30 Conversation Starters To Help You Find The Ideal Roommate

Many things at the start of college should be easy, but end up being painful, from orientation to deciding on dorm decor to signing up for classes, and — most of all — searching for a roommate. 

Before August rolls around, you’re joining countless Facebook groups and GroupMes in hopes of finding your new roommates so you don’t have to rely on the gamble that is random selection. But when every convo starts with “What’s your major,” or “What do you like to do?” it can be hard to form a genuine connection, or to determine if you’ll actually be a good roommate match. The convo either ends rather soon, or responses are dry, minimal, and only help you get to know each other on a surface level. 

Luckily, it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are 30 conversation starters for potential roommates that will break the ice and actually carry on the convo past “hello.”

What’s your daily routine?

Okay, this one might seem a little basic, but it’s important. Seeing how they go on about their typical day shows a lot, such as if they are organized, if they are busy, or if they like to stay in. If your daily routines align, that’s a good sign. 

What’s your worst habit?

You’re going to spend a lot of time with your roommates, so it’s important to be aware of their bad habits now. This question can test how open the prospective roommate is and can determine whether or not this person is a good fit based on your pet peeves. 

How do you spend your Sunday nights?

In college, Sunday nights are crucial. They are the refresh for the week or the nights when you’ll be cramming for a test the next day. It’s important to spend your Sunday nights wisely, so hopefully this potential roommate agrees with you on the ideal Sunday night plans. 

What are your deal-breakers?

Asking this one right off the bat avoids any awkwardness. Identifying deal-breakers from the get-go allows you to see if you’ll be a good match before you get too deep into conversation or it’s too late and you’re already roommates. 

Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

How you two interact in a social setting tells a lot about how you two will mesh as roommates. If one is an extrovert and the other is an introvert, there might be nights where the introverted roomie wants some quiet time and the extroverted one wants people to come over. Though this isn’t a deal-breaker and there are ways to set boundaries, rooming with someone closer to your personality might be a better match. 

What are you most excited about for this school year? What are you most nervous about?

Your roommate doesn’t strictly need to be your best friend on campus, but they can act as a support system through this weird time in your life. Your freshman year roomies are the ones that you’ll be experiencing a lot of firsts with, from your first college class to your first late-night study session, first time trying to find parking on campus, first night out, and the list goes on. This question allows you to bond over fears and goals for the upcoming year, and plan out the activities you want to experience together. 

What is your favorite meal?

Food is the way to the heart. A potential roommate’s favorite meal can open up the door to more conversations, such as family traditions, where they have traveled, and favorite restaurants in their hometown. You two can also use this as an opportunity to map out the restaurants you want to go to in your college town based on your favorite meals. 

If you have an hour of free time, what do you do?

Ideal roommate pairs are the ones that you can hang out and do random things with in your free time, such as a spontaneous Target trip, or binge-watching a show. You two will be spending a lot of time together in the room, so if you have similar ideas of a good time, that may be an indicator of a good match. 

If you could be any age forever, what would it be and why?

This is just a fun question to see what phase of their life was the most memorable for them. Maybe you both had an amazing high school experience, or you both thrived in your tweens. This is a great way to deepen the conversation by talking about memories. 

What is your favorite TV show of all time and why?

Comfort shows reveal a lot about a person, so this is an important question to ask. A Friends lover probably wishes they were living in the ’90s, a Grey’s Anatomy fan might be studying to become a doctor (or they are just really into morbid storylines), The Office watchers love a good joke and might be a little awkward at times, and The Vampire Diaries fanatics might dapple in love triangles (are you team Stefan or Damon?).  All jokes aside, maybe you guys can bond over your favorite comfort show, or introduce the other to a show to give you something to do if you two become roommates. 

Which movie character do you relate to most and why?

This is another revealing question. We’ve all had a movie character that we get way too attached to and actually feel like they are speaking to us. Your potential roomie’s relatable movie character might be your least favorite, which can make for a friendly debate to keep the convo going, or you guys can connect over the similarities between the two of you and your movie characters.

Do you have any pets?

This is truly just an invitation to send each other adorable pictures of your pets. Whether they have a cat or a dog or maybe even a lizard, pets are always a great topic of conversation because mostly everyone loves them. If they don’t have pets because they hate animals, that’s your sign to run. 

What is your favorite book?

Us book nerds can talk for hours about our favorite books, so this question can surely keep the conversation going because it will give you a chance to trade recommendations and understand each other’s literary tastes. Also, if your prospective roommate is also a book nerd, then they will understand when you want quiet time to dive into the latest Colleen Hoover book in your dorm. 

If you could pick one album to take on a deserted island with you, what would it be?

Unique questions like this one open up the floor for different topics in conversation, such as who your favorite artists are, why you can listen to it on repeat, what the album means to you, and so on. Fun, quirky questions help eliminate the pressure that might come with trying to find a roommate. 

What’s your coffee order?

If I was trying to find a roommate, this question would be very important to me as an iced-coffee enthusiast. Whether they are a coffee lover or a die-hard matcha fan, this question allows for a friendly debate of what the best order is — all while you’re taking notes to surprise them with their order once you become roomies, of course. 

If you could hear any musician play live, living or dead, who would it be?

This is a great opportunity to rant about your Justin Bieber phase, or the Harry Styles phase you’re in, or your undying love for Taylor Swift. Music is a huge part of everyone’s lives because everyone has had a favorite artist or song at one time or another, so it’s always a safe choice when it comes to conversation starters. 

What topics/issues do you love to learn more about, and why?

This is a more in-depth take on the “what is your major” question. Learning what your potential roommate’s interests are in school can help you see if you guys can take classes together, study together, or join extracurricular activities together. Don’t be deterred if your answers don’t match up, however — this just means you guys can have your individual experiences and come together to share what is going on in your clubs or classes.

What is your zodiac sign?

This one is for my astro girlies. If you’re a zodiac sign enthusiast, then you know the importance of someone’s sign. Their sign might be a tell-tale indication if someone’s a good roommate match or not, such as a Virgo being the cleanest roommate you’ll ever meet. Who knows? Maybe you’ll even find your twin flame in the astrological world.

What was your favorite YouTube channel in 2014?

Chatting about your favorite YouTube channel during the prime years of the platform provides a segue into any embarrassing moments when you had fan pages or a crazy fan obsession. This convo starter can be a fun way to let loose and not make the conversation so serious.

What are your friends from high school like?

How someone speaks about their past or current friends says a lot about their character. This question reveals what type of personalities they click with, or maybe gives you a chance to make more friends if they are still friends with their friends from high school.

What is your definition of self-care and how do you practice it?

From face masks to going on a walk, self-care is different for everyone. During college, you’ll have many moments where you need to take a step back and practice self-care, so maybe your potential roommate can help share some of their best tips. 

How do you feel about doing chores?

Listen, nobody wants to live with a messy roommate, especially if you’re living in a dorm. This question will help you see if they will contribute to the common living environment when it comes to cleaning, taking out the trash, and so on. 

Do you have any tattoos?

Every tattoo has a meaning, or maybe just a funny story attached to it. Asking someone about their tattoos keeps the conversation going while they go down memory lane or reveal important things in their life that they hold close to them.

Do you believe in past lives?

Starting off the convo with a bang! I know this one is out there, but that’s why it breaks the ice. Asking weird questions can give you two something to laugh about, or help you see how serious they are. However, if you actually feel strongly about this subject, their response might be a deal-breaker.

What side of TikTok are you on?

The friendly TikTok For You Page debate is one that never gets old. From weird live streams to dancing videos, you never know what you’re going to get when it comes to trending videos on TikTok, so this makes for a fun and long conversation. Whichever side of TikTok your potential roommate gives a peek into their humor and interests, such as BookTok or Miles Teller fan edits.

Where do you fall on the neatness spectrum?

Similar to the question about chores, this convo starter will also help you glance into a future with them as a roommate, but it will also test to see how open they are. Someone who says they are lower on the neatness spectrum isn’t a deal-breaker because now you were made aware before living with them and can establish boundaries. 

What was your high school experience like?

High school was a chaotic time from football games to honor societies, school dances, events, hard classes, and friendships, so this conversation starter is sure to keep the convo going. Also, you two can potentially bond over the same clubs you were in or awkward moments you had in high school.

If you were studying abroad, where would you go?

From Italy to France to Spain, the options are endless. Traveling is a great topic of conversation because it allows you to talk about memories from past trips, daydream about future travel, or even make a pact to travel abroad together when you two become roomies.

If you were a dessert, what would you be?

Cheesy, I know, but this is simply a question to give you two a breather from all the deeper questions. Although, if you are a dessert freak, then maybe the answer to this is a deal-breaker. 

What time do you generally wake up and go to bed?

The answer to this question helps you see if you’ll have differing routines or need to establish boundaries when it comes to noise at night or in the morning. If you’re in a dorm, navigating around this is a little more tricky, but it’s good to know so you’re cognizant of one another.

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