1. Be very patient and open

You have to realize that there’s a good chance your roommate is different from you and you have to be understanding of each other. Respect one another and try to talk through problems before jumping to the conclusion that it will never work.

You two may not agree on everything, but you both have to be willing to compromise. If you’re a slob and she’s a neat freak, you should start cleaning up in shared places. And they should try to be flexible and realize your unmade bed or messy closet doesn’t affect them.

2. Don’t share food

This may seem silly in the beginning when your fridge has two cartons of perfectly good milk sitting next to each other, but it’s the smart decision. Keeping track of who bought what last, who used the last of something, and who uses more of it because a big mess that is easily avoided. Just don’t share food. Borrowing (with asking) is fine, but don’t make a habit of it.

3. Don’t be best friends with your roommate

You might think you’ve found your soul mate when you first meet, but be friendly, not best buds. You live together. Do you really need to eat, party and hang out with each other all the time? Being friends is a good thing, but personal and separate time is important to any relationship. Things are a lot less likely to become sour if you don’t spend every waking moment together.

4. Sex in the dorms

Have a signal. A post-it on the door or a sock on the handle lets your roommate, and hall, know your room is occupied. Tell your roommate what’s going on. A simple, “”Hey don’t come in the room for an hour,”” can save you, your partner and your roommate from an awkward moment or a mood killer. (And it’s less annoying than coming home and seeing that post-it or sock and being stuck outside with no place to go.)

Oh, and stick to your own bed. Common courtesy.

5. Address changes

At the beginning of the school year, you’re asked to fill out a “”Roommate Agreement.”” But many of you have no idea what irks you the most at this time. In fact, many of you probably have never lived in the same room with a stranger before without any privacy.

So things come up. The best thing to do is tell them right away.

For example, if your roommate borrows your robe to shower once or twice at the beginning of the year, but turns it into a nightly occurrence, let them know what’s up before it becomes a big deal.