Searching for your first apartment can be a little intimidating. There's a lot you've never had to think about before, and it's hard to know what actually matters until you're already in it. Here are the two things worth doing before you start looking. 

 This is the one that trips people up. A lot of students burn weeks looking at apartments in three different sizes because they haven't locked down their group yet. No landlord or agent is going to take you seriously until you can tell them how many people are on the lease. 
 
 Once you know who's in, find out what their deal breakers are. Does someone need a parking spot? Is anyone bringing a dog? These are the things that quietly eliminate half the listings you were about to go see, so it's worth an awkward conversation up front. 

 This one is easy and almost nobody does it. When you tour a place, ask for the phone number of someone living there now — ideally someone who's been there more than a year. 
 
 Five minutes on the phone with them tells you what no listing will: the real cost of utilities, the hidden fees, whether the landlord actually picks up when something breaks. That's the stuff you can't figure out from a walkthrough, and it's the stuff you'll be living with. 
 
 So: know your roommates, and talk to a current tenant. Then you're ready to go. Happy hunting.