For many students, move-in day marks their first taste of total independence from their guardians. Unfortunately, this can lead to situations that can make dorm-life annoying. Situations range from breaking the washing machine to setting off the fire alarm with Easy-Mac,and although they seem funny now, people get annoyed fast by the daily occurrences. So, what can you do to make your transition to school better?
1) Get into the habit of reading directions of everything.
Prevent Easy-Mac fires by reading the instructions on everything (especially food products). It is not fun to sit outside in the snow waiting for the fire alarm to be shut off because someone didn't add water to their food. Frustrations only intensify the more it happens and the closer it is to Finals.
2) Tell the Resident Assistants (RA) about problems.
The sooner it is reported, the sooner it can be fixed. If the washing machine is not draining, tell the RA's about it. Please, do not avoid the problem by going to a different hall and using their devices. It's rude and inconsiderate to both halls' residents. This goes for mental and medical problems as well. Do not push things off because you don't want to be a burden. You are not a burden to anyone, and your safety and health is priority. Even if you don't want to tell your guardians or parents, you need to talk to someone.
3) Develop healthy habits early on and stick with them!
Healthy habits such as using hand sanitizer, not touching your face, eating healthy, and doing some sort of exercise. Not only will doing these things help keep you from missing class, but they can help prevent the dreaded Freshman 15. Don't forget about mental health! Keep a stash of your favorite chocolate products, and get as much sunlight as possible! Chocolate (dark chocolate is best) boosts saratonin in the brain and makes people happier. Sunlight contains Vitamin D which is not only good for you, but also has a high correlation with positive moods.Take the occasional day to take care of yourself and treat yourself without having to worry about homework, work, money, or anything.
4) Make a "Sick-Day" care box.
Take inventory of everything you like to have, use, eat, and drink and place it in the box. Make sure all of the items are non-perishables to avoid further sickness, mold, and pests. Also, make sure you have enough of each item to set yourself up for the average number of days you could be sick. So even if you do just have a 24-hour flu-bug, you have plenty for in case it turns out to be a 3-5 day flu-bug. Lable the box as your Sick-Day Care Box and put it in a reach able, but practical place in your dorm!
5) Call or write home.
Calling home every once and a while is a nice way to keep updated about what's going on with your family, your friends, and your pets. Plus, it's a great way to unload some stress and talk about what's happening in your life.
6) Make at least one good friend.
It's true what Stephen Chbosky said in his novel, "Perks of Being a Wallflower." Change is better when you have one good friend by your side. Someone that has to deal with the same day to day stress that all students have.
7) Do not procrastinate.
Seriously, don't do it. Whether it's laundry or homework, as soon as you notice that you haven't done it: do it. If you don't, you'll regret it later and you'll simply stress yourself out. Same goes for studying. Try to study as often as possible, especially with subjects you know you don't excel in.
8) Go pet an animal.
Every once in a while, just being able to love something that only wants your unconditional love is the best thing ever! Especially, if you grew up around animals. Some colleges bring stress dogs onto their campuses during exam week. Some humane societies are renting out animals for Pokemon Go players and some areas have petting zoos as well.
9) Do what you want to do.
Don't go into a major to appease your parents. Try different kinds of subjects and find what interests you! If you have an interest in criminal justice, don't major in philosophy. You are the only one who has a say in what they want to learn, not anyone else.
10) Just be yourself.
Go into the new school year by being yourself. There are always going to be people who are going to accept you for who you are and if people don't accept you for who you are, why are you friends with them? Without the stress of being someone you aren't, school will be much easier and more genuine.
Just because college is different from high school, doesn't mean that it has to be scary. College is simply a place to grow and learn more about yourself and your independence. There are going to be some bad days and some really good days, but if you just do the best you can to make each day the best day you can, you'll find that there are a lot of good days.
