Walking through campus, personal ads saying ‘subleaser needed’ or ‘roommate wanted’ are everywhere.

Moving off campus is something students usually look forward to as a sign of freedom when they come to college. However, finding an apartment or house, and finding people to live with, can be a challenge sometimes.

Some students know exactly which rental company they want to use and who they want to live with, but for others, it’s not that simple.

If you are moving off campus and don’t have a roommate or need an extra one to fill rooms in a house or apartment, there are plenty of options.

The employees at John Newlove Real Estate allow students to post information in their office as to what kind of roommates they are looking for. The company has been serving Bowling Green for 30 years.

According to Manager Ron Newlove, this system works out well for requests and matching up students.

“We only have three requests right now because most people have roommates already and just need one more,” he said.

Other rental companies post ads in the newspaper, such as Carty Rentals, located on East Merry Street. They advertise for available rooms and sometimes compromise on prices if they need subleasers immediately.

Another option for students is posting a personal ad on Blackboard under “My Community.” It is a forum set up where students can create a message with a description of what they are looking for.

It’s free, it’s simple and it’s effective.

Off-Campus Student Services advises students to be honest when describing themselves to a potential roommate. Some may be tempted to advertise qualities that seem desirable.

“However, the stress of having to keep up a false front for any extended period of time after you move in together can seriously compromise the relationship between you and your roommate,” according to the Web site.

Graduate student Nick Kolderman found his current apartment in Copper Beech Townhomes on Blackboard.

After looking through the housing offered by Carty Rentals, he decided to look on Blackboard for more options. He saw an ad for someone looking for a roommate in a four-bedroom townhome.

Kolderman was looking for cheap prices and something he could move into right away, he said. So, he took it.

“I would advise younger students who are looking for places to look early, even a year in advance,” he said.

He added that once you move in, especially if you don’t know the others well, it is important to lay everything out on the table and establish some ground rules in order to eliminate surprises.

Another way to avoid living problems is to make sure you are living with people with whom you are compatible. The Enclave, located on Napoleon Road, has a roommate- matching service for these occasions.

Leasing manager Amanda Mills said they ask each tenant general questions when they fill out an application for an apartment.

If someone needs another roommate or is trying to be placed in a room with others, Mills matches the students based on interest, according to the questions asked. Such questions include preferences about studying, partying and smoking.

In the event that a student wants to leave an apartment and go to another apartment in the Enclave, Mills pulls the files and matches them up with someone better suited for them.

She said she literally goes through each file and looks at every single one in order to match people appropriately.

“There are flaws in every system, but for the most part, this works pretty well for us,” Mills said.