Welcome to the neighborhood! You're in a good hall, and a good room, and will hopefully be surrounded by really good people. I know move-in day is nerve-wracking, and exciting, and stressful (and most of all, really scary), but you're here, and you ended up exactly where you're supposed to be. Before you settle in, though, there are a few things you should know about this place, from me (the person who's lived in, loved, and cared for this room for the past year) to you (the freshman who will do the same). So here's everything you need to know before you call this room home.
1. You'll miss home for a while.
Maybe more than a while. It won't feel like your bedroom at first. You might feel a little claustrophobic. The layout may seem all wrong. Pretty soon, though, this room will start to feel comfortable, and safe, and enough like home to make you miss your real home a lot less. It'll feel like yours after a while.
2. This room's not perfect.
The hinge on that cabinet doesn't work right. There's a stain on the carpet where a friend spilled some paint. Opening the window is a workout. The wall's peeling a little where a poster was hung. When it's your turn to move out, you'll miss these little imperfections that will have become so familiar to you.
3. That weird smell — it's always been here.
I swear it's nothing I did. It gets extra bad on hot days. One day, you'll realize you've finally gotten used to that smell.
4. It gets really loud at night.
But so can you. Feel free to blast your '00s jams loud enough for all your neighbors to hear. Be respectful, but don't be afraid to scream, "Shut up!" to the general public out the window when it's 1 a.m. and you have a test the next morning.
5. Leave your door open.
Not when you're gone, obviously. But if you're sitting in this room doing homework, leave the door open. Say hi to your neighbors. Others will do it, too, and hilarious, loud, wonderful, floor-wide shouting conversations will happen. And you never know when someone from down the hall might wander in and become your best friend.
6. Be friends with your roommate.
You don't need to be best friends with them. But when you get along with the person you share a space with, this room will become an infinitely more comfortable place.
7. It might start to feel cramped.
That's okay. There will be days when these four walls will feel like a prison. Breathe, go outside and escape for a little while. You don't need to feel stuck.
8. The hallway isn't a bad place to hang out.
Yes, it's small, and yes, you might be in people's way. But studying or watching Netflix in the hall with a few people can be fun when your roommates are studying hard or you just don't feel like being in your room.
9. Enjoy the view.
You got really lucky. Enjoy the sunlight that comes in every morning. Put a plant on that windowsill. Open the window every once in a while. Angle your desk so that it faces the outside world, and enjoy the breeze. It'll make studying a little less of a struggle.
10. Make memories here.
Stay up late with your friends. Leave some imperfections of your own — ones you can tell the next person who lives here about. Cry hard here; laugh harder. Be good to this place, where so many memories were made — now go make some of your own.
