Your freshman roommate will be one of the main characters in the intro of your college story, and if you’re lucky, he or she can be a friend for life. Gone are the days where your fist interaction with your roommate is on move-in day. Nowadays, by the time you cross that dorm room threshold, you have thoroughly social media stalked your froomie (future roomie), and know everything about their {digital} life. Successful cohabitation in 100ish square feet is filled with a lot of trial and error and sometimes head lice (true story…talk about a bonding experience), but here are some questions to ask your roommate to get the important conversations started early on so you both have established expectations for peaceful and enjoyable cohabitation.
- Are you a zombie in the morning who shouldn’t be talked to if you have not had your morning coffee and it’s before 10AM? Are you up at 5AM to train for marathons? Somewhere in between?
- What are your thoughts on having guests over? What about sleepover guests?
- What is your ideal study environment?
- What kind of vibe are you going for in our dorm room?
- What hobbies do you have? What do you plan to get involved with on campus?
- Do you have a lot of friends who will be going to school at XYZ University?
- If I upset you, how will you tell me?
- What’s your ideal room temperature?
- If you were to make a PB&J, what kind of jelly would you use?
- If you could eat one meal for the rest of your life what would it be?
- What’s your favorite animal?
- What’s your favorite way to decompress after a stressful exam?
- When you’ve had an awful day, what do you need?
- What is something you hope to accomplish this year other than obvs passing your classes?
- Do you have a Netflix account?
Living in tight quarters with a total stranger is a growth experience and teaches you valuable lessons in mutual respect. Sometimes, establishing a functional relationship with your roomie takes a bit of effort, but open communication is always key. Whatever you do, never resort to passive aggressive post-its. On the other hand, if your roomie forgets to close his or her drawers, politely mention this, rather than letting it eat away at you. Trust me, it will be better for everyone involved. You will certainly create long-lasting memories in your dorm, and hopefully an even longer lasting friendship that will continue after you say goodbye to those 100ish square feet. If conflict arises (we hope it doesn’t) check out our tips for handling conflict with your roommate!