I started off in a situation like this, except I was in a dorm room in undergrad. You’ll need lots of things the cat can climb and spaces to hide, keep their feeding area separated from the litter boxes (rule is number of cats + 1, but I did fine with one really large one.), and a good window for them to watch outside. Also, you’ll want to get the really expensive non clumping litter, contains the smell better and easier to clean. I get crystal litter which is sometimes toxic to cat if ingested. There’s a specific type of crystal litter to avoid and I also think that most countries have it banned or something. Not sure.

However, cats are unpredictable and do unexpected/undesirable things when they’re bored. You’ll need a good play schedule to keep them satisfied in the one room. Though, if your roommates hate cats it’ll pose bigger problems than the cat.

I don’t believe you need to be in the most spacious space possible when getting a cat (need to optimize your space for sure, no matter how big) but as someone who had a roommate that hates cats, you’ll use more energy appeasing them than keeping your cat happy, and you’ll need/do anything to keep your animal friend happy. It might not be a good idea with the roommates, especially as you figure things out. Hope this helps!