Last year, I did a post about Dorm Room Shopping. If you are looking for ways to figure out what you need or what you don't need, I would highly recommend reading that post here.

So, now that we know what we need let's talk about some things you might encounter while living in the dorms.

Roommates

Having roommates can be very exciting and a great time, but they can also be not so great. Either way, it's okay. Personally, I found that living in the dorms was a great experience and I was able to learn more about sharing my space. Which is something I had never done before. (Only child here!)

In my college career, I have had 9 roommates, but not all at the same time. Some of them were great, some were okay, and some were just awful. Either way, I enjoyed the company.

Meal Plans

If there's anything I don't like, it has to be dining halls. That is the one thing I DO NOT miss about living on campus. I hated eating the food. It always tasted weird and made me gain weight very quickly. If you can, avoid the dining hall. Also, note that all schools are different. Some have amazing dining halls and others have really bad ones.

Moving In and Out

My biggest tip for anyone living in the dorms is: What you move in with is what you move out with.

I worked for my college's housing department for nearly 2 years and the moving in and out process was always the most difficult part for most students. They either brought too much or too little. Then when the school year was over, they had accumulated WAY too much stuff and had to throw away a lot of perfectly good stuff.

Don't over pack or over buy. Only bring what you need and only buy what you need.

Personally, I enjoyed the moving in process. I did not like moving out. It's all good though.

RAs

Every residential hall has one. Whether there's one on every floor or just one for the building, they exist. I, for the most part, loved every single RA I had. I was really close with most them and we are still friends today.

Residential Advisors put on events, workshops, handle your work orders, and are usually a good listening ear in times of need.

But do remember that they are students as well. They can't always be available but they do their best to be.

Your Friends Are Your Neighbors

The one thing I miss about living in the dorms is the access to my friends. My freshman year most of my friends lived in my dorm hall on my floor. I loved that we were able to hang out near 24/7 all year long. I always had a study buddy or someone to go to the dining hall with. We had late night adventures and it was always a good time.

I think this is the greatest pro I have for you today.


Those are just a few of the pros and cons you may encounter. Remember that everyone's experience is different. What I find a con you may find a pro and that's okay. We all just going along for the ride.

Let me know what are looking forward to about living in the dorms this year! You can contact me via my social media pages. I would love to start a conversation.