How to Choose Your Roommate
Having an amazing first-year roommate is a wonderful way to start off your college journey. With housing selection coming up in June, you may be wondering how to choose your roommate. Here are some tips to help you find a great roommate for next fall!
1. Give yourself time to find your roommate.
There is no need to rush to find the best roommate for you! Take some time to think about your roommate search process and what is most important to you. Once you are ready, do not hesitate to chat with some prospective roommates; take the time to get to know as many other Zags as you would like before making your decision for housing selection.2. Explore your housing options to see which dorm you prefer.
One of the biggest questions to consider when looking for potential roommates is what residence hall you want to live in. To explore housing options, students should check out Gonzaga’s Virtual Housing Tour and see the various residence halls on campus. Gonzaga’s Housing & Residence Life YouTube channel also has a variety of video tours for students to get a feel for the rooms in each residence hall. Check out housing options, determine which are your top few choices, and try and find a roommate interested in the same hall!3. Do not be afraid to reach out first.
If you see someone with similar interests, do not be afraid to reach out to them. It is always scary taking that first step and putting yourself out there, but chances are they might be feeling the exact same way. Be bold and take the leap! That one message could lead to either your new roommate or a friendly face for your first year.4. Ask the right questions to potential roommates.
The more questions you can ask about each other, the better! There is no such thing as a stupid question when looking for the right roommate for you. Think about questions regarding your interests, lifestyle, and schedule. What are you looking for in a roommate? Do you want your room to be a social hub, or do you like your own space? Are you a night owl or an early riser? What do you like to do for fun or to unwind? What are your pet peeves? Asking these questions before living together can make all the difference in your first-year experience!5. Be as honest as possible!
While getting to know potential future roommates, be as honest as possible. You both have the same goal to find the best roommate for you, so it is okay if you are not a perfect match with the first person you talk to. When chatting with potential roommates, be honest with them and yourself about living expectations and what is most important to you both in a roommate! Communication is key and honesty can help you both find the right fit for you.6. Use ZagLiving and ZeeMee to find your roommate!
Gonzaga’s Housing & Residence Life makes finding a first-year roommate easy! First-year students must have their First-Year Housing Application and optional Living-Learning Community (LLC) Application completed by June 1st. Next, Roommate Matching opens on June 5th. Roommate Matching is an optional process in ZagLiving where students can explore suggested roommates that they might match with, as well as search for roommates based on their profile details. Students can look for potential roommates and message them within ZagLiving to pair up before housing selection. It is a fantastic way to see how your lifestyle and preferences might align with another student and allow you to get to know each other a bit better!
Another great way to find a roommate is on ZeeMee! ZeeMee is a social app for college students to meet each other and connect before starting at their university. Our ZeeMee community has various chats where prospective students can chat with the Gonzaga admissions team, current GU students, as well as other prospective students considering becoming a Zag. In our ZeeMee Gonzaga Community, we even have a “Find a Roommate” chat specific to students looking for roommates for the fall. Additionally, we host live events throughout the year and have a “Find Your Roommate” event coming up on Wednesday, June 5th at 7 PM PST for students coming to Gonzaga this fall!
There are so many ways to find the best roommate for you for next fall. However, it is important to remember that housing is just one way to make a friend at GU. One of the best things about the Gonzaga community is how many ways you get to connect with Zags across campus! Whether you find your new best friend in your residence hall , LLC, club meeting, intramural game, or lab, the opportunities to start building your community are endless. Take time to find both people and activities that align with your passions and it will make for a great first year!