Not every roommate pairing will be the next Turk and JD, but like it or not, you’re living with that guy (or girl) for the next year. It’s in everybody’s best interest that you two (or four, or eight) get along well, and we at The Odyssey want to help make that happen.

1. Talk about the boring stuff first

Early into the year, your RA is going to make you and your roommate sign a basic contract about behaving nicely and deciding what parts of the room you’re each going to clean. You probably won’t read it. Make sure you cover the important details, though, like what time you actually go to sleep, and whether or not your roommate is a serial killer.

2. Communicate

You don’t have to be in Annenberg to figure this one out. If you’re going to bring friends to the dorm, let your roommates know ahead of time, so they aren’t surprised when they find a house party in their dorm. And if something is bothering one of you, bring it up as it happens. Address the little things while they’re little or you’ll regret it later.

3. Respect each other

If Yeezus can do it, so can you. You both have an equal right to your dorm, so act like it. Don’t mess with or take the other person’s stuff. Yes, they’re going to notice if you use their shampoo every day, and not just because you’ll both smell alike. Plan out who brings what, or if there’s something you guys want to share, like a Hulu account. And if you damage your roommate’s stuff, tell them. You’re not going to get away with crashing your pennyboard into the wall and leaving that huge hole. Own up to it. Besides, you can get all that stuff fixed for free with a work order.

4. Contain your filth

As someone who has had to napalm one of this roommates with Febreeze during finals week, I cannot stress this one enough. Whether it’s doing the laundry, making your bed, or just keeping your side of the room relatively free of chicken bones, cleaning is important. If you’re in a dorm that comes with separate bathrooms, they’ll be cleaned twice a week. You need to clean that thing more than twice a week so it doesn’t look like the aftermath of one of those L'Oréal commercials. Set rules early on how it’s going to be kept clean and get it done. Not that hard.

5. Actually get to know your roommate

Some people expect their roommate to become their best friend. Others just want someone they can live with. Whichever category you and your roommate fit into, try to understand who they are and where they come from. Learn what they like, and you might find something new to enjoy. You’re not going to agree on everything, and one of you will probably like "Magic: The Gathering" a lot more than the other. But like I wrote before, your roommate(s) will have a lot to teach you. So be courteous, be polite, and give them some fair warning if the women’s basketball team is on their way to kick your ass.

Oh, and find one of those little “Do Not Disturb” things that hangs on the door. It’ll come in handy, trust me.