First of all, congratulations on choosing Naz to be your home away from home! Whether you’re from out-of-state like me or a local Rochesterian, the transition of living on campus can be an intimidating one–especially when it comes to the nerve-wracking process of finding a roommate. Thankfully, at Naz, you have a lot of great options! 

Mawazo and I holding up posters at my current roommate, Delaney’s, basketball game.

You can always choose to surprise yourself with a random roommate, but there are also plenty of ways to get in touch with potential roommates, including the on-campus #NazBound Days where you can meet other accepted students in person. Social media platforms, like the Facebook School’s App, are a great way to talk to your future classmates before you get to campus as well. I actually met my freshman roommate Mawazo on Instagram, and even though we aren’t living together anymore, we are still very close friends!

Once you think you’ve found a person you’d like to room with and you’ve made some general introductions, here are some important questions to help you figure out if you would be compatible roommates.

  1. What time do you usually to wake up?
  2. What time do you usually go to sleep?
  3. Do you like to nap?
  4. How quiet do you need it to be when you sleep?
  5. How dark do you need it to be when you sleep?
  6. How quiet do you need it to be when you study?
  7. Do you like to listen to music when you study?
  8. Where do you like to study?
  9. What music do you listen to?
  10. Do you play any instruments?
  11. Are you planning on playing any sports/joining any clubs?
  12. Do you have/plan to have a job during the semester?
  13. What do you like to do during your free time?
  14. What do you like to do on the weekends?
  15. Are you planning on going home a lot on the weekends?
  16. How do you feel about overnight guests?
  17. How neat are you?
  18. How often do you like to clean your room?
  19. How often do you like to do laundry?
  20. What dorm building would you ideally like to live in?
  21. How would you like to decorate your dorm?
  22. Do you have any food allergies?
  23. Do you smoke?
  24. What are your biggest pet peeves?
  25. How do you like to decompress?
  26. How do you deal with spiders/bugs?
  27. Do you have/want to get a mini-fridge?
  28. Do you have/want to get a TV?
  29. Are you planning on having a car on campus?
  30. What’s your policy on sharing?
  31. If you have a problem, how will you bring it up?
  32. Is there anything you would like to tell me?
  33. Is there anything you want to ask me?
Delaney and I

Make sure to leave the conversation with your future roomie open for further discussion, and try to meet up or video chat before making the commitment or moving in – sometimes it can be hard to gauge someone’s true personality over text. I already mentioned #NazBound Days, but you could also try and schedule a tour the same day or meet up at for lunch and then take a walk around campus. Everybody’s got their own quirks and habits, and when you start sharing a room with a new person, there’s bound to be a slightly uncomfortable adjusting period. After Mawazo and I moved in together, we realized that while we were great friends, we weren’t very compatible as roommates–she was a night owl and I was a early bird. However, we constantly talked about whether we needed the lights on or off, quiet mornings, or an extra reminder to get up for class.

Addressing changes in your living habits may be awkward at first, but communication from the very start is key to maintaining a good relationship with your roommate. Be straightforward and avoid passive aggressive behavior. Chances are you’ll be able to easily figure out a solution or compromise if you try to talk it out!