The first day I moved into my dorm, there were a variety of thoughts in my mind; both being positive and negative. My room at home had plenty of space to move around, but I also wasn’t fond of the idea of living under my parents roof. I live in a dorm that doesn’t qualify as the “fanciest” or one would even say “boujee”, but it has its perks. I live in a four person suit that has a bathroom, living room, and two separate bedrooms. My roommate and I met each other in middle school and decided to room together, while my other suitmates found each other through Instagram. At first, we were not used to basically having a sleepover every night and would stay up until 2 in the morning. Alongside this we had to get used to certain cleaning and organization habits. Eventually, we adjusted to our living situation and grew to love our dorm.
Living in a dorm is not built for those who have OCD or are germaphobes. The floors hold a constant state of dirtiness, and with the amount of hair lingering, you would think we have a dog. Our shower is so compact and can barely fit all of my appliances. Don’t even get me started on shaving my legs– I feel as if I’m doing a contortionist act in the process. The temperature of the room is never consistent and I find myself waking up in the middle of the night either sweating or freezing. No matter how much I clean and reorganize my room, it always looks like I’m a hoarder that cannot let go of her unnecessary clutter.
Despite the chaos in plain sight, living in a dorm has its benefits. My roommates and I are all on different shower times, so that’s never a conflict. In addition to this, we never have problems with each other, since we all are mature and reasonable. When we first moved in, we could barely get past small talk conversations, but now we spend nights telling our darkest secrets. Having my own place allows for freedom and enables me to embrace my individuality. This also taught me to clean up after myself more and made me realize how much I relied on my parents to take care of me. After a while, I found comfort in my small bed and crowded area.
This is an experience that almost every college freshman goes through, and my advice is to make the best of it. The memories made in our dorm will forever be kept in the back of my mind and I will be reminded of them every time I am in a new environment. I am so grateful to have met my roommates and to always have a shoulder to cry on when I am feeling down or want to have a random intellectual conversation. The dorm’s filth can easily be overlooked by the good times we’ve had and the individual growth that has been made.
