Caroline York
You are here
The Random Roommate
When I first got into Dartmouth, I started thinking about who I would be living with for the next year. I was ready to start looking for a roommate on Facebook like my friends going to other schools were doing. However, I soon found out that Dartmouth assigns every incoming freshman a random roommate.
Although I was initially apprehensive about being matched with a virtual stranger, I was relieved to fill out a comprehensive survey to find a roommate with the best fit. The survey asked about sleeping hours, studying habits, food in the room, and general social questions. I filled out the form honestly, hoping to find someone who I would vibe with and feel comfortable with.
When Dartmouth assigned my roommate and dorm to me, I immediately reached out to my future roommate, Morgan, and we started talking on the phone in the weeks before school started. Morgan is on the Dartmouth Crew team and is from Boston. As a non-athlete from the south, it might have appeared that we did not have much in common, but it was quite the opposite. We soon found out that we enjoyed the same music, TV shows, academic areas, and activities. We connected over our mutual excitement for Dartmouth and anticipated weekly Patriot game night. Not long after, she didn't feel so random anymore.
We were placed in a two room double, meaning we each have our own rooms that are connected. Though there is a door dividing our rooms, we tend to keep it open because we love talking as we get ready for school and go to bed. Our dorm also fits us, as it has strict quiet hours that allow us to get in sleep for our early mornings for crew and ROTC.
If I could go back and pick a roommate, I would choose Morgan. Had it not been for the random assignment, our paths would likely not have crossed, but someone in Dartmouth housing knew we would be a great fit for each other. We are genuine friends who often get lunch, go on runs, and study in the library together.
Dartmouth does random roommate selection with great intention. My dorm and Morgan are the best fit for me because we filled the survey out similarly. Woohoo for random roommates!
Posts You Might Like
Today, I thought I'd take you along on a day in my life here on campus!
This term, I took four great classes; however, one class sticks out as my favorite for several reasons.
In this blog post, I detail a day in my life (junior fall edition!)
New Hampshire and Vermont are AMAZING in the Fall – here is a recent adventure to a local Corn Maze!
These unconventional and conventional study spots may be your safe haven for tackling the challenges of a Dartmouth education.
Dartmouth during the fall is truly a one-of-a-kind experience. Let me tell you all about it!
Here's what a typical Monday looks like for me as a first-year student in the fall term. Well, it's not THAT typical, I had a midterm exam today!
Here's how I reconnected with Alumni Gym and found a routine that actually works.
In addition to blogging, I work as a Fellow for the Tucker Center, which focuses on promoting spiritual and ethical life on campus. As part of this role, I'm leading the Interfaith Alternative Spring Break Trip. Read on to learn more about my work!