This post includes 30+ important questions to ask a potential college roommate
Are you about to move into your college dorm? Woohoo! Congratulations! I’m sure you’re feeling a bit nervous but also excited about meeting this roommate that will be sharing your college experience with you. And if this is your first time sharing living space with someone, you’ll definitely want to read through this post to prevent getting yourself into awful roommate situations.
In my first year of college, I did not do my research before finding my roommate. And guess what, a month into the semester, she was having sex with her boyfriend in our dorm, right next to me, while I was sleeping. Needless to say, that experience has left a traumatic mark in my poor subconscious. (The sad thing is, this is not even the worst roommate experience I’ve had, lmao!)
So, let’s cut to the chase, here are 30+ questions to ask a potential college roommate!
Questions To Ask A Potential College Roommate
1. Do you smoke or drink?
This is such an important question to ask. If you hate the smell of weed and alcohol, and your roommate just happens to consume it every day (legally or illegally), then this will definitely make your life miserable.
2. What is your sleep schedule like? Are you a night owl or a morning person?
Not saying that night owls and morning people can’t be compatible. But it’d be a lot easier if both roommates wake up and go to sleep at around the same time.
3. Are you someone that likes to share clothes?
I personally don’t like to share clothes with people I’m not close with. But some people actually don’t mind sharing at all!
4. What temperature do you usually want the room to be?
One of my ex-roommates always cranks the AC up to a freezing temperature at night. We’re not trying to hibernate here, sis!
5. Are you a deep or light sleeper?
Another super important question to ask! Some people are extremely light sleepers. And so if you plan on staying up late studying in the room, you’ll probably want to room with someone who can’t hear a thing once they knock out
6. How often do you cook?
Knowing your roommate’s cooking schedule will allow you to plan yours. Especially if the kitchen is small, and you won’t be able to cook at the same time
7. Are you a party person?
Yea, having your roommate knock on the door at 4am asking you to open up cuz she forgot to bring her keys before going out to party? Not fun!
8. What are some of your biggest pet-peeves?
You never know what someone’s pet-peeves could be. So make sure to ask your potential roommate about this before moving in together.
9. What level of clean do you like your room?
Everyone’s definition of clean is different. So ask your potential roommate to actually explain what they mean by clean. “No-signs-of-people-living-in-here” clean? Or just “yea-this-will-do” clean?
10. Is there anything important that I should know about you?
Sometimes your potential roommate may forget to mention important information about her/him. So make sure to pop this question!
11. Do you have any questions for me?
Again, your potential roommate might be too shy to ask you anything, especially if you don’t know each other at all. So if you’re comfortable, you could try to initiate rather than waiting for them to maybe never even ask.
12. How should we split chores?
Important! Ask them about this upfront. And maybe even come up with a tentative cleaning schedule. This way, no one would be bitter about the unequal chore workload.
13. Are you an introvert or extrovert?
Honestly, introverts and extroverts can be super compatible! This question is just to get a quick understanding of how your potential roommate’s personality may be like.
14. How often do you invite people over?
After a long day in class, you might not have the energy nor the desire to socialize with the people that your roomie invites over. So by knowing how often they intend on having people over, you can decide whether or not they’re the right fit
15. What are you majoring in?
Majoring in the same field of studies can sometimes make it easier for new roommates to bond with each other.
16. Do you have any health problems or allergies that I should be aware of?
For example, do they faint easily or do they have any life-threatening allergies? By knowing this ahead of time, you can be more empathetic towards them and also help prevent tragedies from happening
17. How do you feel about guests staying over?
Not everyone is okay with guests staying over. Especially on weekdays where every one is busy with school and exams, dealing with an overnight guest might be too much of a hassle.
18. Do you play any instruments?
If your potential roommate is majoring in music and plays the trumpet. Then…yea, you may want to reconsider rooming with them if they plan on practicing in the dorm. Lol!
19. How do you usually deal with conflicts?
Everyone deals with conflicts differently. Some like to talk it out right away. And some prefer to keep it to themselves to avoid uncomfortable situations. Knowing your potential roommate’s conflict-resolution style will allow you to have a better idea of how to deal with future conflicts.
20. Would you want to decorate our dorm together, or should we do it separately?
Having matching dorm decorations is super cute and aesthetically-pleasing. But having completely different decor themes is also quite unique and shows personal style. Ask your potential roomie which one they prefer!
21. Do you plan on staying at school over the weekends and holidays, or going back home?
If you plan on staying at school over the weekends and holidays, having a roomie that will be doing the same could allow you to bond better by spending some quality time together.
22. How often do you plan on bringing guys over?
Ugh, out of all the questions to ask potential college roommates, this is probably top 5. Please ask this question! I’ve personally experienced wayyyy too many horrible roomie experiences in my college years. And half of them has to do with my roomies hooking up with guys at inappropriate times and situations. Yikes.
23. Lights on or lights off when sleeping?
Some people like to have their room DARK dark when they sleep. Like, not even one tiny bit of light is allowed. So if you can’t fall asleep without a lamp by your side, you’ll want to make sure that your roomie is okay with that.
24. Do you listen to music when you study?
If you both like listening to music while studying. You can have a nice little study session together with low-fi hip-pop bops playing the background.
25. Should we share utensils and cooking ware? Or do you prefer to use your own?
Once, I forgot to ask my ex-roomie this question, and I just assumed that we’d be sharing her dish drying rack. So, I used it to dry my fork. Guess what, a few hours later, she literally picked out my fork and placed it separately on the dining table. Ooof, awkward.
26. Grocery shopping together or separate?
I used to always go grocery shopping with my ex-roomie since we were really good friends. But some people may prefer to do their own thing. So make sure to ask this question beforehand.
27. What do you like to do on your free time?
If both of you have the same hobbies, you’ll be able to spend your free time together bonding over it. How cute!
28. Do you have any pets?
Are you allergic to cats or dogs? In college, some students may be allowed to bring their emotional support pets to campus. So don’t forget to ask this!
29. Have you ever lived with someone before?
This is another important question to ask. If they’d never lived with someone before, you may want to further discuss roommate related questions with them.
30. What will your class schedule be like this semester?
Which days and what times are their classes? this will help you figure out a cleaning and house chore schedule that’d work for the both of you.
31. Do you plan on having a part-time job during the semester?
Having a roommate that has a part-time job may affect the amount of time they’ll be able to spend in the dorm and the quality time you’ll spend together.
32. What are you bringing to campus?
Knowing what your potential roommate plans on bringing to campus will save you a lot of time when it comes to figuring out what you’ll need.
33. Do you plan on studying in the library or the room?
If you go to bed early, and your potential roomie plans on studying in the dorm past midnight every night. Then you might want to discuss this further with them.
34. When is your nap time?
College is mentally and physically taxing. So some people take naps in between classes in order to re-charge. If your future roomie has a habit of taking naps, you’ll want to know when their nap time is so you can lower your volume during that specific time frame
How To Talk To A Potential College Roommate
- Introduce yourself! Do this before school starts by maybe adding each other on social media and sharing contact information.
- Talk about dorm decor ideas or essentials. If you have no idea what to talk to them about, start by asking them about dorm room needs. Since you’ll literally be sharing the room together, this is a good common topic to start with.
- Talk about school/major. Another common topic is school! Ask them about what classes they’re taking this semester and which clubs they’re joining.
- Ask them some “Get to know you questions!” This will for sure help break the ice.
How To Ask Someone To Be Your College Roommate
So, how do you pop the question to ask someone to be your college roommate?
- Casually mention that you’re currently looking for a roommate, and see how they respond. (Don’t force them to be your roommate!)
- Ask them early. Don’t wait till the last minute since they might have already found a place to live and someone to share it with
- Be clear about everything. In college, you can sometimes choose what kind of dorm you want to live in. So when asking the question, also let your potential roommate know upfront your budget and requirements so that things won’t get awkward later.
There You Go! Questions To Ask A Potential College Roommate
I hope these questions to ask a potential college roommate were helpful! Finding a roommate and getting matched with someone you don’t know can be kind of a scary and stressful situation, especially if this is your first time ever living with someone.
But don’t worry, everything will turn out fine. Even though you might inevitably face some roommate conflicts and uncomfortable situations, they’ll only make your college life story much more sensational and epic, lol! I’ve been through my fair share of roommate horror stories in college, and look at me now. I have some great stories to tell, haha!
One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned throughout my five long years of having roommates is that, you need to set boundaries! Don’t ever let anyone step all over you. If you’re feeling uncomfortable or disrespected, speak up! You’ll thank yourself later.
xoxo
