Choosing a College Roommate

Article provided by Kaplan Test Prep & Admissions

Tip #1--Be True To Yourself
Choosing a college roommate is like a game of Roomie Roulette. The great, big wheel is spun around and around. As it slows, you cross your fingers. Will it land on complete incompatibility or instant soul mate? Welcome to round one of the roommate game! In some cases, you choose the roommate. In other cases, the roommate is chosen for you. Either way, you're going to have to adjust to a whole new way of life with this person. One way to make this transition easier is to work out some issues with your roommate before school even begins. Here's how to get your relationship started:

It's spring of your senior year in high school. You've just mailed in your acceptance forms--you're off to college! Then the big packet arrives. It's stuffed with official-looking documents, one of which is most likely the ROOMMATE QUESTIONNAIRE.

Most college or university housing departments give incoming freshmen questionnaires to match up compatible roommates. Some schools ask a few general questions about your living and studying habits; others probe deeper with a multitude of questions, right down to your choice of breakfast cereal. Whatever the case, this is not the time to show off your creative writing skills.

Don't lie. If you are messy, admit it. If you like to wake up at three o'clock in the afternoon on weekends, admit it. No matter what you desire to be, your true self will soon be apparent to your new roomie. Don't think that a roommate who is clean will get you to be a cleaner person, because all it will get you is a roommate who is resentful of your messy ways. Oh, and even if you're "trying to cut back," don't check the box that says "nonsmoker." Otherwise, it's a safe bet that you will be forced by your nonsmoking roommate to stand outside in the freezing cold to have a cigarette.
Fill out the form yourself. Face it--if your parents fill out the form, they would never write down that you like to party or plan on pulling all-nighters. Is your goal really to end up with a roommate that's a perfect match for mom and dad?
Be honest with yourself. College is a wonderful opportunity to meet students from completely different backgrounds. But while an obsessive-compulsive neat-freak and a slob who never changes his sheets can easily get along as friends, would they make the best roommates? How willing are you to live with a lifestyle so different from your own? Indicate the truth on the questionnaire.

Famous Roomies

Al Gore and Tommy Lee Jones
Gene Hackman and Al Pacino
Gwyneth Paltrow and Winona Rider
Ben Affleck and Matt Damon
Lindsay Lohan and Raven Simone
Danny Devito and Michael Douglas
Dustin Hoffman and Robert Duvall

Tip #2 --Reach Out and Touch Someone
Picture it: It's the first day of college and you are surrounded by your parents, a mountain of suitcases, and a whiny little brother. This is not how you want to meet your roommate for the first time!

Want more advice on conquering college? Check out the best-selling guide, Once Upon a Campus!

Luckily, most colleges will reveal the name, address, e-mail address, and phone number of your future roommate a month or two before you move in. All college students offer the same advice: Get in touch before move-in day. Why? Because it gives you a chance to uncover what the person you'll be living with for the next year is really like. It will also help you find some common ground so that your first face-to-face meeting will be less stressful. Here are some getting-to-know-you questions to ask your roommate that might give you some insight into his or her living style:

"What are your expectations for school?" If your roommate answers, "to get straight A's" you'll know you're probably not dealing with someone from the cast of Animal House. If your roommate answers, "to party like it's 1999," don't plan on many quiet evenings!
"What is your favorite food?" If he answers, "steamed tofu and brown rice," you're probably headed for disapproving glares when you bring fast-food burgers back to the room. If he answers, "gummy fish, potato chips, and chocolate," your fridge is probably going to be junk-food central.
"How do you like to de-stress?" If she answers, "go for a ten-mile run every morning at dawn," you know you've got a healthy, early-bird roommate. If she answers, "party, and then party some more!" expect late-night ragers in your room.
"If you could be stranded on a deserted island with only one person, who would it be?" If he answers, "My girlfriend ... and she goes to our school," don't plan on hanging with your roommate much--or plan on hanging out with his girlfriend a lot! If he answers, "my mommy," it's a pretty safe bet that there will be many homesick nights in your room.
"What are your interests?" If she answers, "shopping for shoes and handbags," realize that closet space will be at a premium. If she answers, "hot-wiring cars," find your resident adviser--and quick!

Tip #3--Getting to Know You
So it's now the second day of school. All the parents have left and the dorm has quieted down. Even if you've talked with your roommate on the phone, things are different when you're alone, face to face. Where do you go from here? Try the following icebreakers:

Go book shopping with your new roommate. Ask her about the classes she's taking and why she chose them. Commiserate on the required course you both have to take.
Explore the campus together. Locate all the buildings so you are not both completely lost on the first day of classes. Check out the bulletin board at the student center. Plan to attend a concert or club meeting together.
Ask questions that lead to interaction, such as, "Can you help me get my computer hooked up to the Internet?"
Have dinner together in the dining hall. Discuss the salad bar options or, better yet, scope out the other hot freshmen!