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Contributed by Alex Robb
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Living in a residence hall or dorm
is a great experience. You will be sharing a floor among 20 to 60
different college students. Fortunately, close quarters provide
plenty of opportunities for socializing.
Dispelling the Myths
Forget what you’ve seen on MTV and in films; dorm rooms are not
large. The average room has enough space for a pair of beds,
desks, closets, and dressers. On the other hand, you’re not
necessarily crammed in there either. You will have enough room to
be comfortable, but it’s not like you spend your entire college
experience in your dorm room anyway. Your room is a place to
study, hang around, and maybe (if you’re lucky) sleep. There’s an
entire campus to explore, so remember to step outside every once in a
while. Don’t get too cozy in your room.
Another misguided notion of residence halls and dorms is the amount of
quiet time. Floors stay surprisingly quiet. Everyone has
essays to write and tests to review. If there happens to be an
occurrence of loud music or spontaneous commotion during the morning or
evening hours, your RA will probably appear and get things to quiet
down.
Every floor has an RA: Residence Assistant
This person acts as a
role model, leader, source of information, and an authority
figure. To become an assistant, many schools require
certification, multiple interviews, and mandatory courses. He or
she is a person you can trust with problems with your roommate or
university concerns.
If you’re still worried that you won’t be able to focus in your room,
many housing departments have already taken the initiative to introduce
“Quiet Lifestyle Floors.” These floors have mandatory quiet hours
for the majority of the day.
Great Community
When college students need a break from studying, they’ll walk over to
someone else’s room to discuss their distaste for molecular
biology. Some students will pull out their golf clubs and begin
putting in the hallways. Other students will organize a pizza
run. And other students will attempt to gather a group for a game
of Texas Hold’em Poker. Either way, there will always be
something better to do than to study.
If you want to watch a particular film, ask around. College
students have expansive DVD libraries, which means you’ll rarely have
to go to Blockbuster.
When you’re ready to grab lunch, there’s always someone willing to
eat. In fact, some floors have such great bonding that everyone
will eat lunch and dinner together.
Your first (possibly your best) friends on campus are the people you
live with. Introduce yourself; get to know the people on your
floor. A great dorm life experience is a great college experience.
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