First off, I will tell you that I live in a single room within a suite, which means that I have a room all to myself and have a shower, common area, and bathroom (toilet room) within my suite. Not all colleges offer this style, and the "traditional" styles are much more common. Living in the single room is more expensive, however, I chose to do this because of medical reasons.
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| The calm before the storm of getting everything together! |
I moved in on the 23rd of August (I believe!) and typically your dorm building will split the days up by what floor you live on to ensure that it's not a huge mess of people!
Initially when I walked into my room, the bed was lofted which I knew from the start that I did not want it that way. Personally, I suggest un-lofting your bed if you are someone who likes to study in the comfort of your bed or if you get up a lot. It may seem like it saves you space, however, it can actually be a really big hassle!
My room hadn't been used for about 2 years prior, so as you can imagine the amount of dust was ridiculous! I found broken glass (from a mirror I assume) all over the floor and overall my room was extremely dirty! I couldn't believe it! But thankfully with the help of my Mom and Brother, we tackled that mess in no time! I definitely suggest to bring at least one other person with you to move in. Plus, expect to get sweaty... it is hard work after all! ;)
Here are some general tips for if you are planning on living in the dorms:
Whether you have a roommate or not, your room will more than likely be TINY. If you go to move in expecting that your room is going to be big, then you're unfortunately in for a sad surprise. Don't get your hopes up too high!
Tip 2: Clean everything
Like I mentioned above, when you first move in clean EVERYTHING. If you move everything in and then clean it'll make it much, much harder.
This includes sweeping, mopping, and even wiping down the mattress really well. Also dust away! I even wiped the walls!
Tip 3: Make your bed as comfortable as you possibly can, even if you have to splurge a little
Some things you can take the cheaper route for, but don't do this when it comes to comfort. A good nights sleep is absolutely essential in college (ok, maybe you won't end up with the full suggested amount of hours, but make the time you do sleep count!) and buy bedding that makes it worth while. The beds that come in the dorms are stiff and just... awkward. I don't really know how else to put it, but if you don't buy at least a mattress pad then you'll probably be sorry.
For my bedding I bought a mattress pad, a "fiberbed", twin XL sheets, my bedding, and a throw blanket.
Mattress pad- Honestly, I can't remember where I bought this from. I believe that you are supposed to put the mattress pad over a topper, but I put mine down first because I felt like it smooshed the fiberbed down too much and made it less comfortable!
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| Mattress pad |
Fiberbed- I bought the Wamsutta Cool & Fresh Fiberbed from Bed, Bath, & Beyond. I have to say, I don't know what I'd do without this thing. After a while you should definitely "plump" it back up by pulling on the individual squares to make it more comfortable! I think my bed at school is more comfortable than mine at home! I recommend staying away from memory foam, because it will trap heat and end up sinking!
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| Mattress topper + Fiberbed |
Twin XL sheets- My favorite sheets are my Wamsutta sheets because they keep my bed together nicely! The fiberbed doesn't shift around, plus they feel really nice!
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| Sheets over the pad and fiberbed |
Throw- I love this blanket because it is really lightweight, but is still warm. It is SUPER soft as well! I bought mine at Sam's Club!
Tip 4: Two words.. command strips
Because you'll be living in your dorm temporarily, the dorms don't allow you to put nails into the walls or do anything of that sort. Instead, buy a bunch of command strips! There are multiple sizes/styles for whatever you need to hang!
Tip 5: Buy a window curtain
This may sound weird considering that the dorms come with those cheap shades, but they honestly don't block out a lot of light. If you're like me and love it to be completely dark when you sleep then I suggest buying another light blocking curtain. I hung mine up by 2 command strips on either side of the window and put it on the extension rod and boom! I was done!
Tip 6: Get a microwave
My dorm has a kitchen on each floor, but trust me when I say you'll want a microwave. Whether you have a meal plan or not (if you live in some dorms you may not be required to have one) you will want a microwave for those random cravings :)
Tip 7: ...and have enough snacks
This is quite self explanatory... but snacks are a must, also canned foods are too!
Tip 8: speaking of a meal plan...
Usually schools offer different types of meal plans. Originally I had one where I would have enough meal swipes to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the dining halls. Later I realized that this was too much. Be practical when choosing your meal plan. Take into account whether you may be going home on weekends and can bring leftovers back with you, whether or not you really eat breakfast and want to go to the dining hall, where the halls are located, and how much time you'll have to go to one. Some meal plans give you "dining dollars" to go along with it, so you can use these at places that don't take meal swipes or meal exchange, for example I use my dining dollars at Starbucks, Subway, and other places like this.
If you find that your meal plan ends up being too much, usually when second semester rolls around you can change it. Act fast though, because if you miss that deadline then you miss out on changing it, no ifs, ands, or buts (I learned this the hard way).
Tip 9: Use your own toilet paper
So since I live in a suite style, we have to provide our own supplies like toilet paper and hand soap. In the beginning we all would bring toilet paper and collectively do our part to supply whatever was needed. Eventually my roommates got greedy and started using way too much of everything and using the toilet paper to do their makeup or something. I would wake up the next morning and the roll that I put in the bathroom the night before was completely gone. This eventually made me so fed up that I just started taking my own toilet paper to the bathroom with me.
It is quite inconvenient, but it cuts down on cost and prevents my roommates from being greedy. I still provide hand soap though, because let's face it... that is highly unsanitary, and I don't want anyone getting sick.
Tip 10: Buy a fan, or 2
When I moved in, the air conditioning didn't start working until about mid September. A fan doesn't solve all your problems, but it can at least help a little. Plus, it helps to drown out some sound too!
I've learned a couple of things along the way, so what have I learned while living here?
1. I understand why people told me to live on campus for at least my first year.
Teachers, family members, friends, pretty much everyone was asking if I'd live on campus for my first year or if I'd commute. They all told me to live on campus for the first year at least, and I understood why they said that, but now I understand even more.
It's difficult to explain until you've experienced it for yourself, but living on campus gives you an awakening. I have always been an independent (a little too much) person, so "living on my own" wasn't too frightening for me. I was raised to do my own laundry, and if I wanted something done I would have to do it myself, or at least ask for help. No one would do anything for me, and I'm extremely thankful for that because now I am able to do things without a million other people helping me. Was I scared to leave home and not have people I knew around? absolutely, but it was also "refreshing" in a way. You can broaden your horizons, and you begin to see things in a different (but good) way. Honestly it's nice to get "away" for the struggles of your home town, assuming you went away for school. But, even if you go to school in your own home town and live on the campus you may still get the same vibe. You meet people in the same cohort as you and basically you're all doing the same thing, but yet you all are so different and embrace individuality. You're all at college to learn, yet you're learning different things for different reasons. You are joining a new community. I find it refreshing, and I hope you do as well.
2. No, it's not all like the movies.
Sure, maybe you're living in the dorms, but chances are you won't get stuck with an absolute lunatic for a roommate (you may even become best friends!), you won't have a horrific experience with the community style bathrooms, and you probably won't even have to deal with too many parties in the dorms (usually they are at greek housing), or hearing people getting freaky 24/7 (thank goodness!)
Don't get me wrong, there are some seriously annoying things that happen here at my dorm, but it's stuff I can live with for the time being. One of my roommates likes to play her music too loud, the doors creak horribly, the showers oftentimes go cold to the point of Polar Plunge, no one cleans, etc., but it's all things that I can live with ultimately.
3. Even though it is super expensive, you may get stuck with the crappy end of the stick
Like I said before, the rooms are tiny and the place may be dirty. I know what you're thinking... "why do I live here when it is so expensive and I could just get an apartment?". Trust me... those are my exact thoughts, so that's why I signed for an apartment for next year. It is super expensive living in the dorms, and all of my furniture was broken. I had been put in temporary housing because my heat wasn't working in the dead of winter and no one cared to fix it. Really, it is sucky for what you're paying for...
4. ...But! You get to meet people!
This is not to say that if you commute you won't meet people, but living in a residence hall forces you to meet people your age and mingle at least a little bit. I haven't met my best friend for life here, but I still have a couple of people that I know. That is at least something, right?!
Even though some things have been unfortunate, I am actually happy that these things happened. Nothing in life is perfect, and I don't ever expect it to be! After reading this I'm sure that many of you will probably be dreading living in a dorm, but there are some perks!
Some perks to living in the dorms:
- If your schedule allows it, you can come back to your dorm and take a nap!
This is like definitely the #1 perk for me! Being someone with chronic illnesses it is sometimes a must for me to be able to stop and just lay down for a bit. If I had commuted (it's a 45 minute drive from my hometown) I wouldn't be able to do this.
- You don't have to worry about driving in the snow!
Since you're in the dorms you're pretty much there already, so you don't have to worry about shoveling your car out of the snow (unless if you have to go to work or something). Although... you do still have to walk in it :/
- Because of not needing to drive you may not have do deal with student parking!
- Like I mentioned above, you get to meet people!
- You can walk out in sweats and nearly no one will judge you.
It's pretty great...
Overall:
It's okay to feel nervous about moving into a dorm, but I promise you that you will survive! You too, may also find that there are some serious benefits! I think that one of my favorite parts was decorating my room and making it my own! Here are some more images of my room, and remember to embrace your individuality and decorate your room however you like!
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| I added lights above my bed to make it feel more "home-like"! |
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| The box at the top is a Lilly Pulitzer box, and I adore it! |
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| Photoline |
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| Another canvas that I purchased (unknown where from). |
I believe that is all I wanted to talk about for now! I may also do a post on tips about college in general!
Have a good week :)
~Katie
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