Although horrible roommate experiences can turn into great stories, and some of us can definitely attest to that, the dormitory a new student lives in and whom they live with can make a huge impact on whether or not they have an enjoyable first year of college. 

Aside from the fun stories and learning experience of living with someone you don’t get along with, it’s in a student’s best interest to be matched up with a roommate who has some of the same tendencies as them. Therefore, all initiatives by the University to make it easier for new, incoming students to choose their dorm and roommate are much appreciated.

When new students register for housing before they come to the University, there is a questionnaire, which asks some basic questions, such as if you get up early or stay up late, and if you are clean or messy. This leads to some very bare-minimum level of compatibility, but doesn’t necessarily accommodate for other important factors to consider when determining roommates.

University Housing has used this questionnaire in the past to help determine which dorms to place students in, but now, after some changes, students can use these surveys to find a compatible roommate on their own.

The new system allows students to search for people who answered questions similarly to them, and then chat with that person to determine if it is someone they’d like to have as their roommate — a welcome change to the current system. 

We also appreciate the changes in choosing a dorm room. According to the University Housing website, if students complete a housing contract before May 15, they will receive a time slot in May. When it’s their turn to register, they can choose from the available rooms and halls where they want to live. This is better than the old process, where students were randomly allocated a room based on the six preferences they listed and the questionnaire. 

Students who register by May 15 will hear back by late June where they’re living and who their roommate is.

Kirsten Ruby, Associate Director of Housing for Communications and Marketing, said the changes were made because students indicated that they would have liked to learn sooner where they would be living.

We’re glad the University is listening to students and taking into consideration their feedback and preferences, because when it comes to where we are living and whom we are living with during our time here, student input is essential.