Avoid the mess of unclean dishes, scattered laundry and dirty floors with creative ways of dividing house responsibilities. With these ideas, there won’t be a need for passive aggressive notes or unnecessary tension. Instead, you will most likely experience better communication and form a stronger friendship with your roommates.

Initiate the ‘talk’

A roommate meeting may seem silly at first, but it may help to avoid future headaches. Sit down and talk with your roommate(s) about house responsibilities and expectations and create a plan of how to divide the responsibilities. Being honest and straightforward is important because it can prevent conflicts from happening later on in the year.

Remember likes and dislikes

My favorite dessert is anything with chocolate, while my roommate favors green tea ice cream. Bottom line is: We’re different, so it is probable that you and your roommate(s) will have different preferences regarding chores. If there is a chore you loathe but your roommate enjoys, let your roommate take care of that house responsibility. But alternate turns for chores that you and your roommate(s) equally like and dislike.

Let luck decide

To ensure fairness for all, let luck decide the fate of your house responsibilities. Roll a pair of dice, spin a wheel, draw straws or play a game of Uno. Just make sure everyone plays by the rules and accepts the outcome with good sportsmanship.

Make a calendar or chart

If the stakes are too high in letting luck decide, opt for a more traditional route by making an organized calendar that maps out the cycle of shifts. To instill accountability, initial your names once the chores are completed. To add more appeal and fun, personalize the calendar with photos of you and your roommate(s), your celebrity crushes or cute cats. For something simpler, print out a chart and put it on the fridge or draw it out on a dry erase board.

Offer a grace period

There will be times when homework, fatigue and laziness will cause us to neglect our house responsibilities. In those times, don’t react harshly. Instead, give a friendly reminder to your roommate(s) about the chores that need to be done. Lend a hand when you can, because you will appreciate a few days of grace when you are in a similar situation.

Stephanie is a senior in Media. She can be reached at [email protected].