Whether she became a best friend, snored or played the music too loud, the first time you laid eyes on your roommate is a memory that will probably last forever.

Friend or foe, roommates might wonder how they were assigned to live with each other. The whole process starts with their housing application.

Once students fill out their housing applications they can choose from certain options that are taken into consideration when roommate assignments are given, said Margaret Schmuller, NIU Housing Administrator.

“We break down the applications by lifestyle options, such as smoking or non-smoking and the different visitation hours we offer,” she said. “We have no background information at all on any of the students before we match them together.”

Once the applications are sorted out they are put into a computer and it randomly pairs up two names, Schmuller said.

Gregg Mylan, Grant Towers South Residence Assistant, said roommates usually do get along but sometimes there are problems that have to be dealt with.

“Most likely when there is a conflict it is usually the quiet student and the guy who is loud,” Mylan said. “It is rarely a major problem, but if it is I send them to my hall director.”

Some students come to NIU with a friend whom they want to live with, but Schmuller said student housing does not give any guarantees.

“Students can request to live with a certain person and their request will be granted if space is available, but applications are processed on a first-come, first-serve basis,” she said.

Ideally two students will have better odds if they send their housing applications in together, rather than risking one of their applications being processed before another, Schmuller said.