When Joe Mueller, 20, found out that his roommate in his freshman-year dorm at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., was a night owl, he tried to ignore it. But when his late-night noise continuously kept Mueller awake before varsity lacrosse practice in the morning, he finally snapped.

"He would sleep until 2 p.m. every day and stay up until 5 a.m. every night," he says. "I flipped out one night and said something to him, and then left the room and slept downstairs on the couch in the lobby."

Adapting to the many aspects of dorm life — living with strangers, deciding what to bring and dealing with newfound independence — can be a rough transition. The best way to survive freshman year in the dorms, experts say, is to be prepared.

OPEN MIND, SPEAK UP

Karen Coburn, assistant vice chancellor for students and associate dean for the freshman transition at Washington University in St. Louis, says freshmen need to go into college living situations with an open mind.

"Part of the reason you are going away is to expand your horizons and meet people different from you," she says. "But if there are issues or problems, try not to let it build up."

Mueller agrees and says that in his situation, it was beneficial for him to speak up. Afterward, both he and his roomie tried to be more considerate.

"I would often get really annoyed because he was keeping me up typing, and I would find myself doing the same thing to him a week later and didn't even realize," he says. "Try to think about not doing anything that would annoy you when you are going into a situation."

PACKING 101

David Landers, director of the student resource center at Saint Michael's College in Colchester, Vt., says another common mistake he often notices with freshmen is overpacking. His advice: Students should lay out all the things they want to bring, and then only take half.

"We'll see cars pulling into the parking lot on the first day, and it looks like they have four years worth of stuff," he says.

Mueller adds that the most important thing is communicating with your roommate beforehand about who is bringing what.

"It's the smallest room you are going to have all four years, so you have to try to conserve space," he says. His suggestions included bins to store stuff you aren't using and a microwave along with sealed foods for the nights you are up until 4 or 5 a.m. and eateries are closed.

Mark Jaime, a sophomore at Arizona State University, says students need their own computers, despite computer lab access at many colleges. He also suggested that students bring something that wards off homesickness.

"I brought a football," he says.

TIME WITHOUT BORDERS

Coburn says that learning to balance an academic and social life in the dorms is especially difficult, because freshmen are accustomed to supervision.

"There is constant stimulation and people to talk to," she says.

Mueller says he watched friends spend hours playing video games his freshman year instead of managing their time.

"They don't have an idea of what is going on yet, and they do whatever they want," he says. "They don't realize how it's going to affect them — like sleeping through class and drinking on weekdays. Either they shaped up or they were gone after sophomore year."

Ian Birky, director of counseling services at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa., says the most useful study tool for freshmen is a daily planner.

"Glance at your week before it starts," he says. "Prepare psychologically for that event."

Crazy roomies, no supervision, confined spaces ... how to survive?