I was not aware of all of the changes that were going to happen on move-in day. Not only was I leaving my family and most friends behind, but I was starting school in an unfamiliar place. I would not wake up the next morning to walk out of my room and see my mom and dad’s smiling face and hear them mocking my bed hair. My best friend was no longer just down the street from me. I was going to a school where none of the teachers knew me. But the most terrifying thing was that I was going to live with 60 other people that I did not know. I heard little details from others about their experiences of living in a dorm. I did not know what to expect.
It's important to be social.
After everything was all moved in and my parents left, I did not leave my room. Many others didn’t as well. But you don’t make many friends just staying in your room. One of the most valuable tips someone will give you while in college is to leave your door open. It’s a great way to meet the people who you are going to spend the rest of the year with. Get to know these people, they are in the same shoes as you. They too are in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar faces, base a friendship off of that. Build relationships with them because you’ll meet lifelong friends while in college.
Extension cords are your best friend.
Seriously, don’t let this one slip. You only have so many outlets for the necessary things you need to plug in. Phone chargers, a coffee maker, computer chargers, fans, a microwave, a TV and a fridge: they don’t all fit in one room according to the outlets that are given. Better to come more prepared than necessary.
Not everyone has the same cleanliness as you.
Yes, the bathroom and kitchen are going to be a total mess after the weekend. That’s one of the cons of living with 60 young adults who are living on their own for the first time. Maybe you will have very good luck and be stuck with people who do indeed clean up after themselves, but some of us are not as lucky as others. I'm not kidding when I say there have been eggshells left in the showers. The most considerate thing you can do is make sure to clean up your mess wherever you are: in the bathroom, kitchen, living space, etc.
You will probably hear your neighbor sing karaoke at one in the morning.
Maybe you won’t live in a dorm that was built in 1967, but I do. The walls are paper thin so I can not only hear the loud conversations going on in the elevator space but I can also hear my neighbor sing like no one is listening, hear her Netflix very late at night and her alarm that goes off for twenty minutes to wake up in the morning. It’s like you know everyone’s business unintentionally.
You will share everything.
What’s yours is no longer just yours. You’re pretty much in a committed relationship with your roommate. You share forks, plates, Easy Mac and let's not forget about earrings. In your free time, you bond with your roommate while doing laundry. When you come back from a weekend at home, your mom doesn’t send food back for just you but for your roommate who is becoming a second daughter to her as well. Living with someone in a small space for nine months is challenging but being able to compromise and share makes doing so easier and more enjoyable.
Fire alarms happen at the most inconvenient times.
Nothing is more frustrating than waking up at five in the morning because someone burned popcorn and then having to do a zombie walk down the ten flights of stairs. Or maybe you’ll be lucky enough to experience three fire alarms in less than 24 hours because someone forgot to put water in their Easy Mac. Because nothing says “home sweet home” more than the constant, loud beeping that happens more frequently than wanted. Everyone feels the same about them but yet no one is willing to change the habit of burning popcorn so early in the morning. If this continues, I will develop PTSD from a fire alarm.
As hard as it may seem to live in a dorm, it’s a great experience and I would not change where I spent my freshman year at. I recommend freshmen to live in dorms because you will gain more memories in doing so.
