Posts published on July 14, 2015

10 Things You Need to Know about College Dorm Life

July 14, 2015 8:19 am

Jane Hurst

Going away to college is going to be a huge transition in your life, and you are going to be dealing with a lot of changes to your lifestyle. Here are some things you need to know about how to survive your first year of college dorm life.

  1. Not All Dorms are the Same – Before you choose a dorm, it is a good idea to talk to students who live in various dorms to see what they think of their accommodations. For instance, one dorm may be less expensive, but it may also be a party dorm and you will never get any studying done.
  2. You are On Your Own – Your mom and dad aren’t always going to be right there, and there is not going to be anyone in authority to tell you what to do. Now is the time to prove you can handle responsibility. Take control of your study habits, diet, social activities, etc. and create a mix that will ultimately ensure your personal and educational success. Don’t forget to take care of your health. Subscribe to a few useful YouTube health channels, such as CandidaCrusher, Better Health Channel and Healthcare Triage.
  3. Avoid Living with High School Chums – There are plenty of reasons not to live with your high school friends in college. For one, all of that high school drama is never going to go away. Also, you are not giving yourself a chance to be with new people and have new experiences.
  4. Your First Year is a Blur – There will be so much going on during your first year of college that you will be hard-pressed to remember it all by the time the end of the year rolls around. You will also be experiencing a number of emotions, ranging from excitement to sheer terror.
  5. Don’t Discount the Honors Dorms – You may think that all people in the honors dorms do is study, but you would be wrong. Sure, they study a lot, but they also like to have a good time, and you may find that this is the perfect combination of study and fun.
  6. No More Live-In Mom Maid – There is not going to be anyone around to pick up after you. You will be responsible for your own dishes, removing your rotting food from the mini-fridge, and basically doing your share of keeping your dorm room clean.
  7. You will Make Amazing Friends – The friends you meet in the dorm are likely to be lifelong friends. Many former students say that the friends they made in their dorm are still their best friends today.
  8. You must Get to Know Others – You aren’t likely to be accepted as soon as you set foot in the dorm. You need to work at it, and get to know the others who are living there. Take part in RA activities, so you can meet people and socialize.
  9. Your Roommates don’t Have to be Your Besties – Not everyone gets along with their college roommates, and that is okay. After all, if you live together and hang out together, you are probably going to get tired of one another after a while. You can be friendly without actually being best buddies.
  10. Be Prepared to Use the Library – Dorms can be quite noisy, and you are in college to learn first, socialize second. So, plan on spending a lot of time in the library or some other quiet place in order to get your studying done.

Jane Hurst has been working in education for over 5 years as a teacher. She loves sharing her knowledge with students, is fascinated about edtech and loves reading, a lot.