Get to Know Your Roommate!

• Call, text, email, Snapchat, TikTok, write a letter, order one of 25 blimps to fly over their house… It’s really important to get in touch with your roommate and start talking about yourselves, as well as your room. If he takes a little while to respond, don’t fret! They may be traveling or something, just be patient.
• Start thinking about the questions below so that you can have fruitful conversations with your roommate.
• Try to save money on the room where you can—it’s not necessary to buy everything for your room brand-new.
• Do your best to pack lightly—you don’t want to feel like you are living in a storage unit!
• Make sure you exchange contact info with your roommate’s parents, in case of an emergency.
• Living with a roommate is quite similar to living with your family. Occasionally he will probably step on your toes! Do your best to let the small stuff go and communicate clearly about the big stuff.
• Be considerate. This is not just your room. It’s important to compromise with each other.
• If you are having a problem with your roommate, talk to him about it before others. Ask your RA for help in having tough conversations.
• If you are upset with your roommate, make sure you ask yourself what you may be doing to contribute to the problem. Roommate issues are almost always double-sided to some degree.

Helpful Conversation Starters to Become a Great Roommate

​Make sure you think about and discuss these questions and topics with your roommate. Discussing these questions early can help prevent problems later. 

General

• Where are you from?
• What was your high school like? (Big/small, public/private, etc)
• What is your family like?
• What kinds of activities did you do in high school?
• What have you been doing this summer?
• Do you have any special allergies/medical/emotional/mental conditions that your roommate should be aware of?
• Are you a night-owl or early riser?

Room

• What do you plan on bringing? Who is bringing/buying the futon (if applicable), refrigerator, tv, rug, etc? It may be easier to have each person own specific parts of the room rather than splitting costs.
• How do you want the room layed out?

Communication

• How do you best communicate about things that you are upset about (ie. in the moment, after cooling off, in writing, face-to-face)?
• How much advance notice do I expect for overnight guests? (Only male overnight guests are allowed.)
• How do I want my roommate to communicate to me if I am doing something he doesn’t like?
• What are common signs that I am angry, frustrated, upset?
• What might be helpful for me as your roommate to know?

Study

• Where do you like to study: in a lounge? In the library? In the room?
• Do you need complete quiet to study in the room? Would earbuds of your own music work?
• What time of day do you study best?
• Do you like to study alone or in groups?

Personality

• What is your mood most of the time?
• Would you describe yourself as more reserved or more outgoing?
• What kinds of things annoy you?
• What is your idea of relaxing?
• What might cheer you up?
• When do you prefer to be left alone?
• I tend to act ____ while under pressure.
• When I get angry, I tend to…
• If upset, do you like to talk about it?
• How would your friends from home describe you?

Cleanliness

• Would you consider yourself to be a tidy person, a cluttered person, or a total messy person?
• How often will you clean your individual areas? How often will you clean the whole room?
• How often will you remove trash? Who will do it and on what rotation?

Sleep

• Are you a light sleeper or a heavy sleeper?
• How much sleep do you expect to get every night?
• Do you snore?
• Are you a morning person or an evening person?
• What kinds of things can you sleep through, or what can you NOT sleep through (music, tv, lights, talking on the phone, etc.)

Noise

• What does quiet mean to you?
• What kinds of things can you sleep through, or what can you NOT sleep through (hairdryer, lights, talking on phone…)
• Do you need complete quiet to study in the room? Would earbuds of your own music work?