What to Ask Your Future Roommate

There’s so much to cover yet it can be so overwhelming that you have no idea where to begin! May we suggest starting with the essentials and building a roommate relationship from there? Here are ten questions to ask your future roommate to help prepare for the year ahead: 1. What time are you planning on moving in? Is anyone helping you move in? You probably won’t want to be moving in at the exact same time – it will make the whole process more confusing. Your new room is going to be tiny and a lot of people in it will equate to a lot of people in each other’s way. However, if your new roommate isn’t getting any help during the move in process, it’s a great opportunity for you to offer some help! 2. What are you planning to bring to the room? If you’re offering up a mini-fridge, you’ll want your future roommate to know before he/she purchases one! The same goes for microwaves, futons or anything else you two may be able to share (and, likely, won’t have room for two). 3. What type of décor were you thinking? Before purchasing all hot pink dorm décor, you may want to check with your roommate to collaborate on styles. You don’t have to coordinate, but it’s important to keep in mind that you will be sharing a space, so considering each other’s opinions is courteous. 4. What’s your sleep/study schedule usually like? This is a no-brainer! It’s great to understand one another’s living styles from the start. For example, if your future roommate always goes to bed early, it’s important to know so that you’re not playing loud music very late at night. It will avoid a lot of tension and stress in the future to understand one another right off the bat. 5. What’s your social life like? It’s good to know how your roommate views social situations so that you can be conscious of having company in the room if he or she is uncomfortable with that. 6. Do you have friends at our new school or friends attending from high school? Learning about your future roommate’s social situation is important, especially because the two of you will likely help each other expand social circles and provide introductions to new and different friends. 7. What types of activities were you involved with in high school? How else are you going to find out what you have in common? Maybe you both were mathletes, track stars or represented Greece in Model United Nations. You’ll never know, unless you ask. 8. What are your pet peeves? If your roommate’s number one pet peeve is hearing rap music in the morning, then it’s great to know so you don’t play rap music (out loud) in the morning. The same goes with any other avoidable issue. 9. Do you have any allergies? Anything else I should know? It’s good to know if your roommate has a severe peanut allergy before you buy a year’s worth of peanut butter brittle at Costco. Likewise, if there’s anything important you feel he or she should know about you before school, make sure to speak up! 10. Should we make a roommate agreement? If you feel, after discussion, that issues are likely to arise, consider creating a roommate agreement. There, you can outline all the roommate do’s and don’ts so that each of you understands what’s expected in terms of guests, schedules, cleanliness and other roommate matters.