You’ve got a roomie! This may well be the first time you’ve ever had to share such close living space with someone else. If that’s the case there are some basic rules that will make your life much easier.

Make a friend of your roomie.

Go out of your way to make a friend of your roomie. Obviously, you’re going to be sharing that space for around eight or nine months. Make it easy on both of you and make friends with him or her.

Share.

Don’t be a piggy. If you take the bigger closet, give roomie the better bed location. Work out an equitable share of space and perks so both of you come out ahead.

Be considerate of your roomie’s needs.

There are times when your roomie needs quiet either to sleep or study. If you’re in the mood to boogie, either take it somewhere else, or listen to your music on headphones. Play nice.

Clean up your act.

Few dorms have anything like a maid service. If your room isn’t going to turn into a pigpen, at some point it’s going to have to be cleaned by you or your roomie or both. Work out in advance what’s tolerable for both of you and who will do what when. Then live up to that promise.

Respect your roomie’s space and stuff.

Your roomie’s stuff is sacred. Never-never-never-never-ever touch anything belonging to your roomie without their permission. Ever.

Respect your roomie’s time.

Not everyone is on the same time schedule. If you’re a night owl and roomie is an early bird, do your night-owling elsewhere and be quiet when you sneak back in the wee small hours.

Remember your roomie may be your friend for life.

Roomies often turn into some of the best friends you’ll ever make in your life. Your roomie may well be a friend to you your whole life — but that won’t happen if you mess up this relationship. So work hard to make your roomie your friend, and you’ll find it pays off both now — by making sharing a room tolerable — and later, as you realize your roomie is forever your friend.