The trickiest subject matter to deal with as a Freshman, as anyone in college, is floorcest. Floorcest is the word describing when two people from the same floor engage in some form of intimate relationship. Many people are vehemently against it due to the potentially awkward aftermath. Others, however, are for it. If you break it down, it all depends on the situation and the people involved. After all, you can’t help whom you fall for, though you can certainly try!
In the first few weeks of school, it is definitely tempting to hook up with your cute neighbor. You are finally away from high school and its love woes. You are surrounded by a totally new group of 50 or so people—with new love prospects galore. It’s all so exciting! However, you need to realize, eventually these people will no longer be new… You will be seeing them all the time for the next 9 months.
Floorcest can be put into two categories; hook up and relationship. Both are potentially dangerous, both can create foggy areas, and both require their fair share of caution tape.
The Hook Up
Like most hook ups, they are complicated. If both people are certain that they just want a hook-up, no strings attached, and no awkwardness later on, then by all means go right ahead. But this is usually never the case—feelings get in the way and someone ends up getting hurt. On top of that, it feels like it’s virtually impossible to completely get over the person if you see them all the time.
The Relationship
All relationships come with positives and negatives and if the person is right and just so happens to live on your floor, then go for it. Shout your love from the rooftops! Love is thrilling! However, some people jump into relationships too soon, especially in college, regardless of truly being ready and without thinking over the potential consequences. The relationship can be even trickier than the hook up because both partners have established feelings for each other. Awkward floor encounters after the fact make it downright difficult to even briefly forget about the person.
Floorcest is somewhat inevitable when the people on your floor tend to be the only people you see. It is sometimes difficult to meet people outside of your floor. Therefore, the boys on your floor are all you really have. Most importantly, you know that these guys have your back.
I’m not going to lie, I am an offender of floorcest. I have been in a relationship with someone from my floor for several months. Before getting together, we were good friends and it took time before feelings developed. I actually like having my boyfriend on the same floor as me. I can hang out with him and my friends, separately or together, at any time. For me, it just works.
Floorcest is situational and varies from person to person. When I think about floorcest as a whole, I definitely can see both positives and negatives. The positives include being able to see each other a lot during the day. If you don’t see one another for a long period of time (long by college standards, which is approximately four or five hours), you can just walk over to his room. Additionally, you get to see each other at your best and worst moments. This is a mega-plus for girls because when he sees you in sweatpants and no make-up and still wants to be with you, you know he loves you for you. If you’re in the same friend group, which is highly likely, you get to hang out with him in a variety of settings. Keep in mind, though, you don’t want to be all over him all the time. That makes others feel uncomfortable.
Personally, I think it’s better to be friends first before diving into a relationship. I know plenty of people who have entered relationships headfirst during the first week of college. Maybe this works for some people, but I can’t help but wonder, how do you truly know you want to be with this person without really knowing them? Everyone is nice and charming the first few weeks…
The negatives obviously come when things go sour between you and him. Aside from the awkwardness and high probability of running into him in the elevator lobby or in someone else’s room, friendships are at stake. Which friends will choose you over him and vice versa? This is why it’s important for couples to avoid the common mistake of constantly spending time together. You need to build friendships too!
So the debate continues, is floorcest good or bad? In the end it’s up to you, but just remember the effects if things go awry. There can be arguments for both sides, but as long as you’re happy with your decision, that’s all that really matters.
Julia will be charting the course of freshman year here at TCNJ, giving voice to her fellow first-year collegiettes and bring back memories for our upperclasswomen.
Comment below if you have a suggestion for Julia to write about!