Eight times out of ten, students don’t want to stay on campus and would much rather find their own apartment. A lot of people at Hampton University move off after their freshman year of college. Although many students dream of moving off-campus if you have a room and board scholarship you might have to stick it out if your parents are not willing to pay for extra expenses. There are pros and cons to dorm life, but your experience is what you make of it. Here are some tips to make living on campus a little less painful.
1. Make it your own space!
Be creative! Most of the dorms on campus aren’t super luxurious, especially if you attend an older university, but they are doable. When looking for items to personalize your space, go to stores like Home Goods, Marshalls, Burlington, and Target to find decor to decorate your walls. Liven up your room for the year with different colors and patterns to give your space personality. Don’t forget to make it cozy. You can always add little ottomans if you don’t want guest sitting on your bed. Bring things that make your dorm feel like home.
2. Get rooms that are suites or singles!
Requesting a suite-style room gives you a bit more ground to work with when sharing a space with your roommate. You have your own bathroom with your roommate and your suite mates as opposed to eight other girls in a hall.
3. Set boundaries with your roommate from the beginning if you have one!
Most of the time if you don’t pick your roommate ahead of time, you get a random one. This can be scary because you never know if you will get along or what their intentions might be. When you get on campus be welcoming to your roommate and remain positive. Get to know them and find out what they like and don’t like. Set rules and boundaries and stick to them so you don’t run into problems down the road.
4. Make a food pantry in your room
Keep food on hand for when you are busy and don’t have time to go out and grab something to eat. When grocery shopping try to buy items in bulk so you don’t run out of your food too fast. Also, if you can, get a refrigerator! It is a life-saver in the dorm.
5. Get to know your hall mates!
Get to know the girls or guys living in your hall because they can become close friends. A lot of people make friends this way. Just simply say hi if you see them. Don’t be afraid to meet new people. Also, you might run out of something and one of your hall mates might come to your rescue.
Remember, the key to living in the dorms is all in how you approach it. Quick access to all the spots on campus is a plus!
Dorm life can be fun.