In the four weeks that I have spent in my dorm on campus, I have learned a lot. Dorm life leaves much to be desired, but living away from home definitely has its benefits.
Living in a dorm, I’ve discovered that I must constantly wear layers – I live in Schaaf, with air conditioning that is completely unpredictable no matter what setting it’s set on. I have found that outlets are horribly placed – there are two close to my bed, but none can be found in the mysterious and empty two-foot-wide space between my wardrobe and the wall.
Something that I thought went without saying was that washing ramen noodles down the sink is a no-no. I don’t know who the culprit was, but I had to look at it for two days. I have also learned that people don’t exactly respect quiet hours. That sounds annoying, but as someone who has to wake up at 5 a.m. every day for practice, if I can manage to not wake anyone up while I’m getting ready, other people can manage to not yell in the hallways at 11 p.m.
Also, fire alarms suck and so does having to wear shoes in the shower.
But, on the bright side, I have also learned that living in a dorm has given me a larger sense of independence. I am completely in control of the things on my side of the dorm. Luckily, my roommate and I get along well, our styles work very well together, and our dorm looks cohesive. I have the option to decorate as I see fit (that means, yes I put up Halloween decorations on Aug. 26 and no, I am not ashamed of it).
I have also grown accustomed to the fact that there is nobody to stop me from making reckless decisions such as napping at 6 p.m., drinking three cups of coffee in less than an hour at 8 p.m., and eating an entire jar of salsa in one sitting. If I were commuting from home I would 110.9 percent have someone reminding me to stop procrastinating and to be a proper person.
I have learned that I absolutely suck at using Command Strips — even if I follow the instructions I still somehow mess it up. Living in the dorm that I am has given me a tiny little glimpse of what it’s like to be a real adult (you know, with taxes and a career and a schedule/routine they have to stick with to be a proper adult).
The most annoying thing about living in a dorm for me though, is my broken closet doors. Both of them are completely off the tracks and it takes my entire body strength to pry them open, so if there is anybody out there who either knows how to fix closet doors or knows how to fill out a repair request form please, please send me some help (I can’t, like, pay you, but I can give you a solid high-five and maybe a pack of fruit snacks).
