It's the beginning of the spring semester of college! As we all get back into the habit of things, here are a few reminders of some ways to make living in the dorms a little better for everyone.
1. Cleaning hair in bathroom
Yup, that’s right. You read that correctly. Most residents have to share a bathroom with at least one or two other people. I get to share a bathroom with 40+ other girls. In dorms that have community baths (like mine), a considerable amount of people have to share five shower stalls. Ladies, we cannot take our hair and stick it all over the walls and leave it there when we are done. It’s gross. Now don’t get me wrong, I of all people understand that hair likes to shed in the shower and “hair happens,” but be responsible with it. Take the hair and throw it away in the bathroom trashcan. It will make not only the other girls in your hall happier, but it will also make the custodial staff that cleans the bathrooms happier. Okay? Okay.
2. Be considerate of others
Be aware of quiet hours. If Quiet Hours start at 10 P.M., don't invite friends over at 9:50 to hang out and be loud unless you plan on chilling in the lobby.
3. Netflix and Chill
Just don't do it.
*This is the cleanest GIF of Netflix and Chill I can find.
4. This is college, not a porno
We are all on our little island of artificial freedom and adulthood known as college. For some people, this means having a sexual lifestyle. If you so choose to be intimate with your significant other, warn your roommate. I have heard numerous horror stories from my friends about how they have walked in on their roommate and his or her S.O. doing Rated-R acts. Once or twice is embarrassing, but it's a story you can tell and laugh about later on in life. But when this becomes a habit, it becomes annoying. So please, give your roommate a warning so he/she knows not to come back to the room. Also, turning your stereo up isn't fooling anyone either. Calm down and pick up a book this semester, not a hook up.
5. Don’t obnoxiously play the piano in the lobby
Chopsticks at 2 A.M.? No.
Playing dampened chords and arpeggiations for more than five minutes? No.
Practicing "Texture 21" for that piano lab quiz coming up? No.
6. Please don’t smoke right outside the entrances of the dorm
Go smoke somewhere else. Second-hand smoke is a thing and while you have every right to smoke, others may not want to get the back winds of your cigarettes. As well, depending on the campus, some colleges consider themselves a "non-smoking" school and students have the right to ask others to put out their cigarette. That can be pretty awkward and uncomfortable for both parties. I know people aren't going to just stop smoking, but to prevent a conversation no one wants to have, smoke in an area where students aren't frequently coming and going.
7. Don't eat my food
Don't eat your roommate's food without their permission. He will not like you at all if his bag of Doritos is half-empty when he comes back from class. It will be a literal Hunger Games.
8. Clean up after eating in the dining halls
Just a friendly reminder to pick up after yourself in the dining hall and not to be messy or waste food! Keep up the good work.
9. Be nice to the RAs.
RAs are basically your parents away from home. They help take care of your problems and sometimes have to play the "Bad Guy" when it comes to people breaking the rules. They really don't want to tell you to throw away your totally Tumblr room lights or candles. Just like your parents, they want what's best for you and to enjoy your time in the dorms and at college. So please be nice and respectful to the RAs. They aren't ruining your lives, they're making them better.
10. Don’t fall asleep in other people’s rooms unless you have been invited over
Believe it or not, but this is actually a thing. Guys go into girls' rooms and hang out with them at night and act completely innocent and then fall asleep in their beds. When I first heard about this, I couldn't believe it until I heard two more stories just like it! Really guys? If she didn't invite you to stay over, don't put her in a situation that makes her uncomfortable.
11. Make time to do laundry
Please, please, please, do not put laundry in for a 30-minute wash cycle and then go to a three hour class. There are a limited amount of washers and dryers on every floor and it is really awkward to move people's laundry over. I'm nice and if I see there's an open dryer I may move your wet clothing into it and leave a note. Other people aren't so nice. The best way to avoid this is to make time to do laundry and keep a timer going so you know when to switch your clothing over.
Stick by these 11 rules and your next semester should be a breeze.
Who am I kidding? It's college.
