Are you a smart and savvy pre-collegiette looking for answers to some of your most personal questions about college? You know, the ones about boys, classes, roommates and parties that your school’s guidance office can’t help you with? Jen is here to answer those questions! Whatever your concern, she’ll do her best to help you so you can make sure you don’t just survive college, but rock it!
What are some tips for getting a good night’s sleep in a dorm? – Lauren
Lauren,
I will admit that getting a good night’s sleep in a dorm is a lot different than sleeping at home, but it’s definitely possible!
I think the most common reason why it’s so difficult to sleep in a dorm is that you’re living in a hall with a ton of other people who may or may not have the same sleeping schedule as you. I lived on a floor with soccer players during freshman year, and those girls sure loved to be loud and get cray during all hours of the day and night! Most of the time I didn’t mind, and I did become good friends with them, but other times I just wanted to chill out with my roommates and watch a chick flick without all of the screaming and running around in the hallway.
The easiest short-term way to fix the problem is to get a pair of quality ear plugs. One of my freshman roommates, Addie, swore by her bright orange pair. They’re fairly inexpensive, they’re generally comfortable and they can help you get some shut-eye.
If night after night you’re bothered by the people who live around you, the next thing you should do is talk with your resident adviser, or RA. Your RA is the person who organizes your floor meetings and is in charge of making sure that everyone who lives on your floor is following the rules. It helps to get on your RA’s good side, since he or she will have a lot of useful information to offer you and can really help you out when you need it. Feel free to go to her to vent, too, since she can calm you down (and will usually give you candy as well)!
Remember, your RA is a student, too, so he or she will understand your struggles and stresses and can talk everything out with you when you just can’t even.
At the same time, nobody wants to be “that girl” who has to tell everyone to quiet down, but since your RA is the highest authority on your floor, he or she will be able to help you out and make sure that quiet hours are being followed.
Another issue you could have is learning how to sleep on an uncomfortable mattress. If you’re used to your cozy bed back home, it can be difficult to adjust to something different. Take some advice from my other roommate from freshman year, Megan, and get a mattress topper with memory foam to help you sleep comfortably. Just be sure that it’s a mattress topper designed to fit an XL twin bed, which is the size your college bed will most likely be.
If you find that it’s hard to sleep because you and your roommate go to bed at the same time and it’s too quiet, plug in a fan to keep you cool and use the white noise to distract you. You can also try a white noise machine, because nothing is more valuable in college than a good night’s sleep, and you should do whatever it takes to make sure that you get that!
Finally, if you’re having a hard time sleeping just because you’re too stressed and the struggle is real, or you’re having other issues, visit your campus health center, where you can get practical advice for how to deal.
You have enough on your plate in college already, so don’t let worrying about getting a good night’s sleep become an issue. Don’t be afraid to reach out for help, and don’t stress about it!