1. Pets
One thing you aren’t allowed to have in your dorm is pets (unless you count fish). Having had a dog growing up, it’s really hard to walk in the door and have nobody there to greet you with a wagging tail and a panting tongue. Pets are one thing that truly makes a house a home.
2. Air conditioning
Although some of you may be lucky enough to live in an air-conditioned dorm, many people, like me, are not so fortunate. The first few weeks of school are still practically summer, and without air-conditioning this can be brutal.
3. Having a private bathroom
Communal bathrooms are probably the worst things about living in a dorm… period. The awkward encounters you have waiting for the shower or going to the bathroom with somebody else in there are truly a new experience. Having to tote your things around in a shower caddy and uncomfortably hang your towel on a Command Hook outside the shower makes the college experience that much more awkward.
4. Having your own room
Roommates are great—don’t get me wrong, I love my roommates—but having privacy in your room is second-to-none. Making phone calls, studying, or even getting ready for the day is so much easier in a room by yourself.
5. Home-cooked meals
Market Central food gets really old after about a week of living at Pitt. Truth be told, the Stir Fry and Pasta Bake are amazing, but having even that everyday can get old. Nothing compares to a delicious meal cooked by your mom.
6. Having your mom do your laundry
Although some people’s parents made them do laundry for years, I was not one of these people. Learning how to do laundry, although not exactly difficult, is a new experience for many entering college. The sheer convenience of your mom washing your clothes made it easy to throw anything in the hamper and have her wash it. But now, unless it smells, it’s probably good to wear again.
7. Free books
With books that alone cost upwards of $300 for one class, it is hard to imagine what life was like when textbooks were free. All throughout elementary, middle, and high school, our books were given to us and taken back without any extra cost to us. Now, in order to even pass a class, we have to spend hundreds of dollars just for the required materials.
8. Walking barefoot
Dorm floors are gross. Whether you are going to the bathroom, getting a drink of water, or just walking to another friend’s room, you can’t be without shoes or slippers.