Through a new interactive Facebook app launching for the fall, students can to pick their roommates and select their room assignments from available rooms.
RoomSync is available for residents, and students can make this important decision up to May 31.
Hotel and restaurant management freshman Ryan Foley said he believes RoomSync will be a helpful tool for students to try.
“I think RoomSync will be very helpful for students looking to find a compatible roommate especially for students of the LGBT community who will no longer feel bullied or be forced to live with someone who isn’t accepting (of) them,” Foley said.
RoomSync is available to new students who have applied for a residence hall space for the 2013-14 academic year. After a student has applied for housing using the Student Housing Passport online system, an email will be sent to his email account with a link to join the RoomSync group for the University of Houston on Facebook.
Once logged into Facebook, a student can go to the app and begin the application process by entering their lifestyle preferences, ideal roommate information and start searching for their roommate by clicking on the find a roommate option.
Don Yackley, Student Housing and Residential Life Executive director, says this new app is the result of feedback given by students living in the dorms and new students who are interested in living on campus.
“Students have told us that they would like more say in the roommate selection process, and RoomSync allows us to do just that,” Yackley said.
“Not only does it facilitate roommate selection, but it also allows new students to the University of Houston opportunities to meet, get to know each other and build community even before stepping foot on campus.”
Some students are happy that they have the option of selecting their roommates, and others wish the app had become available for them sooner. Communications freshman Jeremy Arcarola knows a few students that do.
“I have a friend who complained that they were not comfortable with the roommate that was chosen for them, had RoomSync been available sooner, my friend would not be complaining to me about it,” Arcarola said.
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