DON'T JUDGE A [FACE] BOOK BY ITS COVER!

Facebook is a way to meet and stay in contact with your current friends as well as the friends you will meet. You can add friends, share photos, join groups, and send messages to stay up-to-date and in contact with your friends.

Now that you have received your room assignment and roommate information, you want to know more about them. You're likely to look up your future roommate(s) on Facebook or MySpace. Be careful! Some people tend to put items and comments on Facebook that aren't entirely representative of who they are as a person. This can sometimes lead to assumptions and judgments. Before you judge a book by its cover, step back and look at your own profile. Ask yourself, "Is this an accurate portrayal of me? Is there anything that can be taken out of context?"

Instead of evaluating someone based on an internet profile, add them as a friend, exchange phone numbers, and call them! You will learn a lot more about them with one phone call than you will probing their profile. If you give them a chance, you may learn that you have a lot in common before school even starts!

 Students should be aware that Facebook (and MySpace as well) profiles are not as private as one would think they are. It's really important, especially when job searching, to presume that anyone may be able to read what you have posted online at any time, and to be very careful what you say about your personal life and your activities. You do NOT want a prospective employer to see inappropriate photos or messages on your Facebook account. It's just not worth the perfect job!