College move-in day is one of the most daunting, and sometimes frightening times a young adult can experience. Finally moving out and starting to live on your own can be an incredible experience- as long as you have a decent roommate.

There are many small nuances that are necessary to master in order to find the ideal roommate on your school’s plethora of social media pages.

First off, know your own lifestyle, and try to find someone who goes about their day similarly. Pairing an aloof programer together with an outgoing law student may not bring the best results. Spend time speaking with potential roommates  and try to get to know their schedules better, (when do they go to sleep, what do they like to do during the day, do they share common interests, etc.)

Second, no one is going to live the exact same way you do. There will have to be compromise in the process of finding someone who you will be sharing a room with for the next ten months.

It’s important to be honest. Don’t lie about something that may scare people away. If you’re a complete neat freak, let them know because the situation will only get worse when you’re actually living together.

Most importantly, don’t room with someone simply because they were a friend in high school. Just because you got along at school then, doesn’t mean you will be a good match to live together now. Evaluate them based on their lifestyle choices and your compatibility, not just because you had the same chemistry class.