The Roommate Matching Process

Hayley and me on move-in day!

Once you confirm that you will be attending Barnard, you’ll receive a survey from Barnard ResLife that includes questions about when you like to sleep and wake up, your study habits, and some of your interests. When I filled out this survey the summer before my freshman year, I tried my best to be honest about my living style, likes, and dislikes. I had read about how Barnard ResLife hand-matches roommates based on these surveys, so I put some trust in the system and tried not to worry too much about who I’d be living with in the fall.

When I moved into my dorm at Barnard in August, I quickly learned how well my roommate, Hayley, and I had been matched. Not only had we answered our survey questions about sleeping, tidiness, and studying in similar ways, but we also found that we were similar in ways that weren’t even a part of the roommate matching survey. For example, we have both mastered the task of ignoring our alarms in the morning, much to the dismay of our other hall mates. We both enjoy Broadway shows, though Hayley is much more knowledgeable about everything related to Broadway than I am, and continues to be the person I turn to when I want to know more about a show. We both appreciate the music of the early 2000s.  We understand each other’s senses of humor, and she has never judged me for consuming a box of cereal in one sitting, due to our mutual love of this great breakfast food.

Our last night as first-year roommates called for some
celebratory toothbrushing

So my advice is to answer the survey honestly, and try not to worry too much about your future roommate. Don’t judge your future roommate based on her Facebook profile. In general, Barnard does a great job of pairing roommates who live really well together, even if your roommate isn’t your best friend.  Regardless of if you’re best friends or not, living together often does create some inside jokes between you and your roommate. And if you’re as lucky as I was, you’ll gain a really great friend. 

Margeaux

 

In our suite in Plimpton this year