Roommate Icebreakers
We asked the Resident Advisors to come up with icebreaker questions to help first-year students get to know their roommate(s). Here is a list of the questions they came up with:
- What is the furthest you've been from your home?
- What is the weirdest thing you've ever eaten?
- If you could live anywhere in the world for a month where would it be?
- What is the most daring/craziest thing you've ever done?
- You are a superhero, but unfortunately you're stuck with a special power that is entirely useless. What is your superhero name and your useless power?
- If you could be in the movie of your choice, what movie would you choose and what character would you play?
- If you could meet any historical figure, who would you choose and why?
- What is your favorite home-cooked meal?
- What are your friends like?
- What animal (or non-animal species) do you most relate to and why?
- If you could open a door to any place - fictional or nonfictional; past, present, or future, where would it open up to and why?
- What is the strangest ice-breaker question you have been asked?
- What type of candy describes your personality and why?
- If you were offered the gift of mind reading, would you accept or decline?
- What do you consider to the most valuable thing you own: when you were a child/teenager/now?
- What is the worst thing you've ever eaten?
- What's the most outrageous pickup line you've ever used or had used on you?
- If you had to create a slogan for your life, what would it be?
- If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?
- If you could choose anywhere in the world to live, where would it be?
- What is your favorite kind of ice cream and does it symbolize or describe you?
- If you could learn to play a sport, what would it be?
- What do you believe you are good at? (Sport, craft, etc.)
- Do you own any pets?
- Do you have any allergies?
- When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
- If you could meet someone from history, who would you want to meet and why?
- A good "get to know you question" I know is called "one lie and two truths". A person will say two truths about themselves but also a lie about themselves. So for example I could say, I lived in New Zealand, I coach tennis in Santa Barbara, and I have two cats. The other person would have to guess and try to identify which one of those is a lie. (I have two dogs).
- What person from any movie or book would be the best/worst possible roommate?
- If you could go to dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
- What is your fondest childhood memory?
- What do you consider the most valuable thing you own?
- Initially, I messaged my future roommate and told her a little bit about myself (like where I was from, what I liked to do, why I choose Dickinson etc.) and that worked out really well for me. I ended my email saying how I was excited to meet her and that I would love to hear more about her before we both got here! Once she emailed me back, I asked more questions about her.
- If you had to choose one place in the world as your favorite place, where would it be? Would you want to live there or simply stop by every once in a while? It can be real or fictional.
- What is your biggest pet peeve?
- What are some things you are looking forward to doing at Dickinson? Any clubs you are interested in or classes or subjects you really want to explore?
- If you could do anything you wanted to right now, what would it be?
- What is your favorite memory?
- What is your favorite meal? This can bring up conversation just about food, but can also get the conversation going on family traditions, favorite places to eat from hometowns, and positive memories.
- If you could be any age forever what would it be and why?
- If you have an hour of free time what would you do?
- What's the best gift you've ever received?
- What are you most excited about at Dickinson? What are you most nervous about?
- What is your best scar story?
- Who is your celebrity crush?
- What drives you every day?
- What has been your biggest challenge?
- What has been your biggest success up until now?
- What is your most treasured memory?
- What is the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?
- If a crystal ball could tell you the truth about yourself, your life, the future or anything else, what would you want to know?