Roommate Matchmaking 101: Fill Out This Compatibility Checklist (Printable)

According to a study of more than 30,000 college students, 48% have conflicts with their roommates.

Pursuing a bachelor’s degree is stressful, especially for first-year students transitioning from secondary to postsecondary school — a roommate can help relieve some stress or add to it substantially!

It’s because of this that many colleges and universities have a roommate matching system.

Simply put, a roommate matching system works like a Facebook friend request, where one student requests for the other to be a roommate by filling out a form and the other student has to accept it for the institution to pair them.

Some colleges with some type of roommate finder for prospective roommates include:

• Barnard College
• Boise State University
• Butler University
• Creighton University
• Cleveland State University
• Colorado State University
• Davidson College
• Duke University
• Georgetown University
• Georgia Institute of Technology
• Minnesota State University
• North Dakota State University
• Oakland University
• Oregon State University
• Temple University
• University of Alaska Fairbanks
• University of Arizona
• University of Nevada
• University of North Carolina
• University of North Texas
• University of Tennessee
• West Chester University
• Western Illinois University

In many instances, institutions of higher education with a roommate matching system allow students to communicate with one another so that they can get to know each other.

This is when they can enjoy the opportunity of exchanging a roommate compatibility checklist.

Sometimes referred to as a roommate compatibility quiz, it’s a tool for incoming freshmen students to determine whether or not they would get along with their prospective dormmates.

It involves answering the same set of questions and comparing answers afterward.

Through a roommate compatibility checklist, you can have a better idea of whether your on-campus living would be as smooth sailing as possible or more likely to leave you feeling miserable.

Below is a sample college roommate compatibility quiz.

The questionnaire has 50 multiple-answer questions, whose options range from as few as three to as many as 20.

The roommate checklist for compatibility testing comes in 10 categories:

• Lifestyle
• Social life
• Hobbies
• Personality
• Studying
• Cleanliness
• Upkeep
• Food
• Sharing
• Expenses

So, without further ado, print the college roommate quiz below and hand copies to prospective roommates to determine whether you can stop the hunt for the right roommate or keep searching for another housemate.

Read Also: How to Ask Someone to Be Your Roommate

Lifestyle

1. Do you smoke?

[] Yes, is that a problem?

[] Yes, but I do it outdoors only

[] No, but I don’t mind if you do

[] No, and it’s a problem if you do

2. What’s your internet use like?

[] I’m a certified bandwidth hog

[] I spend moderate amounts of time online

[] I’m a luddite — I fear that the internet is invading my privacy

3. How often do you talk on the phone or do video calls?

[] Non-stop

[] Moderately

[] Rarely

4. What time do you usually sleep during the week?

[] I’m a lark — I sleep between 8 pm to 11 pm

[] I’m a night owl — I sleep between past midnight to the break of dawn

[] I hit the sack during the daylight hours

5. When do you believe noise is acceptable?

[] Just about any time of day or night

[] During the day and the evening, but not at bedtime

[] During the day only

[] I need to feel like I’m in a library

Social Life

6. What is your policy on having friends come over?

[] The more the merrier

[] It’s okay — just give me a heads-up

[] Guests are fine, but only from time to time

[] No guests allowed

7. How do you feel about guests spending the night?

[] It doesn’t bother me at all

[] It’s okay — just let me know in advance

[] Occasionally is fine, but not multiple nights

[] I’m not comfortable with guests staying overnight

8. How do you feel about dorm parties?

[] I’d host them myself every night if I could

[] They’re fine — just notify me ahead of time

[] A small gathering occasionally is okay

[] No parties, please

9. How do you feel about alcohol?

[] I can drink at any given time of the week

[] I save drinking on weekends only

[] I drink occasionally

[] I don’t drink, but I don’t mind if you do

[] I don’t drink, and it’s a problem if you do

10. How often will you be coming and going?

[] I’ll be here on a 24/7 basis

[] Maybe once or twice per day

[] All the time

11. What do you like to do on weekends?

[] Sleep all day

[] Hangout with friends all day

[] Spend it with the family

[] Participate in extracurricular activities

12. What is your romantic situation?

[] I have a significant other who will visit nightly

[] I have a significant other who will visit once in a while

[] I have a significant other who has a place I can visit

[] Romance what?

Hobbies

13. How often do you listen to music?

[] I’m a hardcore music lover, so all the time

[] Often

[] Rarely

14. What’s the volume of your music like?

[] Comfortable listening level

[] I like it earsplitting just like in a nightclub

[] I always use a pair of headphones

15. Do you play a musical instrument? If yes, which one/s?

[] Guitar

[] Bass guitar

[] Ukulele

[] Banjo

[] Cello

[] Violin

[] Piano

[] Keyboard

[] Accordion

[] Drums

[] Tambourine

[] Xylophone

[] Saxophone

[] Trumpet

[] Flute

[] Clarinet

[] Recorder

[] Harmonica

[] Others (please specify):

[] None

16. Do you play video games?

[] I have a TV and video gaming console

[] I have the latest handheld video gaming console

[] I play video games on my smartphone

[] I play video games on my laptop

[] I hate video games

17. Do you have a pet?

[] Dog

[] Cat

[] Fish

[] Frog

[] Turtle

[] Hermit crab

[] Hamster

[] Guinea pig

[] Tarantula

[] Snake

[] Lizard

[] Bird

[] Others (please specify):

[] None

18. Do you mind me having a pet?

[] My permission not needed

[] As long as you keep the room clean and smelling nice

[] I have pet allergies

[] Strictly no pets allowed

Personality

19. How do you describe your personality in general?

[] I’m an extrovert

[] I’m an introvert

[] I’m somewhere in between

20. What are your pet peeves?

[] Talking with the mouth full

[] Always on the phone

[] Borrowing things and not returning them

[] Leaving the toilet seat up

[] Poor personal hygiene

[] Snoring

[] Answering surveys like a housemate compatibility questionnaire

[] Others (please specify):

21. What is the thing you’d never say to another person?

[] Looks

[] Fashion sense

[] Personal lives

[] Grades

[] Religious affiliation

[] Others (please specify):

22. What do you do to deal with stress and anxiety?

[] Meditate

[] Take a relaxing bath

[] Light scented candles

[] Listen to soothing music

[] Talk to a friend

[] Pop a pill in the mouth

[] Others (please specify):

23. If you could change one thing about you, what would it be?

[] My appearance

[] My childhood

[] My past choices

[] My family

[] My chosen major

[] Others (please specify):

[] Nothing — I love myself!

24. How do you usually deal with conflicts?

[] I express my thoughts and feelings calmly

[] I address the issue bluntly

[] I hint at what’s bothering me in a joking manner

[] I yell and throw things

[] I am not comfortable dealing with conflicts

25. How do you prefer to communicate problems?

[] With a handwritten note

[] Through text, chat, or email

[] By speaking directly

26. How do your friends usually describe you in one word?

[] Friendly

[] Fun

[] Empathetic

[] Honest

[] Driven

[] Optimistic

[] Pessimistic

[] Hardworking

[] Lazy

[] Confident

[] Insecure

[] Others (please specify):

Studying

27. How often do you study?

[] Every night before going to bed

[] Most days of the week

[] Only if there’s an exam the following day

[] What study?

28. What are your study habits like?

[] Some distractions are fine

[] I usually study elsewhere such as in the school library

[] I should be able to hear a pin drop

29. How do you prefer to study?

[] Alone

[] With a friend or two

[] With a group

30. Do you have any unusual study rituals?

[] I play music in the background

[] I read things aloud — the more I hear myself speak it, the more I will likely remember it

[] I munch on so-called brain foods such as nuts, sesame seeds, and dark chocolates

[] I light scented candles to help me retain information

[] I study like a normal college student

[] I have no study rituals because I don’t study

Cleanliness

31. What’s your bedroom at home like?

[] I always make my bed and put things away

[] It’s nice — if I remember or have the time to keep it nice and tidy

[] Many agree that it looks like a zombie wasteland

32. How do you like to keep the kitchen at home?

[] Sparkling clean — you could actually eat off the floor if you like

[] I do my best to tidy up the kitchen once a week or so

[] You might end up with a food-borne disease

33. What’s your bathroom like at home?

[] Squeaky clean

[] Pretty decent

[] A breeding ground for anything you don’t want — mold, mildew, bacteria, bad odor

34. From one to five, with one being the best, how do you rate your tidiness?

[] One

[] Two

[] Three

[] Four

[] Five

Upkeep

35. How often do you clean and organize your bedroom?

[] I do small amounts of cleaning daily to keep it spick and span

[] Once a week — that’s what the experts say

[] Only if it already looks like ground zero for a nuclear blast

36. How do you do the dishes at home?

[] I wash and put them away immediately after use

[] I prefer to do the dishes at the end of the day

[] I wait for somebody else to do them

[] I’m planning on washing them only when there’s nothing else to use

37. How are we going to handle the cleaning?

[] Let’s have permanent cleaning assignments — I do this and that, you do that and this

[] Let’s rotate cleaning tasks

[] We’ll talk about it when we both agree our room could use some tidying up

38. How often are you planning on doing your share of cleaning?

[] Daily

[] Every other day

[] Weekly

[] Monthly

[] Before going home for break

[] When I feel like it

[] Whenever my mom pays a visit

[] Never — you do it

Food

39. Are you a vegetarian?

[] I am a vegetarian, but it’s okay to have meat around

[] I am a vegetarian, and meat can’t be around

[] I hate vegetables

[] I eat anything and everything

40. Is there a special diet you are adhering to?

[] Gluten-free diet

[] Lactose-free diet

[] Low-sodium diet

[] Low-cholesterol diet

[] Weight-loss diet

[] Others (please specify):

[] None

41. Do you have food allergies?

[] No

[] Yes (please specify):

42. How often do you cook?

[] I cook each and every meal of mine

[] Occasionally — only when I have the time or energy

[] Will you consider cooking for me?

[] I’m more of a takeout person

Sharing

43. What are your thoughts on sharing stuff?

[] Let’s share just about anything and everything — no asking beforehand necessary

[] It’s fine, but it is important that you ask for my permission first

[] Sorry, I prefer not to share whatever I have or own

44. How should we share everyday essentials?

[] Let’s split the costs 50/50

[] Let’s take turns in buying common-use stuff

[] It’s better if we use and buy our own items separately

45. What about food items — how do we share them?

[] Since we’re going to share the mini fridge, let’s split the food costs evenly

[] Let’s take turns buying them

[] I think we should not share food items — let’s buy them separately

46. What other things should we share?

[] Toiletries

[] Towels

[] Hair dryer/flat iron

[] Bed sheets and pillowcases

[] Small kitchen appliances

[] Kitchenware

[] Vacuum cleaner

[] Furniture

[] Computer and printer

[] School supplies

[] Others (please specify):

[] None

Expenses

47. When do you prefer to pay bills?

[] As soon as possible

[] By the due date

[] Whenever I remember to pay for it

48. How are we going to split the bills?

[] Let’s split the bill 50/50

[] Each one of us pays for a particular utility

[] Let’s compare family incomes and the one with the richer family shoulders a larger percentage

[] Whoever has more money by the due date pays a larger portion

49. How do you get the money for college housing?

[] My parents give me money

[] I have a full-time/part-time job

[] I am receiving aid for room and board

50. What happens if you fail to get the money for bills?

[] I will borrow money from family or friends

[] I will dip into my emergency funds

[] I will ask you to pay for everything and I will take care of everything next month

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