No one has an easy time adapting to dorm life. It’s your first time living on your own, not to mention in probably the nastiest place ever. Here are a few ways you can make sure you survive your first year.

1. Keep your door open for the first week.

Not making friends with the people who live right next to you (and will live next to you all year) can really make an impact on your quality of living. Take it from me that if you don’t make friends with the people right next door, you will have a hard time adjusting. It’s no fun to be a loner in your dorm. Keeping your door open will invite people to talk to you and make it easier to make friends. Some of your best friends could be living right down the hall.

2. Keep your side clean.

It’s just common courtesy and it will make you more comfortable living in a small space.

3. Pick your roommate wisely.

I know that you may think that college is all about firsts, but here is your exception. Don’t try something new with your roommate. Pick a roommate who has common interests or maybe common situations. If you’re out of state, pick someone else who is out of state! It will give you the excuse to go on adventures together and explore the unknown world around you. If you like art, pick someone who also likes art! There are probably lots of things on campus about art that you can do together.

4. Don’t spend all your time in your dorm.

One way to get really sick of your dorm is to spend absolutely all your time in it. Spend some time outside, with your friends, or studying in the library. Don’t always be under the covers of your bed watching Netflix, or face-timing your friends back home telling them how much you miss them all the time. It will just make you feel even lonelier than you may already feel.

5. Pick your dorm wisely.

Do some research. “Does the dorm you want to choose have a lot of showers?” and “Does it have a big enough closet?” are both great questions! However, what you really want to look up is the reviews. I’m sure somewhere on the internet someone has written something about the dorm you’re looking at. Do yourself a favor and take those reviews into account. For example, if someone said, “It had roaches,” I wouldn’t necessarily choose that dorm. If the majority of reviews say something nice about it, you’re probably good to go! Use good judgment.

6. Pick a day to do your laundry.

Look at your schedule and decide when the best time to do your laundry would be. Don't even attempt to do your laundry over the weekend; it's not worth it. Pick a time during the week when you have a good two hours of free time and do it then. It will also open up your weekend and prevent procrastination of doing it. No one likes a giant pile of laundry.

7. Pick a room with a rug.

It’s just a lot “homier” than a tile floor. And no cold feet!

8. Make it your own.

Decorating is more important than it seems. Putting your own twist to your side of the room will make you more comfortable in calling your dorm “home.” Add lots of pictures of yourself, your friends, you family, your memories, and most importantly, your pets. Make sure you bring your favorite pillows and blankets to make yourself comfortable at night. And to top it off, make sure you have some cute things to hang on your wall: inspirational quotes, Christmas lights, wall tapestry, etc. It’s all about you.

Although dorm life is not the most glamorous, it is part of the experience. You will have some of the best memories from your freshman year in your dorm room. Don’t skip out on that experience! You’ll have your times where you hate it and can’t take it anymore, but in the end, you’ll miss having all your friends right down the hall.