Caroline York

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.

A get-to-know-you FaceTime call with Morgan!

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.

Morgan and me at Matriculation!

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!