Every night of the week on campus, there are people that are going to have a few drinks, whether it is going out to a bar or staying in at an apartment. But if you’re the neighbor to those people having a party, it can be pretty annoying at times.

It is very important to establish a good relationship with neighbors at the start of the fall semester to ensure a smooth school year. If not, your grades can begin to suffer or you may wish you hadn’t signed the lease to your apartment or house that runs through the summer.

During the first week of the school year, go around and introduce yourselves to your neighbors. If somebody knocks on your door, shake their hand and be polite by offering them a drink.

If you don’t really want to actively search out the people in your building, let them come to you. If you feel safe enough to, try keeping the door open for the first week during the day. It will provide a nice breeze into the unit, and people walking by are more likely to stop and introduce themselves to you.

It’s smart right then to discuss any possible noise problems. If you’re going to be blasting music or having people over until odd hours in the night, it’s best to let them know so they can be prepared.

Let them know that if it’s too loud that you’ll try to keep it down. It’s better to hear a knock on your door from the neighbor who wants it to be quiet rather than a cop who wants to give you a noise complaint.

Should you be the one annoyed with the neighbors, let them know. They won’t know if something is bothering you unless you tell them.

Inviting your neighbors over every once in a while, whether it’s for a party, dinner or to watch an Illini game on television, can also go a long way. Doing so will let them feel more comfortable around and it could mend the relationship if it got off to a rough start. Also, they may be more inclined to invite you over for their events, meaning you may get a free meal or meet new people at a party.

If you feel that you don’t really want to become friends with your neighbors, it’s best to let them know how you feel about potential problems beforehand. If you do, they are more likely to find a way out of their own place to avoid any potential conflict.

Remember to treat people as you would like to be treated. Unfortunately, at times, there are security concerns, so if you see somebody that could be a potential threat and you see your neighbors’ door kicked in, call the police for them. If you they know that you have their back, they’ll have yours.

By making the effort early on and establishing a good report, it can last the entirety of the lease. If everything goes well, you may find yourself over at their place more than you are at yours because of how good of friends you’ve become.

If things don’t go quite to plan, well, there’s always next year.