Let's face it: The best things about having your own apartment are the opportunities to throw amazing parties and the general freedom to do basically whatever you want.

However, apartments aren't all fun and games, and in my first semester living in one I have learned many valuable rules which I want to pass on. It's important to learn how to survive roommates, pay rent payments and deal with al l the other nuisances of apartment life.

When the apartment realtor asks you not to urinate off your balcony, they really mean it.

When you're choosing your apartment, try to find something close to ground level. I live on the second floor, and it's the perfect location because while you still have a pretty nice view, you can always abandon ship if things get a little out of control. While I don't recommend jumping off your balcony as an escape route; my roommate did it and he ended up being OK -- except for all those hospital bills.

It's fun to barbecue on your balcony, as long as you keep things that are highly flammable away from fire. Common sense, right? But I didn't laugh when my roommate ran into our apartment screaming hysterically that he lit our balcony on fire. Apparently he decided to put hot coals into a cardboard box and then set it next to a bottle of lighter fluid, which I suppose made perfect sense then ...

Fish are great pets, but you should probably put the tank somewhere safe when you throw a party. While it was hilarious to watch the goldfish swim in a beer-filled tank and make out with its own reflection for three days, it developed a nasty addiction for Natural Light and eventually had to be taken to an Alcoholic's Anonymous meeting.

Dishwashers are a key aspect of the apartment, and if you treat them with the respect they deserve they will do the same to you. If you leave dishes in the dishwasher too long they will grow mold. If the dishwasher overflows, don't be too concerned about cleaning it up right away because the suds also do a pretty good job cleaning the kitchen floor.

It's important that you take the trash out regularly. Not only does it start to smell, but we realized that raccoons will wander into your living room, mistaking it for their natural habitat.

This advice is for the ladies who end up living next to an apartment full of guys: We will inevitably trash our apartment through laziness and general ineptitude at cleaning, and in all probability will end up migrating to your place looking for sustenance when our fridge is empty. Don't be alarmed. Simply call the phone number of the nearest animal control center, or, better yet, find one of us a nice girlfriend who will clean and cook for us.

Always, always, always knock before entering. I can't stress this one enough.

Don't forget to pay rent. Apparently realtors take "contractual obligations" pretty seriously.

In all seriousness, the most important part of living in an apartment is making sure that you choose great roommates. It is important to choose people you can get along with and who will respect your property and living space. While I don't think many people will have as much luck in this as my roommates and I did, you should still try, because you don't want to be contemplating homicide when you should be studying for finals.

So while "in theory" an apartment is a lot of "responsibility," it also can be a lot of fun, as long as you follow these simple, yet relatively vital, guidelines.