Between meeting new people and leaving your loved ones back home, college can be a scary and confusing time. I watched nearly every YouTube video that said “College Move in Vlog” or “Dorm Tour.” I set high expectations for college: I wanted to live in the two-person dorm with coordinating decorations and have the stereotypical “college life” with rush week and parties every night. I thought I had everything planned out until room assignment day, when I found out I was living in a dorm suite with seven other people. It was at that point when I realized college was not going to be as glorious as I thought it was going to be. Coming from the perspective of an only child, I did not have to worry about sharing a living space with anyone besides my parents and me. The dorm room had two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a shared kitchen, and the dreaded bunk beds.
Just when I thought room assignment day was difficult, move-in day was hectic. The only time I talked to my roommates was over text in a group chat, and I did not meet them anytime prior to move in time. Eight people moving in at once and each of our parents helping was fascinating, to say the least. I ended up taking the top bunk even though I had a fear that I will roll over and fall out of the bed, but I was determined to make it work and I was able to adjust the height of the bed and surrounding furniture to make it more bearable to climb. I even purchased a little ottoman for the foot of my bed; that way it made it easier to climb and gain my balance. The top bunk was not as bad as I thought it would be, because I had a lot of space around me to use for shelving.
The first few days turned into weeks, and we all began to learn about each other. After the first week, one person left due to a room change, and the other left due to roommate conflicts, and both were quickly replaced by two new girls that were excited to be there. Each of the girls have different personalities, and the number one thing that we will have to learn is how to communicate better (which happens over time) and learn boundaries. What you used to do at home alone may not be appreciated during homework time or quiet hours with other roommates around.
As stressful as it might be having seven other people in your area, there are some positives like you are almost never alone if you need to talk to someone. With all the different personalities you are bound to have fun and try new things. Somedays it is like a sleep over that never ends.
HCXOXO
Anastasia D’Ausilio