How to deal with roommate problems from the neat-freak to the night owl

College is the first time a lot of people have shared a room with another person. It can be a great bonding experience and you totally love each other. Sometimes things turn nasty and it's World War III. There's a few rules to follow when it comes to living with roommate. Here's how to deal with roommate problems so you both don't leave the semester seething with hatred for the other person.

Make a set of rules upfront

A lot of schools have started making freshman fill out a roommate agreement forms. It's not a terrible idea even if you're an upperclassman. At the very least, you should both talk about your habits and expectations for the room. Any thing you think might bother you, bring it up at the beginning of the semester. If things go south, you both have the agreement or previously discussed rules to fall back on.

Communication is key

It's a total cliche, but it's so true. Your roommate cannot read your mind. They don't know that the one thing they do absolutely drives you up the wall. Don't be an asshole about it and go the passive agressive route or start a fight. Bring it up in a polite way and ask if there's anyway they change that behavior.

Keep it clean

There are messy people and clean people. You should talk and agree on a baseline of cleanliness that you should stick with. If you're living with a bunch of people in a suite or apartment, then a chore chart or routine wipe down isn't a bad idea. You don't want to put all the cleaning responsibilites on one person because that's not fair. Take turns going over the bathroom and kitchen. It'll make the space so much more liveable.

Be courteous

There's nothing wrong with living your life and coming back late. Just don't come in, turn on all the lights, and start making a ton of noise. Same goes for early risers. If you can give your roommate the heads up, that'll alleviate the wrath of a rudely awoken roomie. It's the age old saying, treat others as you'd want to be treated.

Guests aren't third roommates

Friends are going to come visit for a weekend and people are going to get significant others. When it comes to guests in the room, it's all about advance notice. You're responsible for your guest and they should respect the space. They can't stay forever. Try to give your roomie a warning if you're going to be having sex. No one wants to be laying there just a few feet away from you while you're getting it on.

Be good roommates, then friends

This is tricky lesson to learn, but focus first on being good roommates. You have to live with this person everyday for months. Make the space a relaxed and enjoyable place for both of you. You don't have to be BFFs. Just because you're college roommates, that doesn't mean you're attached at the hip. If you guys both abide by the basic rules you set up, you might click and become really good friends. Just make sure you give each other the necessary space and the rest will fall into place.