In every relationship you will ever have, whether it be with yourself, a romantic partner, a friend, a family member, a roommate or an acquaintance, you will need to establish boundaries. Without boundaries, you will feel as if your life is out of control and others will find an opportunity to tread on you. Furthermore, having strong boundaries can help us manage conflict more effectively.

So let's set some rules that will transform our lives for the better:

1. Respect yourself.

Make sure you are treating yourself properly because how you view yourself equals how you treat others. Therefore, if you cannot respect yourself, you cannot bring yourself to respect others.

2. Know how and when to say "no."

Most of the time, people know when they are "pushing your buttons" and they'll back off. But a few people might not realize when they have crossed the line. For those people, you need to make sure you explicitly tell them to back off or they're going to keep walking all over you. I know that telling people "no" is sometimes one of the most difficult actions we can take, but in the long run it is going to be worth it.

I know that many incoming college freshmen or upperclassmen are going to be living with roommates. Writing out an explicit roommate contract that details whether you like to have visitors in your room or not, who vacuums the floor/cleans the sink on what week(s), when you would like to "hit the hay," whether you don't mind your roommate using your things or would rather they ask you first, how hot (during the winter) or cold (during the summer) you would like the room to be, etc. can lessen the likelihood of conflict from arising.

3. Keeping personal opinions personal.

Let's face it: we all have that one person that we do not like. Usually when we dislike someone, we tend to gossip about them in person or even on social media. The problem about that is that your friends might be friends with that person as well. As soon as that person hears that you're talking negatively about them, it stirs a whirlwind of drama. If you have a problem with a person, talk to them directly about the issue. This will save a lot of time from facing a tidal wave of unnecessary drama so you can focus on what matters most: your academics, your current part-time job, your friends and your family.

4. Be proactive and not reactive.

A proactive person anticipates a situation even before it arises. That means that they are less likely to be surprised when a situation occurs.

5. Be wary about how much you disclose to another person.

When you're with an acquaintance, you probably do not want to disclose the deeper facts about your life. You would probably want to keep a greater physical distance and only reveal the "icing of the cake" of your life to that specific individual so that they don't feel uncomfortable.

6. Treat others the way that you would like to be treated.

Make sure you respect and love others no matter how rude they might seem. Do remember that people tend to be a direct reflection of how you treat them as well. If you treat them terribly, don't expect kindness in return.

7. Let go of toxic people.

Letting go of people who only bring you down or make you feel insecure about yourself can be difficult, but it will benefit you in the long run. Make sure that you are surrounding yourself with those that push you to become better and support you in a positive manner. Sometimes this might mean letting go of the people you care about the most: your family and your closest "friends."

8. If you ever need help, don't be afraid to ask for help.

TCU has a counseling center and a hotline that is available for all Horned Frog students. They will be able to listen to you and guide you better than your peers might. Also, don't be afraid to reach out to your resident assistant, your hall director or Campus Life for advice.