Compatibility is key when it comes to communal living, particularly when the room is smaller than most studio apartments. The night owl won’t appreciate the early riser, and the neat freak will have ...

 Although Katie Anninos has a lot of friends, she found her new dorm roommate online. Sacred Heart is one of 12 universities in the country using an online roommate service to match students with roommates.

The scene: Boxes are scattered all over the floor, contents spilling out. The closet is packed with clothes, and the rest are hanging on the bathroom shower rod. Stereos, televisions, CD storage boxes and computers crowd desktops, dressers and even the beds. A futon ...

If you’ve never had a roommate, you probably feel lucky. But sharing a living space with someone teaches you a lot about life. The value of compromise, for one thing. And the importance of respecting how other people are different from you. Having a roommate even teaches you problem-solving skills, such as how to convince your roommate that a burglar broke in and stole nothing but his “Exotic Noises of Zatumba” CD.