Living in Purdue dorms can be a dream come true, your worst nightmare or a little bit of both. I’ve lived in the dorms since my freshman year and now as a junior, I still have memories of late nights getting math help, unforgettable floor dinners and very loud, unexpected wake up calls. Most girls living in Purdue dorms can definitely relate to these six things.
1. Sharing is caring
Many of the dorms at Purdue, especially the freshman dorms, have community bathrooms. Although it can come in handy when you need an extra bobby pin or forget your hair dryer, it’s mostly annoying because you have to share a bathroom with several other girls who could be messy. Heaps of hair will line the floor and clog the showers. The toilet might be clogged or out of toilet paper, the showers always seem to be taken when you need them and there is bound to be someone in the shower blasting that country song you hate. Additionally, your floormates will forget everything in the bathroom; there’s usually a corner of the sink counter reserved for lost washcloths, shampoo, towels, razors or even underwear,. And if that hasn’t convinced you how much community bathrooms suck, two words: cold showers.
2. There’s never a fire
Occasional fire drills are bound to happen when you live in the dorms, usually at the worst possible times. Did you just get back from class and are ready to collapse for a nap? Well too bad, it’s time for a fire drill. The dorms have a couple of random fire drills throughout the semester. And maybe if you’re lucky like I was my freshman year, a drunk girl might think it’s hilarious to pull the fire alarm at 3 a.m.
3. You might get serenaded
The men of Fairway co-op love singing to the ladies. Once a semester they show up on the girl’s side of the freshman dorms wearing their spiffy suits and bow ties to sing acapella and dance with a few lucky ladies. It definitely makes a normal night of studying much more interesting. Plus, who doesn’t love seeing a group of boys singing to their windows?
4. Flinner
Floor dinners are my favorite part of living in the dorms. I always look forward to that one night a week that the entire floor (or most of the floor) gathers at one of the dining courts to get to know each other better. It’s great bonding with your neighbors and meeting people you probably wouldn’t have gotten to know as well just by passing them in the hallway.
5. Movie/TV marathons
Living in the same dorm as a ton of other girls means that there’s a high chance that someone is obsessed with the same shows and movies as you. So grab some snacks, pile into a friend’s dorm room or claim the TV room and binge watch The Bachelor or have that Disney marathon you’ve always wanted. I recommend getting out of your comfort zone and using the dorm TV rooms because I made new friends by inviting other people to watch something with me. Plus, it just makes it more fun to yell and laugh at the TV with other people.
6. Unlimited study buddies
One of the best aspects of living in the dorms is that you have access to many intelligent students in a close proximity. Are you having trouble with chemistry? Ask that chemistry major down the hall to give you a few tips to help you understand the material. Or, study and compare answers with those students taking the same math course as you. Really, everyone is struggling even if they don’t say so and most people in the dorms are happy to help, especially your RA.
Those who choose to live in an apartment all four years might have the privileges of warm showers and sleeping without the fear of being woken up by random fire drills, but somehow the tight-knit community and fun memories of dorm life makes it all worth it.