Conflicts are higher among those who do not participate in the roommate search process. Take time to get to know others during the search so you can determine if you are a good match.
Tips to assist you:
- Be honest in your profile.
- Use social media to check out a potential roommate.
- Reach out to many potential roommates. Don’t be shy.
- Meet in person or FaceTime – not just Snapchat or text messages. Set up a time to meet at a coffee shop or FaceTime to start talking right away.
- First impressions are important, but ask questions. See list below.
- Have realistic expectations. Getting along is more important than becoming best friends.
- Best friends from high school don’t always make best roommates.
Asking each other questions is helpful to determine habits and can help weed out anyone you know you would not enjoy living with. It will also help you determine any needs before you arrive to campus. Here are questions to get you started. Answer honestly.
- How comfortable are you sharing your items? Review all items: 1 = comfortable, 2 = in moderation, 3 = not comfortable sharing.
- Do you have allergies (smoke, animal, food)? Will we have any issues with those allergies?
- How often do you clean your room? Everyday, once a week, once a month, or never?
- What are your sleep habits? What time do you go to bed and wake up? Are you a light sleeper? How do we ensure we maintain a healthy sleep schedule?
- What do you like to do, hobbies, and interests? Find out what you have in common.
- What big items do you plan to bring?
We highly encourage all students to go through the roommate search process because those who do have a more successful campus living experience. If you do not, we will use your Personal Profile to make a compatible match for you with room assignments finalized in July. Roommate selections will begin May 20 2024. This includes finding suite mates.
Towers residents can confirm a group of four suite mates by selecting “Form a Group” and “Verify Group” which are steps in the housing contract. Log in and View Profiles of potential roommates. Search by “Suggest Roommates” or “Key Word” (video gamer, football, marching band, art major, etc.).
Respect: Respect each other’s space, time, and possessions. For example, take turns taking out the trash and keep the room clean. Set realistic expectations about how you want to use the room. If you plan to get a loft, tell your roommate so they don’t mistakenly take your bed on the first day of move in.
Communicate: Keep talking especially when you move in. Conflicts are bound to happen, so address them right away. For example, you may be sleeping in and your roommate likes to open the blinds. Talk about it.
Schedules: Be open about schedules and set boundaries as needed. If bedtimes are 11:00 pm for one and 3:00 am for the other, there’s bound to be friction.
Be Reasonable: Give each other a little grace and make sure to communicate things that bother you to avoid building resentment and frustration.