Does anyone have any tips for sharing a room with others? I start college next year, and I’m nervous about having a roommate and dealing with perfectionism compulsions.

Try writing a letter to your roommate! Don't give her all the details if you're not comfortable yet, but maybe tell her that you like things in a particular way :)

I found it easier if there were clearly demarcated “my space” and “her space.” Her space became more or less “invisible” to me, and if anything in her space came into my space, I threw it into her space lol. She was remarkably chill about it all. We didn’t even have a discussion about the invisible line; I just began acting like it was there and she never debated it. Later in my twenties I shared a room AND a bed with my sister. There were days when I only made my half of the bed and her half was unmade lol. So it kinda stayed symmetrical lol: one half mess, one half non-mess. Yin and yang.

You might want to start seeing a therapist about your perfectionism. What does your perfectionism look like? Is it about overall neatness, symmetry of items, re-checking school work, re-reading, re-writing, etc.? Can you share a dorm room with a friend attending the same college that you might be able to tolerate as a roommate? Remember, a roommate in this kind of living arrangement does not have to follow your rules and may very well rebel against them.