FEATURE ARTICLES should it arise, so building trust during roommate meetings is critical. * Communication styles vary culturally and individually. Ensuring that this is acknowledged within the roommate meeting is important to combat potential barriers. * Consider having staff reflect on Barna's (2017) Stumbling Blocks in Intercultural Communication and how they might be aware of them/combat them during a roommate meeting: Assumptions of Similarities Language Differences Nonverbal Misinterpretations Preconceptions and Stereotypes Tendency to Evaluate High Anxiety To learn more about roommate agreements, check out our blog post where we worked with Skyfactor Benchworks to look at data and what that tells us about roommate agreements. As a precursor to roommate agreements, check out this helpful PDF document that identifies stressors and strategies related to roommate assignments. As we move from move-in season to assignments season, reflection and data is essential for continual improvement. If you want to chat more about assignments, we'd love to hear from you! Reach out to community@erezlife.com and we'll set up a time to chat. 9https://www.bit.ly/3uwxSZb https://www.bit.ly/3D4Nar6