Living in your sorority house is a big decision, and for some a requirement. People will tell you they loved it, while others may tell you exactly the opposite. Everyone's experience is different, but I've compiled a list of lessons that I learned living in, that I hope some incoming live-in's can use to their advantage when it comes to their overall sorority house once in a lifetime experience.

Respect: Respect is a broad way of expressing how much you learn about respecting each other, respecting other’s space, and respecting others belongings. When you’re lending your clothes to people, just understand that your article is not gone, it might be in someone’s closet for a whole semester, but it’s pretty tolerable. If you’re specific about your things, and how they are, be clear with your roommate and let them know what’s up.

Communication is key: When you need to get a point across to someone you live with, use your words, and be straight up. Dropping hints and beating around the bush just ends up leading to even more miscommunication. Besides, if you're in the same house, you should be close enough that you can feel comfortable talking to the person you're living with. My first semester I made one of my closest friends, just because she was assigned as my roommate. I barely knew her going into the year, but spending every night with her showed me that we had a lot more in common than I had ever expected. Despite popular belief, girls don't suck that bad, and making new best friends is fun!

Label everything:If you want it to stay with you, put your name on it. Especially for close friends, and in a sorority, you all have matching bid day shirts, Greek week attire, and even matching leggings. So, things get mixed up pretty easily. Simply label everything that you can with your name so that if it ever comes down to someone taking it, there’s always written proof right inside the collar when you need it.

Be understanding: Everyone has their days. If someone gives you a dirty look, doesn’t smile when they pass you in the bathroom, or hides out in their room for a few hours, don’t take it personally! There will be times people will want to be alone, and there will be times that roommates want to invite visitors. Use communication to lay down the law and come to a mutual understanding on everything.

Have a positive attitude: Never take your bad day or bad attitude out on your sisters. They’re the greatest support system you have, so try and keep it! The more positive you treat every situation, the more positive the atmosphere of your room will be. Be the person people turn to for help, or the person that people want to spend time with, it’ll make your in-house experience much more fun and overall enjoyable.

If you have a problem, solve it: If a problem arises, you don’t want to be the girl to just try and “brush it under the rug.” If you broke something that wasn’t yours, lost something you borrowed, or something of the sort, just talk it out. There’s no point in trying to lie, or hide things from people, because usually word travels pretty fast. I’m lucky to be in a house that problems were slim to non-existent, and to live with a group of girls that I was so close with.

Be conscious: Remember that you’re not in a dorm anymore, and people can hear you come in stomping at 4 a.m., then know exactly who it was the next morning. If you forget to respect other people’s living space, they may stop respecting yours. If it looks like someone it having a bad day, go out of your way to ask what’s up.When you get stressed enough, it’s easy to feel pretty helpless and even alone, even when you’re living in a house with so many other people.

It’s okay to say no to going out: I never like saying no to spending time with friends, but living in the house, and everyone having their own schedules, there is pretty much always someone who is free and doing something fun. This is both a blessing and a curse. It makes for a lot of fun, late night talks, and adventures, as well as a lot of distractions when you may be trying to get school work done or study. Set your own priorities and do what you have to do to get yourself through the week. If someone cares about you, they wont hate you for putting their own needs first sometimes.

Make the most of it: This is the most important piece of advice I can give you about living in. Make the most of the time you have! Even if it seems stressful at the time and like things aren’t going your way, give it time, and pursue happiness for yourself. Don’t mope, remind yourself that in your whole life, this is the only chance you’re going to get to live in a huge beautiful mansion, with a bunch of your closest girl friends, a chef, a cleaning crew, heated bathroom floors, and a once in a lifetime experience. Being alone is no fun, if you have this kind of chance to live with your best friends, take it! Because I loved calling Fraternity Village Drive my home.