A Note on Dorm Etiquette

Rachel Greaner Student Contributor, St. Olaf College

St. Olaf Contributor Student Contributor, St. Olaf College

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at St Olaf chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Here are a few tips on how not to be the worst person in your dorm:

Don’t Sing

Honestly, no one wants to hear you singing around the halls, in the shower, whatever. There are clubs and rooms around campus for that!

Turn off Lights

Save energy! However, don’t turn off the light on people! That happened to me the other day. Someone didn’t realize I was in there apparently…it was awkward. This goes for the bathroom, the kitchen, and the lounge!

Don’t Make Out in the Lounge

No one wants to see you groping your significant other. Keep it in the room, please. Or go to a study room? I don’t know, but come on, that place is for people to hang out and study! Also, don’t make a ton of noise if you see that other people in the room are quietly studying.

Don’t Leave Feminine Products in the Stall

My roommate walked into a stall where someone had left their bloody tampon on top of the toilet paper dispenser. Someone has to clean that up. It’s not the awesome janitor’s or a fellow student’s job to clean up your mess. Would you want to do it? Back to kindergarten, people! Golden rule: treat others how you want to be treated!

Open the Shower Curtains When You’re Done

So, lately in my dorm people have been leaving the curtains closed after they’ve left. There are a few problems with this. First of all, I don’t want to walk in on somebody because it looks like the stall might be open. I have also probably looked like a creep trying to see into the shower because I’ve been trying to see if the stall was open or not. Please just open them after you’re done so it’s clear to us all! I don’t want to be walked in on either because of this problem!

Just in general, try to be courteous of everyone around you. I’m not saying you have to be like this 100% of the time, but some people out there need to realize that the world does not revolve around them! So, check yo’ self before you wreck yo’ self!

P.S. Please don’t sing out in public unless you’re doing a professional (ie band, choir, etc) performance! I feel like I have to reiterate that one here at St. Olaf. Yes, we’re a music school, but we also don’t need a 24/7 reminder about that.

<3/Rachel

P.P.S. Have a cute picture of a griffin to brighten up your day!