Chinese college says it will let algorithms assign roommates based on interests and habits

Nanjing University’s new system cheered by netizens, but can you trust college students?

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Chinese college says it will let algorithms assign roommates based on interests and habits

Published: 7:35pm, 21 Aug 2018Updated: 8:36am, 20 Sep 2019

This article originally appeared on ABACUS

In the West, college dorm rooms are mostly shared by just two students. But in China, most dorm rooms are crammed with 4 to 6 people, assigned only by their student numbers.

It means your odds of sharing living space with roommates you don’t get along with for four years is extremely high. Some of them may not want to turn on air conditioning in a 30˚C summer because they think it’s bad for their health. (This may or may not be from personal experience.)

That’s why netizens in China loved today’s announcement from Nanjing University, who says they have a solution to the roommate nightmare.

The university says it will use “recommendation algorithms” for new enrollments this year, assigning them with roommates with similar interests and living habits, a local newspaper reports.

The newspaper’s Weibo post drew more than 17,000 likes and thousands of comments, with most users praising the university and taking the chance to complain about their own horrible roommates. (Air conditioning is totally safe!)

The university explained in the report that it created a recommendation system similar to what’s used on NetEase Music, a popular Spotify-like music streaming app in China. It says results will be based on online questionnaires filled out by the new students about their daily routine, air conditioner habits (!!!) and personal hygiene.