We encourage you to call or email your new roommate. Getting in touch will give you a chance to get to know each other. Once you move into your residence hall or apartment, you will complete a roommate agreement with your roommate. Below are a few tips to help you along the way.
Start the conversation ASAP – Schedule a get-to-know-you discussion and begin to establish boundaries. If possible, do this in person. Even if you selected your own roommate and already know them well, this is a necessary step. Knowing someone well and living with them are two vastly different things.
Discuss and agree on your expectations – Does your roommate know you hit the snooze button a lot before waking up? That you are a neat freak? That you need some time to yourself before talking to anyone after you wake up? Communicating what you need is one of the best ways to eliminate problems before they become problems.
Discuss your lifestyle and preferred study styles – If your roommate’s habits, personality, or schedule are hugely different from yours, it can be hard to adjust to living together.
Discuss with your roommate how comfortable you are with guests/visitors.
Decide who will bring what for the room or set a time to discuss.
Living harmoniously with someone requires communicating, compromising, and respecting differences. If you behave politely to your roommate, your roommate is likely to follow your lead.
When roommates have difficulty with one another, we first suggest they talk about the conflict causing the issue. When roommates are unable to resolve a situation on their own, a Community Assistant (CA) is called upon to help. In mediation, an objective person, usually the CA, acts as an intermediary to ensure that strong feelings do not hinder the process and that both sides are represented fairly.
Room Changes
The room change period is typically two weeks after the first day of class. Please note room change is facilitated at the discretion of the Housing staff and is only offered if space is available.