Most first-year college student horror stories tend to have one common denominator: bad roommates. Your first roommate experience can make or break your college experience.

When you're going away from home for the first time, you need to feel comfortable with the person you'll be spending most of your time with. This is the person who will be living right across the room from you for the next two semesters.

Every roommate situation is different. I've heard horror stories on both ends of the spectrum, where they were too close or not close enough and ended up having a falling out.

If you've never met the person you're about to be living with, things can get off to a pretty rocky start. However, sometimes knowing the person too well and then moving in with them can cause complications.

Off the top of my head, I can name at least three of my friends from my freshman year who were all in bad roommate situations because they rushed the process. You've probably already heard this a million times before, but you can't rush the process of finding a roommate, especially your first one.

Don't just assume you guys will be a good pair based on one conversation. Take time to get to know how you guys would be able to co-exist together. Take time to learn things about one another.

All in all, just try to be smart about who you choose to live with. Your first year of college is going to be stressful as it is, and the last thing you need is a bad roommate to add to your stress levels.

Remember that mistakes do happen, and if you still find yourself in a bad roommate situation, don't be afraid to speak up. If you're open and honest with your roommate, you might be able to mend the situation, or at the very least, move to a different room.