Living in a dorm can be rough sometimes. There are always people around and you constantly feel exposed. Sometimes you walk out of the bathroom after your shower, wearing nothing but your robe or a towel and you make awkward contact with the guys walking in the stairwell at the end of the hall. Every once in a while, your neighbor is a little too loud when you're trying to study or get to bed early for once. Yet, despite all of its flaws, I've recently come to appreciate living in a dorm and being able to experience this kind of community. My dorm is truly my home away from home. Enjoy these examples of some of the best things about living in a dorm at Susquehanna University.
1. Living with your roommate
I know not everyone gets along with their roommate, but for those who do then you understand exactly where I'm coming from. Your roommate becomes your best friend, your mom (or dad), and someone who is there for you no matter what, even when you're crying uncontrollably at two in the morning. You can have adventures with them and you stay up at night talking about absolutely nothing. You can talk about anything with them and you know they won't judge you.
2. Your RA is awesome
Since day one, your RA told you that he or she was there to help you out, and it's true! Your RA is there to help you with whatever you need, whether you need some advice on how to talk about something with your roommate, or you have some questions about what's happening on campus. Even if it's the middle of the night or seven in the morning and you need them but you're afraid to wake them up, don't be! It's their job to help you, and they're typically happy to do so. Plus, if you're RA is as cool as mine, then they hold really fun Community Builders and you can hang out with everyone else in the hall.
3. The size of the rooms
The majority of the dorm rooms are a decent size for two people to be cohabiting (with the exception of the rooms in Hassinger Hall, or so I've heard). You have enough space to each put your own accent on the walls and make the layout work for both of you. Despite the size of the rooms in Hassinger Hall, there are some perks to having a small room. You get a chance to know everyone in your hall by their first and last names and you have the opportunity to connect with them.
4. Room decorations
Decorations are one of the coolest parts about seeing everyone's room. Everyone's decorates their room differently and you can really see their personality in their accessories. Do they have a tapestry? What pictures do they have on their desk, if any? Do they keep anything on the window ledge by their bed? Each of the items that someone hangs on their wall or keeps on their desk gives you a glimpse into their life and tells you a little bit about who they are and what they like.
5. Holiday celebrations
Though you're probably so ready to go home for the holidays, the weeks leading up to each one can be pretty fun on campus. Especially in the dorms, just about everyone has decorated their door. It's always interesting to see how different everyone's style is and how they express themselves during the holidays! Holiday door-decorating contests are a thing, so watch out for some competition!
6. Your best friend lives three doors down from you
Okay, maybe not three doors exactly, but odds are that at least one of your best friends on campus will live right down the hall from you. This makes late night Netflix bingeing easy to maneuver. You also know exactly where to find them when you're bored or lonely or looking for someone to listen to you rant.
7. Sharing is caring
And there is definitely a lot of caring in the halls! There's almost always going to be someone in the hall that you can share food wth, which comes in handy when you and your friends want to do a movie night but you ate your last bag of popcorn the other day when you were stressing about your English paper. You can also find someone to share clothes with! There's probably someone in the hall who's the same size as you and who's willing to share their closet with you. This makes for plentiful outfit options when you guys decide to go out. If you ever run out of something, like a razor, your friend down the hall probably has an extra one that they would be willing to give you.
8. Study buddies
Even if you and your friends aren't in the same class, you can still do your homework together. Just remember to keep yourselves disciplined. Having a friend to do work with can motivate you and help keep you on track. Or, you can talk to your friend while you procrastinate working on an assignment that was assigned a month ago and is due in two days. Either way, you have someone to study with!
9. Late night showers don't feel so alone
We've all had those really late nights where we just finished our homework and it's one thirty in the morning and we finally have time to take a shower. When you go into the bathroom and find someone else taking a shower, you don't feel so weird about showering so late at night. Knowing that someone else is doing the same thing as you provides you with a little bit of comfort; you feel like you're not doing the whole college thing all by yourself.
10. You really are part of a community
I know it's been said a million times before, but you really are part of a community when you live in a dorm. No matter what, the girls (or boys) in your hall will be there for you. You may not know everyone by name, or get along well with everyone, but when trouble appears your hall has your back. You could be up all night with food poisoning and girls in your hall that you've never talked to will ask if you need anything and make sure you're okay. You and your hall are in this thing together.
