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Roommate Advice


Once students arrive on campus, they will be directed by their Community Advisor (CA) to complete a Roommate Self-Inventory online. Once both roommates have completed their Self-Inventory, the results are merged to show preferences that match or do not match. CAs then work with roommate pairs to come to an agreement regarding the preferences that do not match. The resulting Roommate Agreement should be utilized throughout the year by roommates and CAs if there are issues or conflicts. The forms below are samples of the types of questions on the online Roommate Self-Inventory and Roommate Agreement. Students are encouraged to review these materials prior to coming to campus so they can have an idea about their personal preferences as they relate to sharing a room.

Below is some advice on how to create a successful relationship with your roommate.

 

CONTACTING YOUR ROOMMATE

Contact your roommate before you arrive at school—figure out who is bringing what, what your expected room layout will be, and learn about your roommate so you have things to talk about when you arrive at your residence hall.

 

DON’T PRE-JUDGE!

In addition to a phone call, Facebook/Twitter/etc. can be great avenues to learn more about your roommate.  Be prepared, however, to take what you find online about other people with a grain of salt.  If you encounter things that trouble you, ask your roommate questions! Online profiles should not be the only way to learn about your roommate. Communication with your roommate is key!

 

GUIDELINES

After you are settled in your room, it would be a good idea to set some basic guidelines for your room, since you will most likely be sharing the room for the entire year.  Some topics to discuss may be:  Guests (when can they come over, can they stay over night, etc.), study time, sleep schedules, extra-curricular activities, cleaning schedules, etc.

Learn more about your preferences by completing a self-inventory.

Self-Inventory

 

CONFRONTATIONS

Although some roommates never get in an argument and always appear to get along, most roommates will have a conflict every once in awhile. It is human nature! Rather than shy away from it, figure out how you want to confront the situation. If necessary, inform your Community Advisor (CA); they are there for a reason and can help handle the situation.

A roommate agreement may be a useful tool for resolving conflict.

Roommate Agreement

 

GETTING A NEW ROOMMATE

Residence Life will not allow roommate changes for the first three weeks of each semester.  Allow yourself adjustment time to get comfortable and learn how to communicate with a roommate.  Remember, your roommate is adjusting just as much as you are!

 

RULES AND REGULATIONS

If your roommate is violating a residence hall policy while you are in the room (underage drinking for example), you will have shared responsibility in the incident even if you are not directly engaging in the behavior (consuming alcohol, for example).  Your best option to handle this scenario is to leave the situation, confront the behavior, or report the incident to your CA.  Prevent the situation from occurring by establishing guidelines in advance.

 

Room Change Process


We will start the year VERY tight on space, and room moves may not be possible until late into the fall semester. We encourage students to use the resources provided (roommate agreements, self inventories and staff) to resolve any room conflicts. Being proactive with your roommate relationship is also a good thing. Use the information above so that you can start to build a successful roommate relationship. If a conflict can’t be resolved, the following steps should be followed:

  1. Contact your CA and ask to set up a time to discuss the conflicts. They may suggest a meeting between you and your roommate. They will utilize the Roommate Agreement to discuss areas in which there might be conflict.
  2. If the situation still can’t be resolved, schedule a meeting with your Residence Hall Director (RHD). The RHD will work with you to resolve the situation. Please understand that due to space constraints, a move may not be possible.