7 Things to Know About Living in a Dorm

By Lorena Roberts on August 20, 2018

As college students across the nation get ready to head back to campus for the fall semester, many of these students will be residing in dormitories (either for the first time, or as an upperclassman). Usually, colleges recommend (or sometimes even require) first-year students to live on campus because of how different the experience will be. For students who plan to continue living at home, they may struggle to find friends or feel like a “real” college student.

Being completely immersed in the college environment is the life experience all students need. There are usually several on-campus living options, though. For upperclassmen, usually an apartment-style housing is offered, while underclassmen are typically assigned to community style dorms. If you’re lucky, you’ll get a suite-style dorm, which will mean you’ll only have to share a bathroom with three other people, as opposed to a community-style dorm where you’ll likely be sharing with 30-40 other people.

Whether it’s your first time living in a dorm on campus, or you’re an upperclassman who’s chosen to stick around for another year or two, dormitory living is something special, for sure. If you haven’t lived in a dorm on campus before, there’s a good chance you’re going to experience some culture shock. The life you’ve lived up to this point under the close eye of your parents is starkly different from the independence you’ll now have living in a dorm. But along with that independence comes a few other things you should know. Luckily for you, I’ve compiled a list of seven things you need to know about living in a dorm on campus:

via Pixabay.com

1. Your Privacy Shouldn’t Be Taken for Granted

When you get home from your activities and go into your room to decompress at your parent’s house, it’s likely that no one bothers you. Your sweatpants and t-shirt get-up is perfectly acceptable because you’re alone. You can turn on your TV to anything you want, listen to your music as loud as you want, and find peace in knowing you’re in complete control of your environment.

If you sleep with the lights on or your tv blaring, no one really cares because it’s your room. If you dry your hair at 5:30 a.m. after you’re done at the gym, no one will even notice.

It’s a little different when you get to college and you begin living in a dorm. Suddenly, you have to live in a very small space.. and you have to share that small space with at least one other person. If you end up in a community style dorm, you’ll be sharing your bathroom with 30-40 other students. If you end up in a suite style dorm, you’ll be sharing with three other people. You’ll never be able to feel too alone living in a dorm. Physically, at least. There will always be someone next door or down the hall. There will always be someone close by.

If you’ve gotten used to taking your privacy for granted, start appreciating in the last few days you have before you move into your dorm. Your entire life is about to change. No more making phone calls in your room without someone overhearing you. No more singing in the shower, unless you’re okay with performing for a few people.

You’ll have to adjust to sharing your room with someone. You’ll have to work on agreeing on things like sleeping with the TV on, for instance. If I were you, I’d be careful not to walk into the situation expecting someone to put up with your weird habits. You’re both going to have some adjusting to do.

2. Shower shoes are a thing

Especially if you’re living in a community style dorm, I’d suggest investing in some shower shoes that can sustain themselves over the course of at least a semester. Since you’ll be sharing your bathroom with at least a few other people, you probably don’t want to stand on the floor of the shower unless you’re willing to contract a nasty foot fungus.

You’ll also probably want to invest in a nice robe – something that will cover you while you walk up and down the hall. Wrapping yourself in a towel and darting down the corridor to your room isn’t going to cut it. Especially when your floor mates have guests walking up and down the hall at all hours of the day and night.

Additionally, if you live in a community-style dorm, you’ll need a shower caddy to hold your shower things so you can lug them up and down the hallway before and after you shower. There’s not enough room for everyone to leave their shampoo and soap in the showers, so instead, you must act like a nomad and carry it around with you.

created by Lorena Roberts via Piktochart.com

3. It’s okay to say “no”

Living in a dorm means there are thousands of opportunities to do things at any given time of day (or night). Whether it’s programming put on by your resident assistant, or a group of girls going out to get their noses pierced, there’s always something going on in a dorm that you’re going to want to get involved in. Sometimes this is nice! Taking a break from studying to do something fun is what college is all about.

However, there are times when you need to turn down social hour to get your homework done. Procrastinating never ends well for anyone. Know that it is completely okay to say “no” when your roommate asks you to go with her to Walmart in the middle of the night. It’s okay to say “no” when half of your hall is grabbing dinner in the dining hall together and you have a big test you need to study for. It’s not worth it, in the end, to sacrifice your grades for some socializing.

4. Your Resident Assistant Isn’t Your Mom

Some students have trouble adjusting to the college life, and when all else fails, they’re quick to turn to their resident assistant. A resident assistant is the person who lives on your floor and oversees your general safety, your relationship with your roommate, and “mentoring” you throughout your first year as a college student. Sometimes when college students have a tough time adjusting, they see their RA as a substitute for their own parent at home.

However, this is not the case. Your RA is a student just like you are. In fact, they’re an upperclassman with a heavier class load and more responsibilities. Additionally, they’re in charge of overseeing more students than just you alone.

I encourage you to view your RA as a mentor instead of a parent. They’re great for giving advice, helping with stressful roommate situations, or serving as a sounding board when you’re feeling overwhelmed. They’re also the perfect person to connect you to on-campus departments, programming, and other resources. They are not the person you should go to when your history paper isn’t done, or when you need help with your laundry.

5. You’re about to be surrounded by people who are very different from you.

If you don’t know what it’s like to be surrounded by people with various backgrounds and experiences, you’re about to learn. Living in a dorm on a college campus is one of the easiest ways to be exposed to people who are different from you. Some college students begin the semester as a small-town 18-year-old, with five close best friends, and the determination not to “lose themselves” in college. But being exposed to people who are from big cities, other states, other countries, different religious backgrounds, and various ethnicities will give any college student a different perspective on life.

It’s more than just meeting people. It’s living with them. And understanding who they are, their culture, and broadening your horizons of the world. If you’re embarking on the journey of living in a dorm on a college campus, you’re about to expand your knowledge of people more than you might expect.

If I can give you any advice on this one, it would be to gently approach conversations and situations with people at first. If you’re an obnoxious loud-mouth and you don’t mind offending people, have at it. But you probably won’t end up with very many friends. Be yourself, but make sure you’re approaching other people with sensitivity. Remember: ask other people about themselves — people LOVE talking about themselves.

6. You should let go of your pack-rat habits

In case you haven’t heard, living in a dorm means you’re confined to a small space. You and your roommate must share what’s probably smaller than your current bedroom. Once both of you have a desk, bed, dresser, and closet, there’s not much room left for your personal items. Sure, you’re more than welcome to decorate the walls, hang up your hipster tapestries, and furnish the room with a nice shag rug and a futon, but don’t think you’re going to be able to roll up to your dorm room with a bedroom suite. If you’re in the habit of shopping every weekend and buying home decor, please understand that you’re simply not going to have room.

If you have the reputation of being a pack-rat, it’s time to retrain your brain to think in minimalist terms. Only bring to school what you absolutely cannot live without. All those cute outfits you think you need? You’ll probably wear them once and then resort to yoga pants and t-shirts for the rest of the semester. Trust me, if you haven’t worn it or used it in the last month, you do not need to bring it with you to college. The dorm life just can’t sustain your pack-rat habits.

via Pixabay.com

7. Living in a dorm might end up being the time of your life

All the horror stories you might have heard about living in a dorm are probably minimal in comparison to the kind of fun that actually happens when college students live in dorms. Being just a few doors down from people who become some of your closest friends means you’re constantly on the cusp of having a blast. People are always getting into crazy shenanigans. And, after all, that’s what being a college student and living in a dorm is all about, right?

When you become so irritated with your roommate that you could just pop, remember that there will never be another time in your life where you’ll experience this kind of environment. Never again will you get to experience living in a dorm. So take everything that irritates you with a grain of salt. Life will never be like this again.

Living in a dorm will teach you a number of things. You’ll learn not to take your privacy for granted, as living in a dorm means there’s always someone within earshot. You’ll learn that your shower shoes are the most important part of your morning routine. You’ll learn that skipping out on every other social gathering will save your grade in English 101, and that your RA doesn’t exist to take over your mom’s old duties. You’ll learn to co-exist with people who are drastically different from who you are, and that your pack-rat habits must be eliminated. But most of all, you’ll learn that living in a dorm on a college campus is a once in a lifetime experience. And though it may not feel all that special to you now, just wait until you walk across the stage with that diploma. You’ll miss it at least once in your life.

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