If you ask me, everything was simpler in college. You had a set schedule, nobody judged you for being broke, and some of the most difficult life decisions were made for you. Particularly, choosing a roommate. In most cases, you were either assigned one through some randomized lottery or you and a friend grew close enough over the semester and telepathically agreed to cohabitate.

The ease of my college roommate selection leaned more towards the latter and appeared to be a luxury at the time, but in retrospect, it served to be a bit of an enabler in my overall development as a budding adult. You see, when I moved into my first apartment in Brooklyn, I was so eager to be out on my own and away from my small town that I didn't think twice about who I would be living with. In fact, the whole process happened so miraculously that I didn't bat an eye when my blogger-friend turned roommate reached out to me about a sudden opening in their place. I thought, "This has to be God!" But nicely put, I was in for quite an interesting experience.

No one's really to blame for my lack of preparation of what to look for and look out for in a potential roommate arrangement, as much of life's lessons come through trial, error, and Sunday afternoon discussions on who left the hair in the bathtub – ahh, the memories.

If only there was some kind of online course or app to assist in this painful process, but for now, you have me! Knowing how compatible you are with your potential roommate(s) is one of the biggest ways to avoid conflict and high stress levels in the place you all call home. Before you sign on a dotted line or wire a deposit, here are a few things to consider:

Test the Waters.

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Much like dating, you want to make sure that you and your roomie(s) are as compatible as possible. Now, although you can't go on a series of dates with one another – because that's expensive, you can opt for a chemistry test. Compile a list of questions that surround each other's lifestyles.

Are they a loner or social butterfly? 420 friendly? Are you dealing with a night owl or early bird? And most importantly, what are their cleaning habits? Having an open and honest foundation provides you with the freedom to decide if this is something you want to get into or if this is your chance to hit to road.

Set Boundaries.

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You don't have to be best friends with your roommates, but you do want to have a mutual respect for one another. That means that setting up rules and schedules can be helpful tools for the overall function of your abode.

Nobody likes to be a stickler, but in an effort to avoid drama and needless discourse, it's important to lay ground rules from the day you move in and not allow things that make you uncomfortable get swept under the rug. Every situation won't be perfect and some compromises will be made, but providing the space for everyone to be heard will give you all a better chance at peaceful living.

Roomie to Roomie Ratio.

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Contrary to popular belief, size does in fact matter.

In my experience, having just one roommate is ideal but no more than two is best. Sure, you can save a few coins on rent with more tenants, but you'll save a lot more when it comes to keeping the space clean, circulating chores, and your overall sanity. My old roommates and I used to have a running joke that we have a 5th roomie named Casper who used to leave dishes in the sink and spoiled food in the fridge.

It's funny when I look back on it, but when you're in the middle of playing, "Who's expired asparagus is this?" Figure out that number you can stand and no Caspers.

Do I Stay or Do I Go?

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In the event that you find yourself already five months into a 12-month lease and things just aren't working out, what exactly do you do? You've done all you could do, said all you could say, and still, no change. Is it time to call it quits or stick it out?

This is a tricky game because it really comes down to what you can afford. It's one thing to be paying rent for a room you already have, but it's another thing to have to save money for a new place while you are still paying for the one you already occupy. If you see things are headed in the wrong direction, I recommend having a chat about it prior to the lease ending. Talk about what things can be worked on moving forward.

But if things just seem too irreversible, give yourself enough time to save up for a new place because so you don't end up being the one on the street.

Featured image by Getty Images.

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