Most schools match roommates using a lifestyle quiz — sleep schedule, cleanliness habits, noise tolerance. It's a reasonable starting point, but it leaves out a lot of what actually determines whether two people can share 120 square feet for a year.
What the quiz can't capture
Conflict style, how someone actually handles disagreement, and expectations around guests or significant others are rarely asked about directly — and they're often what makes or breaks a roommate relationship.
Have the conversation before move-in
Message your assigned roommate directly before arriving, and ask a few specific questions beyond what the quiz covered — how they'd want to handle a disagreement, what their expectations are around visitors and shared space.
"Compatibility on paper and compatibility in a 120-square-foot room are two very different things."
When it doesn't work out
Most schools have a room-change process available after a set trial period. Know that it exists before you need it, and document specific issues early rather than waiting until the relationship has fully broken down.
Treat that first pre-move-in conversation as the actual start of the relationship, not a formality — it sets the tone for everything that follows.
