Oh… I can’t choose my roommate?

The rumors are true: at Carleton, you’re not searching through Instagram class pages to find a roommate – you get assigned one for your freshman year. I promise it’s not as scary as it sounds; you’re not getting assigned a “random” roommate. Rather, you’re being paired (by a real human being!) with someone who best matches your answers on the thorough, detailed roommate questionnaire. And thank goodness for this questionnaire, because through it I was set up with one of my best friends at Carleton! Being completely different majors involved in completely different activities, we may have never interacted with each other without it. 

My roommate Zoey and I clicked fast. Even though we quickly found out we’re very different people (one of the first shocking things I learned: she didn’t like nature!), all the right things seemed to align. We were both awake keeping our Duolingo streak alive right before midnight, finally getting to bed around one a.m., and setting our alarms at the same time (aka the latest possible we could sleep in without being late). Our dorm room was full of pink, and we didn’t even plan it. She kept her side of the room organized like I preferred, and I never had to worry about unexpected visitors in my room. For all of this, we can thank the roommate questionnaire! 

The roommate questionnaire allows you to be as in depth as you would like in your roommate preferences. It will first ask you general questions, like what time you go to bed, how organized you like to be, how much time you like to spend in your room, and if you want your room to be a quiet or social space. Then, there’s a blank box in which you can fill whatever your heart desires. Describe your dream roommate! Describe your worst fears! Some things I put in my box: I don’t want my roommate ever bringing boys over to spend the night (check), I would love a roommate to be not just someone to coexist with but who wants to be friends (check), I would love a roommate who will sing along to Taylor Swift with me (check – we made a shared dorm playlist within our first few weeks living together). 

You should also use the box to describe yourself and your habits. The more information you put there, the better they can pair you with someone. I wrote down how I like hanging out with friends but I also value having alone time, sometimes I may want to study in the dorm at night, and I sing a lot so I need a roommate who can handle that (I heard her singing to herself on move in day and knew we were perfect for each other). 

Especially in your first week, your roommate can be a great built-in friend until you meet other people. Me and Zoey got almost all our meals together and attended a bunch of campus events together in the beginning, making the whole intro-to-college experience much less overwhelming. I also met one of my other best friends through her; your roommate can be a great way to meet new people too. 

Of course, there will always be bad roommate stories. Not everyone is going to like their roommate. The good news is that even if most people aren’t best friends with their roommate, as long as both sides filled out their questionnaire honestly, they will still live well together and will go through the year without having any serious issues. Having to switch roommates during freshman year is rare, and the best way to avoid horror stories is to 1. Be as in depth as possible in your questionnaire and 2. Discuss your expectations for your living space and set your boundaries early on. You can prevent awkward conversations in the future by addressing a situation before it ever happens. Some things might be uncomfortable to bring up, but they’re important conversations to have for a smooth year! 

My “random roommate” became the girl whose dance performances I go to, who I go grocery shopping and sweet-treat searching with, and who I send voice memos to over breaks. And don’t worry. If you and your roommate just don’t vibe like that, you’re not stuck with them forever – you get to choose who you live with for the remaining three years of your time at Carleton. I’m grateful to say my roommate experience worked out so well that we’re still planning to live together going into our junior year, unless coming back from studying abroad finally separates us… to be determined!

Ellie (she/her) is a rising junior psychology major and Spanish minor from Apple Valley, Minnesota. Outside of classes, she spends a majority of her time singing in choir and a cappella, running in circles around the track, and hanging out in the chapel. She loves Carleton for the close community and pretty campus (especially in the fall!). When she’s not running or singing, you can find her at a bench around campus soaking in the sunshine.