I’m not really sure what to expect. I have a double, I’ve talked to my roomate on the phone, he seems like a good guy.
What should I look forward to? What should I watch out for?
Look forward to maybe developing a really good relationship with your roomate & possibly some of your floormates. Look forward to testing out what new independence you’ll have. Look forward to hanging out with new people. Look forward to stupid floor events.
Look out for disgustingness in the communal bathroom; I’d advise getting those shower-shoe thingies. Look out for serious slackers who do all sorts of partying, smoking weed & playing loud music late into the night while you’re trying to study. Look out if you see yourself becoming one of those slackers.
Also: You & your roomie need to decide what your “guest” (ahem) policy will be: Don’t wanna be walking in on anyone or be walked in on. And remember that roommates are bound to get on each others’ nerves every so often; the key is to resolve it.
I suspect that you’re in for a good time; good luck!
You will no doubt have food in your room, and it’s important to understand that food with meat or eggs in it cannot be left out unrefrigerated and then eaten later. I got very sick from eating chicken & noodles out of a jar that sat unrefrigerated for a couple of days.
Best wishes, clayton_e. I think you’re going to have a great time in college. Do you have a major?
Loft the bed, seriously. You may hit your head on the ceiling occasionally, but the space will be worth it.
Some universities don’t allow lofting; my first university didn’t/doesn’t. Find out the policy on lofting before you do it.
Hey Clay! Been wondering where you’ve been at!
Anyway, I had excellent dorm experiences. My first roommate and I got along very well, though we didn’t really hang out much socially. My second roommate has become one of my best friends.
Though I do know others who have had very bad experiences with roommates.
Basically, just be willing to be a little forgiving, but also don’t let yourself be walked upon, and as long as your roommate is not a psycho, you should be all set.
same shoes as you bud,
haven’t lofted the beds yet. i do have linux/windows/philosophy books scattered all over my side of the room. yes, the bathrooms are nasty, but I believe there will be more ups than downs. better parties, better friends, ya get to meet new people. and, if you live in a co-ed dorm, maybe youll get lucky with a girl that is just getting used to the “dorm experience” everyone is in the same boat, thats the good thing about it.
take it easy, and remember to shout school pride
Go big…!(what color are we again?) Turqouis!..
–adam
clayton_e, I haven’t seen any updates, but how are things working out with your parents? I hope things have gotten better since then.
I had a lot of fun in the dorms. The first two I lived in had a really good atmosphere and community; it helped bring me out of my shell and make me more social. I’m still in contact and friends with some of those guys and girls. My current roommate in my our apartment is a guy I met on the floor several years ago.
As far as roommate advice, my biggest piece is to set ground rules early and to confront him on things that bug you (versus holding them in letting it all build up). My first roommate and I did that, and we so hated each other. Everyone could feel the tension entering our room when we both were in there. It’s a shame that this happened because, in retrospect, he wasn’t a bad guy at all. Sure, he annoyed me greatly, but I equally annoyed him. Plus, the ongoing tension forced me to spend time out of the room studying in the hallway. The ironic part is that we spent three semesters rooming together in spite of our mutual hatred. If I knew how to find him, I’d try making amends with him. My second roommate and I got along great; our personalities clicked instantly.
General advice, find out the loft policy. If lofts are allowed, see if the school provides one or plans for one. Some schools do. If you aren’t prone to falling out of bed (like I am), get one. It really frees up some room. Also, start the hunt now for finding extra long twin sheets. I always had a devil of a time finding ones that’d fit my mattress. Get a small refrigerator if possible and keep it stocked with soft drinks and salad vegetables. The campus stores will gouge you on soft drinks, and with frequent salads you can get be guaranteed that you’ll be eating a bit healthier than eating dorm food alone.
Get to know your neighbors in the residence halls. You’ll probably be borrowing CD’s and movies from them. If you’re into computer games, you’ll probably being playing multiplayer games over the network with them (we used to have weekly Red Alert tournaments my first year in the dorms). Also, mobilizing a trip off campus will be easier if you can find the friendly person with the big car who doesn’t mind driving. Go to the floor meetings and building programs for the free food and social activities. Get to know your RA, he or she (if a good one) will be a good source of info and help.
Find a quiet place in a dorm lounge or the campus library to study. At times, it’ll be too loud and there will be too many distractions in the dorms to study. Your neighbors are going to be loud on occassion. If you’re on good terms with them, it’ll be a bit easier to ask them to quiet down during the night. If there’s a cute blonde girl named Heather who lives down the hall that you’re taken with, for god’s sake, don’t fall in love with her and let that affect your studies! You will regret that (like I do)!
Overall, just try and have fun. It’s breaks up the monotony of midterm/finals cramming.
Meet as many people as possible early on, before the cliques form – that way, you’ll have access to a bunch of different cliques.
Remember, no one else knows anyone either!
Friendship
a hell of a lot of people knew each other at my college on the first day. Im the only person from my HS that went here–
the other people got a head start~!~~ hey that isnt fair!
hehe
–adam