Theres more to college life than just cracking the books. Living away from home for the first time is like a social experiment on how to get along with others. Starting with your roommate, you will have to learn the fine art of give and take that will produce life-long skills in the social arena. Remember to treat your roommate with the utmost respect, and never let a petty squabble get out of hand. Once you have been assigned a roommate, it is extremely difficult to change your cohabitation partner until the end of the academic year. The two of you will be stuck with each other for at least nine months, so keep a lid on your temper at any cost. If you start a feud, your once congenial and compatible roommate may turn into a hostile and snarky cellmate that can make your life a nightmare with no window of escape. Pros: You maintain control to diffuse a situation Cons: Sometimes its hard to suck up the anger