2025-26 Room Selection for First-year Residents

Room selection for first-year students begins March 31

Before you begin

Not us over-explaining everything...

We broke this process down in extreme detail so you don't miss anything!

If you have a roommate, whichever of you has the earliest selection date should do the process and assign everyone. Only one student needs to complete the process for all roommates.

PSA: If you know who you want to room with, you must have each other locked in as roommates in My College Roomie. 

How does that work? One roommate must request the other to be their roommate, and that request needs to be accepted by the other student.

We recommend selecting a room on a laptop/desktop vs. your phone.

How to select a room

1. Log in to CatPAWS
2. Click Housing
3. Navigate into the Housing System
4. Click 2025-26
5. Click Select My Room
6. Select a Shared Room and hit Next
   NOTE: If you plan on living in a private room, you will want to select private.
7. Review your roommate list (if applicable)
   a. If your roommate(s) is correct, click Next
   b. If your roommate(s) is not correct, click Manage My Roommate
8. Choose your room by clicking on the campus map!
   a. (Click the Residence Halls box. Make sure to select your residence hall, floor and floor section!)

How to navigate

• Any item with a green border or a green bed icon is an available space
• Any item with a red border or a red bed icon is not available
• Tip: Clicking a red bed icon lets you see who is assigned there and their lifestyle preferences.
• If you need to go back, click the Northwest Missouri State University hyperlink directly above the map graphic.

9. Select a green bed icon to select a room
   a. You will have seven minutes to complete the remainder of the process or your room will be released.
   b. If you wish to change your selection, click Release Room

If you do not have a pre-selected roommate:
We encourage you to select a room with one open bed rather than selecting a bed and leaving the room half-full. This allows you to select a roommate based on their lifestyle preferences and determine if they align with yours. To view their lifestyle preferences, click the red bed icon.

10. Use the drop-down menu(s) to assign yourself and your roommate (if applicable) a specific bed space
    a. If you choose to live in a private room:
           1. Assign yourself first to the first bed space
           2. Select Buyout this Bed Space on the second-bed space/
    Note: This step must be completed to reserve a private room
11. Scroll down and choose Next
12. Click Finish

Review your selections by clicking View My Assignments.

Meal plans

We will contact you in late May to select your meal plan. In the meantime, you can check out those options here. 

Need help?

Email reslife@chalakseir.com with your question(s). Please include your Northwest 919# so we can respond as quickly as possible. This email account will be monitored constantly during regular business hours on selection days. 

Call 660.562.1214 or 660.562.1430. We strongly encourage you to email first, but if more immediate assistance is needed don’t hesitate to call.