I said hi to my new roommate; we set up our furniture and pictures; my parents and I ate lunch, hugged and then said goodbye. I tried to adjust to the fact that this wasn't a week away at church camp, but rather a semi-permanent new life arrangement. My first impression of my dorm room was that it was cold, dingy and cramped. God, why did I even move into here, I thought. Moving into Lewis Hall as a college freshman wasn't the most relaxing experience.
As freshman year progressed and I adjusted to dorm life, I realized that some of my preconceived notions about dorm life were mistaken. Although some things -- like roommates, communal showers, hearing noises from upstairs throughout the night -- were rough, I truly think Lewis is undoubtedly the best place to live at the University of North Georgia. Although it looks like last year will have been my final year in Lewis, I found many reasons to be grateful for the two years I lived there.
They say Donovan Hall is the best place for freshmen to build community and find your new college squad, but I really think Lewis is a good place for that, too. I really liked my RAs and a lot of my neighbors, both years. Of course, there were late-night food runs and hall socials, which are classic parts of the college experience. But, also, Lewis is less cramped than Donovan and you can find more much-needed personal space. Also, it offers a single-room option, which I gladly took advantage of sophomore year. In Lewis, you're able to socialize a little bit, but you're also able to blissfully study or watch Netflix in peace.
Honestly, the inside of Lewis Hall is kind of dingy and badly needs renovating and most people probably prefer to live in the more modern building, The Suites. But The Suites don't have the advantage of being fewer than ten minutes from just about every classroom on campus. Plus, Lewis isn't located on top of the dreaded HNS Hill. Also -- don't tell anyone this, but the courtyard between the main building and Lewis Annex is one of the university's best-kept secrets. I have never seen so many people out in that courtyard at one time, and that's what makes it the perfect, tranquil study spot. Also, Lewis's exterior is really pretty during the warmer months when all the azalea bushes are in full bloom.
I know college dorm life isn't perfect. Lewis isn't a perfect residence hall either. I am pretty biased -- after all, I lived there for two years. It's where I studied, spent time with my best friend, drank 2,000 cups of coffee, went through a quarter-life crisis, watched 1,000 hours of Netflix, decided what I want to do with my life, wrote my first Odyssey article and played Cards Against Humanity for the first time. So, yeah, I got attached and am biased, but I really think Lewis is the best place to live at UNG. It has a balance between community and privacy, yet it's conveniently located and it has the best places to study.
In May, I finished my last final for the semester; I went to my room and finished packing boxes; I vacuumed and dusted my furniture; I thought back to move-in day a year and a half before that and how I had thought I wasn't ready to come. But now, I wasn't at all ready to leave. Say I'm cheesy and unnecessarily sentimental, but over two school years I got really attached to my residence hall and I'm actually really thankful that I got to live there.
