When you first go off to college, one of the big adjustments you have to deal with is living with a college roommate. You may have one or even more roommates, and while this can bring some excitement, it can also bring irritation and infuriation. There are many college roommate horror stories, some funny and some scary, that you’ll hear from college students.

Tip #1 – Get Some Rules

Rules are important for college students that are rooming together. If you don’t set any rules in the beginning, the roommate will think that anything goes. Sit down and talk about the preferences that both of you have. Does one of you like getting up early in the morning or staying up late? Do you have to have quiet when doing homework? Do you prefer listening to the music turned all the way up? Find out about these things early and come up with some rules together. It makes living together a bit easier.

Tip #2 – Learn the Art of Compromise

Okay, so you may not feel like compromising. More than likely you are used to having your room your way. Well, get over that now. Compromise is the name of the game when you have a college roommate. Of course, you shouldn’t be the one giving in all the time. Both of you need to work together to compromise so you can come up with good solutions that you both can deal with.

Tip #3 – Talk to Each Other

Many roommates get frustrated and just hold things in. This is a mistake and will only cause more problems. If something is bothering you, talk to your roommate about it. The more you talk to each other, the more you can avoid conflict and annoying each other even more. Just be honest and save your battles for things that are really important. Complaining all the time isn’t going to get anything done for you.

Tip #4 – Respect Your Roommate and Their Property

When you have seen your roommate stagger in at 3am trashed on Sunday morning, it may be tough to have respect for them, but you need to respect them as well as their property. One big compliant that roommates have is their other roommate going through their stuff. Don’t do this. You don’t want them taking your things, so save a lot of big fights and just respect them and their property. You’ll be more likely to get through your first year of college without getting beat up that way.