Think for a moment — aside from their snoring pattern and pajama preferences — what do you really know about the stranger who sleeps in the extra-long bed across from yours?
Whether you were randomly assigned a roommate by the University or are rooming with your 13th-closest friend from last year, chances are that after one week of living together you still don’t know much about them. If you’re looking to overcome the hurdles of awkward small talk and long conversation pauses there are plenty of activities guaranteed to bring you and your roomies closer.
Back-to-school movie night
Rather than heading directly to Decades to dance the night away, start your cohabitation with simpler activities that require minimal spending and planning. Whether you’re a hate-watcher or a film buff, sharing your favorite movies as you munch on popcorn and sip Coke through Red Vines is an ideal low-stakes activity for new roommates.
The key to making movie night a successful bonding experience is to select a film that elicits banter and has a relatively simple plot. If you get enraptured in a conversation during the film you won’t miss much.
That being said, comedies are probably going to be your best bet. As newly minted University students, consider doing a double feature of your favored collegiate movies. From “Pitch Perfect” to “22 Jump Street,” there are plenty of comedies that tackle and satirize university life. Compare notes with your roommates on what the films get right and how they totally miss the mark.
Create your own walking tour
If you want to go late-night monumenting with your soon-to-be pals, I can’t stop you. But what does staring at marble statues really reveal to you about another person?
Instead, create your own personalized walking tour so you and the roomies can wear your micro obsessions on your sleeves. Very little coordination is required beyond picking a time to go sightseeing and do some independent research. For instance, macabre enthusiasts can easily organize a ghostly themed excursion as the District is home to a variety of paranormal activity from the iconic “Exorcist” steps to the M Street Bridge, where passersby claim they have seen the specters of a stagecoach driver and his horse who drowned in Rock Creek in 1788.
Though there are plenty of companies that offer walking tours around the District, some free and others paid experiences, you’ll come to understand your roommates much better as they show you the parts of the city they’re most passionate about.
Tonic trivia night
By now you’ve surely passed this red-bricked Foggy Bottom staple on the way to class and have heard lore of their delectable tater tots. But what you may not know is that this burger joint hosts trivia nights every Monday from 7:30 to 9 p.m.
This team-oriented activity will encourage you and your roommates to work together towards a common goal — a $50 gift card to Tonic. But beyond the glory and cash prize, this pastime provides an opportunity to get to know your housemates’ interests through their favored categories. Unearth your roommates’ science whiz or pop culture fanatic side and before you know it, you won’t be straining for conversation in the dining halls anymore.
Just be sure to split the prize evenly among yourselves — it would be a shame to wreck your newly formed bond by hogging the tater tot spoils of your victory.
Cook a meal together
Though convenient, the food served in our relatively new dining halls is aggressively mediocre most of the time, from broken waffle machine makers to overcooked turkey burgers. Rather than trudging downstairs to construct a bland plate from their offerings, collaborate with your roommates to plan out a meal that satisfies all of your cravings.
The majority of students at GW have either a personal or communal kitchen, but you don’t need much equipment to make a feast. Just look at TikTok creator @lazypotnoodle, who managed to cook a filet mignon with nothing but a slow cooker — earning the approval of none other than Gordon Ramsay.
It may take some trial and error, but once you get a rhythm going between dicing onions and stirring a sauce as it simmers, you’ll become attuned to each other’s preferences. Before long you’ll be swapping nostalgic recipes and coordinating weekly meals.
