“What’s your major?” “Are you an early riser?” “What’s your shoe size?” “How would you describe your personality?” All of these, along with many other questions, are crucial to discover about a person before deciding to room together in college.

College is a whole new battlefield. Many people will be leaving to live on their own away from their families and friends. At first it may be overwhelming. Luckily, most are allowed one person to live with—a roomie, and hopefully one that can become your friend.

Nowadays, many lucky college students have the opportunity to “roommate shop.” Several colleges even have websites designed to meet potential roommates. It may be awkward, but then again so is starting a whole new chapter of life.

I fought through the awkwardness of asking girls multiple questions to determine if it was a good fit and decided that it was better to be straightforward about what I want in a roommate. After all, I’ll be living with her. This was the closest I’ve ever been—and hope to ever be—to online dating.

Once you find out the major factors such as major and dorm preference, minor factors are the next to investigate. It may sound creepy, but it’s better you know now that they only sleep three hours a night instead of when you’re trying to get a solid eight. Maybe they multitask while studying and you need complete silence. Maybe they only do laundry once a month and you do yours once a week. The last thing you need is for you and your roommate to contrast each other in every aspect.

No one will ever find a perfect roommate. Sooner or later, something will reveal itself that doesn’t quite float your boat. The key is not to be elaborate about what kind of person you live with; the key is to determine what factors will make or break your choice of being roommates. For me, a few factors include excessive partying, laziness, a high-maintenance persona and the inability to unwind and delight in quality Netflix time.

For those who don’t get the opportunity to find roommates or maybe just want to be surprised, this advice can apply in college. Just like everyone else in your life now, your roommate is not a perfect human being. However, developing a friendship right off the bat might make your dorm room feel homier.