Photo by Anna Heckmann; The entrance of health services outside of Manor residence hall.
Communal living can be new and exciting for first-years coming to college, but it can also be a preferred choice or a forced upon situation for upperclassmen. No matter what brings you to the dorms, just know there’s always a couple of things you have to put up with.
Neighbors:
Thin walls can be a burden that allows you to hear the whole drama of your neighbor’s life as they talk on the phone, half yelling into the speaker. There will always be a runner on your floor as well, at least once a semester when you least want it, it’ll sound like a giant is pounding down the hallway. Why they need to get to places so quickly, who knows, but their race to nowhere will always happen when you’re about to take a nap.
Shared bathrooms:
Hair is like fungi that takes over the bathrooms. Showers will clog with hair, walls will be covered in it, children will scream at just the thought of it. Poop will magically sit in toilets as if there isn’t a handy handle to flush it all down, and heaven help you if all the stalls are full when you really need to go. The struggle of those who clean the dorms are truly in my heart as I see them storm the hazard zone with only a couple of cleaning supplies.
RA events and decorations:
These are what make dorms truly fun. Seeing every semester what each RA will do with their hall is the most exhilarating part of dorms. Their personalized style and events are so unique that when you have an engaging RA, it makes your experience truly special.
No AC:
The summer heat looms over the dorms like a cloud of death. The heat sucks the breath right out of you, while your body sweats out the gallon of water you took in twenty minutes prior. Not even fans can break up the heat, but don’t worry, we’re in Minnesota, the heat will only stay for two weeks.
Where there was heat, now stands the cold:
Five blankets deep, students curl into a cocoon on their bed, trying to block out the cold. Dorms do have heaters in them, but depending on what dorm you are in, the windows and walls have no insulation to them, sucking out all the heat from the room and replacing it with cold air. This allows the nest of blankets to form until your roommates think you’ve been swallowed by your bed.
No matter what your dorm experience is, these five things are the vital foundations of dorm life, but overall, the dorms are just a life experience that any student should make the most of it.