Considering all the new experiences that come with transitioning to college, living in a shared dorm can be one of the most terrifying changes at first. However, it will be an amazing learning experience for you because sharing space with a “stranger” will teach you incredible lessons that you will take with you for the rest of your life. Now that I have been through this process for two semesters and have had different roommates, I have come up with some tips and advice on how to make the most of your dorm life and will be sharing them with you.
1. Create rules. This is definitely a must! Clarifying all the norms in the beginning will make daily life more productive and will avoid unnecessary stress. Make sure to talk to your roommates about your preferences and establish some rules that are best for all of you. Decide on when will be the silence hours, build a cleaning schedule, organize a rotation so everyone takes the trash out. When I was living in my dorm, I had two different roommates and I talked to them about all of these points and others I thought were important on the same day we met. This way we could make clear what our obligations would be so we could live together easily from the beginning.
2. Put yourself out there. Force yourself to be social. This is a unique opportunity to make friends and build an awesome network. Try to establish a healthy and fun relationship with your roommates and other people that live on your floor or community. Living with a friend by your side or close by is amazing and having someone to count on next to you is very comforting. I know that it can be scary to put yourself out there at first, but the friendships that you will build can last for your whole college experience and even for the rest of your life.
3. Be ready to work. Living by yourself means that you are the one in charge of cleaning your room, washing your dishes, buying groceries, taking the trash out, doing laundry and so much more. This independence can be hard to manage, but if you plan and organize yourself it will be easy (or at least less stressful). Also, make sure to understand and respect the fact that your roommate is not your housekeeper to clean up your mess.
4. Organize a study space. Having a specific area dedicated to your studies is the best way to make you less distracted when you are studying. Living in a totally new space with different people can be distracting and sometimes you will have to really focus on a reading or writing. Therefore, having a certain place for you to do assignments and study will help you to concentrate better when you need to.
5. Expect noise. Imagine young adults living together without their parents; there will be noise so be ready for it. It is important to establish silence hours with your roommate and be informed about the community’s quiet hours.
6. Privacy can be hard to come by. Sharing a dorm (being it just the apartment or the bedroom itself) will take away some of the privacy you were used to having back home. Because of that, it is important to build a new lifestyle having this in consideration. Respecting your roommate’s privacy will make them respect yours too, and if they don’t, have a friendly conversation explaining your concerns and giving suggestions on how to overcome this problem.
7. Expect all kinds of personalities. College is a place where you will find all kinds of people, different mindsets, and personalities. Therefore, open your mind to what is different. Interacting with people that you never thought you would be talking to in your life is an extremely enriching opportunity.
8. It is not about partying 24/7. Do not expect that living with another college kid will be all about having fun. It will not. Honestly, most of your time you will be in your room studying or watching Netflix. Yes, there are lots of parties, but you are not in college to have fun only. You are there to get a diploma in your major and get the job you want, and it is important to understand that this is your priority. Leave the parties for the weekends and when you are done with exams and assignments.
9. Understand the rules and know your RA. You have to know your community’s rules and norms so you won’t have any extra problems. Also, knowing your RA (Resident Assistant) is always good because they are there to help you with everything (most of the times they will even help you with your assignments and give you advice for your classes).
10. Care about your health. It is impressive how many times you will get sick in college if you don’t take care of yourself. People always told me that but I never believed them, but now I do. Being away from home and having to take care of yourself sometimes is hard. A lot of times you will be focused on everything but your health, and you will get sick. Therefore, be careful with your personal hygiene, eat healthy meals (pizza is not an everyday dinner!!!), and go to the gym at least two times a week.
Finally, don’t forget to have fun, make friends and learn with your struggles. As I said, this is a unique opportunity to make the most of it. Use this time of changes to discover yourself and explore different experiences.