UCF. Like most freshmen, I didn’t have a car so being off campus would have made it ten times harder to get to campus. I was able to roll out of bed and walk to class, without having to worry about parking AND I was also able to get some exercise in! Finding the right roommate was the next step.
I was lucky enough to live in the Nike apartment dorm during my Summer B term and in Neptune during my Fall/Spring term. In Nike, I had my own room, kitchen, and living room so I felt like I had plenty of space for my things and it was an easy transition from home. In Neptune, I didn’t have my own kitchen and living room, but there was a community area on my floor with both. I was also able to meet so many people in the common area through this perk. Apartments don’t have these perks so I think being in the dorm made me so much more social and I’m still friends with many of my hallmates two years later.
How to find one?
I chose a roommate through the UCF Facebook Class of 2019 page. She also wanted to live on campus and we were lucky enough to get along really well. I also got lucky with my random choices for a roommate. There are always two roommates who are random which is a great way to meet new people. One of my random roommates and I are now best friends and, If I didn’t live in a dorm during my freshman year, I wouldn’t have met her.
Another way for students living in dorms to find compatible floormates is to apply for UCF’s Living Learning Community (LLC). An LLC is a group of students placed together on a floor or within a building based on a common major, common interest, or common program affiliation. Being a part of a Living Learning Community has a number of different perks.
- Common interests – you already have something in common with the other residents of your LLC, whether it’s your major or interests.
- Academic success – studies have shown that members of an LLC have a higher GPA than other on-campus residents. Study smarter- not harder.
- Access to resources – you will have more face-to-face interactions with faculty and advisors, which can really help when you’re in need of a letter of recommendation or assistance with a complicated concept in a particular course.
To learn more and apply for an LLC.
UCF Housing also has a roommate matching engine available on the housing portal on my.ucf. You’ll give information about yourself, and UCF will try and match you up with people who have similar interests and preferences
Some of my friends also use Roomsurf.com to find a roommate. If your student is planning on living off-campus and looking for a roommate, they can also read UCF’s article on finding a roommate.
Aside from Facebook as one of the social platforms students use to find roommates, they also use Instagram. Each year the page changes to fit the year of freshmen students. I.E. @ucf.2023 or @ucf2024_. If you search UCF and then the year you plan to graduate, there should be a popular page that shows up! Here each student can submit a photo they want to be posted and include a bio about themselves. This way students can comment on the photo to discuss common interests and share their personal profiles to talk via DM as well.
Nike, Neptune, Hercules, Libra, and Apollo are all on the south side of campus within five minutes from the Recreation and Wellness Center, All Knights Study, the UCF Health Center, and 63 South, so if you have a meal plan, it is very convenient. I loved being so close to these three prime locations on campus. Lake Claire and Towers are on the north side and are closer to classroom buildings, the Addition Financial Arena, and the small gym, so if you want to choose a dorm in terms of location, let this be your guide.
Should any difficulties arise once you are living together; there are RA’s in all of the dorms on campus that are available for you to go to just in case there are any issues that you and your roommate may have. They also give you roommate agreement forms for you and your roommate to fill out within the first week that you move in. All in all, I think living in the dorms has made me feel closer and more a part of the university. If anyone ever asks me, I always recommend living in the dorms. Happy roommate hunting!
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Erica Strum, Intern for HaveUHeard
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