Set aside an hour every week to clean your room/apartmentCleaning

I never did this, and my apartment became an endless pit until I couldn't take it any more. 

The worst of all the pits accumulated during those hated exam times (which is entirely reasonable), so during the stress free periods, I would clean these up (and play pool, but that's irrelevant).

This is to keep your sanity.

This means: 

• no food laying around
• a visible carpet/floor
• a rolly chair that does not roll on paper, clothing, or (heaven forbid) trash

When I had my awesome apartment, I would wake up very early and make my neighbors (well, I assume) angry because I would "iRobot" the place while I shower. 

AUTOMATIC VACCUUM CLEANERS RULE!!!