Finding a Roommate | Office of Residence Life | University of Nebraska at Kearney

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Finding a roommate to share a space can be exciting and scary all at the same time. Our roommate matching system does a great job, but it’s also important you take time to get to know potential roommates. A good match is the key to a great experience. Finish your housing contract if you haven’t yet. Roommate matching for the fall 2024 semester will be in May 2024. Room selection will happen Summer 2024.

Start the Roommate Search Process

Log into MyBLUE > Campus Tools > Housing > 2024-25 Academic Year Contract > Your Profile for Roommate Matching.
In the Description Box, type a paragraph about yourself. Use key words such as soccer team, marching band, video gamer, etc.
Go to Roommate Search and search in 3 ways:
1. Search Roommate by Details:
  - Use keywords to search.
  - If you want to live with someone going into sorority life or someone on the football team, use key words such as “sorority life” or “football team."
  - If you know who you want to room with, search by their name.
  - Note: If you are a recipient of the Susan Buffett Scholarship, World Herald Scholarship, or are part of a community (Honors, Kearney Bound Scholars, KHOP, or Health Sciences Explorers), you will only see others who are in your community. Members of a community are required to live in pre-specified rooms with other members.
  - Roommate pairings are done by gender designated on your UNK application. If the gender reflected on your account does not reflect your living requirements, contact us at housing@unk.edu for assistance.
2. Search Roommate by Profile – Use roommate matching questions.
3. View Suggested Roommates – Best matches rise to the top.
Send a Message internally within the contract, then choose to share your TikTok, Instagram, or contact information to continue the conversation.
Send Request to the desired roommate. Make sure the confirmed roommate accepts the roommate request.

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?

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.

Start the Room Selection Process

You will receive a time in June or July 2024 to go into our system and select a desired room location for you and the person(s) you’ve selected as a roommate or suitemates. Only one person in the roommate pair needs to log in to select the room.
Log into MyBLUE > Campus Tools > Housing > 2024-25 Academic Year Contract > Your Profile for Room Selection
Identify the room you would like to live in for the 2024-25 Academic year with your selected roommate(s).
1. Centennial Towers East & Centennial Towers West are suite-style housing which is four persons sharing a restroom between two roommate pairs. You are responsible for stocking supplies and cleaning up after yourself.
2. Mantor, Randall and Mens Hall are community style housing with a shared restroom on each floor. Custodians clean restrooms weekly and stock toilet paper.
3. Note: Recipients of the Susan Buffett Scholarship, World Herald Scholarship, or members of a community (Honors, Kearney Bound Scholars, KHOP, or Health Sciences Explorers) are required to live in pre-specified rooms with other members.

Start the Roommate Search Process

Roommate Search Tips

Questions to Ask Potential Roommates

What happens if I don't do the roommate search process?

Finding Suite Mates

Maintaining a Good Relationship

Start the Room Selection Process