35 questions to ask potential college roommates (And 4 to ask yourself)

This may be the first time you’ll be living away from home. It could be your first time sharing a room with people outside your family.

So, once you find a roommate, how do you know you’ll be able to live together? As you make connections and build friendships, you’ll want to maximize the learning and fun and minimize the chance for problems.

Using a roommate questionnaire is a great place to start.

Want to know what it's like to live on Central Michigan University's campus?

First, answer the questions yourself

Sit in a quiet place and write down your own answers. Knowing what your roommate wants doesn’t do much good if you haven’t thought about what you want.

Once you’re done, answer these four questions:

1. Which questions are important to you?
2. Which answers are absolute deal breakers?
3. Which questions are nice to know, but could easily work around?
4. Most important: Were you completely honest with yourself?

Now you’re ready to share these questions with possible college roommates for your freshman year.

College roommate questionnaire

1. What’s your major?
2. Why did you choose this school?
3. What’s something you hope is different here than it was in high school?
4. What would a perfect class schedule look like to you?
5. How and when do you like to study?
6. What are you looking forward to the most here?
7. Are you going to join any clubs or sports?
8. What’s your idea of the perfect career?
9. Do you think you’ll graduate in four years?
10. Sleeping schedule: Are you an early bird or a night owl?
11. Would your friends call you quiet or loud?
12. Where do you see yourself on weekends? Going home? Partying? Studying?
13. Do you have any pets?
14. Are you bringing a car to campus?
15. What type of game console do you have? Do you stay up late gaming?
16. Do you think we should have quiet hours?
17. How important is cleanliness to you?
18. Do you have cleaning chores at home?
19. How do you clean a bathroom?
20. Have you ever done your own laundry?
21. Do you have any food allergies?
22. How do you feel about leaving dirty dishes in the sink over night?
23. Do you shower in the morning or before bed?
24. How long do you usually take in the bathroom each morning to get ready for school?
25. Do you smoke or vape?
26. Do you do drugs?
27. Any unusual lifestyle choices I should know about?
28. Have you ever lived with a roommate before and how did that go?
29. Should we have rules for when guests are allowed in shared spaces or overnight?
30. What’s your favorite movie?
31. What type of music do you like?
32. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
33. What’s one “WOW” thing you’ve done?
34. What’s the best book you’ve ever read?
35. If you could make any animal talk, what species would it be and why?

Now, how do you choose the right roommate?

You’ve talked to your potential roomie, asked all the questions and gathered their answers. Now it’s time to decide.

First, look at the responses to the questions you decided are most important to you. Serious differences here may mean serious differences in your dorm room.

Then consider how their habits fit with yours. You probably haven't given it much thought before, but you have a daily routine. You get up at a certain time; eat certain things for breakfast. You do things in a certain order to get ready for your day. It's the rhythm of your life.

Do you need a solid eight hours of sleep in a dark room? A roommate who can only fall asleep with the TV on might not be the best choice. Does your potential roomie have a food allergy? Prepare to ditch your PB&J, or choose a different person.

Take your time and visualize living with this person. If there are too many points of conflict, keep interviewing. It's better to get it right in the beginning than settle conflicts or change roommates once classes start.

If you feel this person is a good fit, share your answers with them. If they agree that your personalities seem compatible, you may have just found a roommate.

We go the extra mile to help you find roommates at Central Michigan University. You’ll be part of a special Facebook group just for your incoming class. You can share your story, photos and connect with others.

How about a digital option to find other CMU freshmen? Our RoomSync app works like a dating app. You create a profile. Then the app matches you to others in your class.

Looking for people with the same major? Try a "Living Learning Community." You'll live with people who take the same classes you do. And there’s no extra charge.