Many colleges these days have a way of pairing up roommates based as much as possible on the incoming students’ personal preferences. How this works is that the college will send each incoming student a lifestyle and preferences sheet to fill out. They can jot down information about themselves, as well as what they would like to see in their future roommate. People can write whether or not they are a smoker, if they are a messy person, if they are a certain religion, their sleep patterns, and if they prefer to room with someone who is quiet and shy, or loud and boisterous. The sheet will read somewhat like a questionnaire and is often called a Roommate Compatibility Survey.

It is important to be as specific and honest as possible when filling out these roommate preference forms. The more your university knows about you and your preferences, the better they’ll be able to pair you up with a roommate you will have something in common with. While colleges have gotten very good at this process, your roommate selection may still not be ideal. Even so, you can at least rest assured that effort was put into pairing you with someone who meets at least a couple of your criteria. You may not end up being best friends with your roommate, but at least you will have something to talk about during the times you’re both in the dorm.

Another good thing colleges are doing is letting you know who your roommate is before you actually move in. This means you can typically call or e-mail your future roommate and get to know them somewhat so it won’t seem like you’re moving in with a complete stranger. It’s also handy to coordinate with your roommate what stuff to bring to the dorm. For instance, if your roommate plans to bring a rug, microwave or mini-fridge, you won’t need to bring one.

Roommate Compatibility Surveys are a great way colleges are making the process of getting a roommate slightly less random. However, some colleges take the process a step further than a vague survey and perform much more in-depth profiles of their students. Using software very much akin to that used by dating websites, they match roommates at many, many levels of compatibility, giving you a much higher chance of finding the perfect roommate. Some colleges even allow their students to choose their own roommates. You should check with your college ahead of time to see what steps they take to foster roommate compatibility.