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Whether choosing to be assigned randomly or moving in with someone they’ve known their whole lives, finding a roommate is a primary concern of every incoming first-year student.

As a freshman myself, I got my fair share of roommate advice this summer. I’ve been told not to room with someone I know, to try to meet in person before move-in and to coordinate decoration styles well in advance. I wasn’t prepared to make a roommate agreement before coming to Syracuse University with my suitemates.

SU’s roommate agreement, or “living agreement,” is a process that “provides a space for you and your roommate(s) to discuss and set expectations for your shared living space.” The roommates are asked to have a discussion about the boundaries they wish to set for the dorm in the upcoming school year, then they fill out a form to solidify the expectations.

The roommate agreement asks questions about communication, cleanliness, room safety, sleeping, guests and other general living conditions. Students must provide signatures at the end of the forms as well, although they aren’t legally binding.

These agreements aren’t unique to SU. Countless universities and colleges, including Rutgers University, American University, University of Texas at Austin and Clemson University encourage students to fill out these contracts to avoid any complications arising throughout the school year.

Initially, I thought it’d be a waste of time. I live in a suite, and so far, my suitemates and I have gotten along great. We share the same friends, regularly hang out together and have agreed on everything dorm-related.

Although I had heard about others filling out the form at the beginning of the year, I didn’t want to risk unnecessary disagreements arising and damaging our relationship.

So, our suite decided not to fill out the forms. But once we found out we would get holds on our accounts for this decision, we found a night when we were all free and begrudgingly complied.

The questions were what we expected, and luckily, we didn’t disagree on anything as I’d feared. Rather, my roommates and I found ourselves in near-perfect unison for many of the hypotheticals and questions. The one thing I didn’t expect from such a formality was the insightful conversations afterwards.

A question about religious observances prompted us to talk about holiday traditions, then our families and friends, then our hometowns, until finally we gave up on getting any work done that night and sat around sharing old photos, funny videos and stories that shaped us into the people we are today.

After living together for about a month, I’ve gotten to know my suitemates very well. I know about their likes and dislikes and what exams they have coming up, and I’ve heard a few stories here and there. But this was something much more meaningful.

It doesn’t matter whether you came to Syracuse from Hawaii or have lived here all your life. Every student here has left a life behind. Coming to a brand new environment from home can be shellshocking enough, and living with people whom you’ve only just met can amplify this feeling massively. Suddenly, you’re sharing four walls with a total stranger.

Building a relationship with your roommate early on is very important, and if you’re struggling to spark that connection, you might want to consider using your roommate agreement as a catalyst for conversation. I realize that connection-building likely wasn’t SU’s intent when they made this a requirement, but it’s a bonus that turns what at first seems like a tedious chore into an opportunity to make your dorm feel more like home.

Hannah Hewitson is a freshman majoring in journalism. She can be reached at hrhewits@syr.edu

Published on September 15, 2025 at 9:32 pm