Introduction
Many colleges offer some space to house a number of their students, living in a college dorm has its positives and negatives. Colleges give priority to students in their 1st year of college life. Dorm life can be different from the normal life you lived when you were still in your house, learners who are joining college to live in the dormitories should, therefore, prepare themselves to know how they will cope with life away from their parents and under very little supervision. Living in a college dormitory can seem interesting, because this is what we see in the movies we watch but it is very important to at least know what you would expect your life to be when you live in the college dormitory. If you are joining college and want to stay in the college dormitories you can consider reading this article as it explains everything you need to know about living in a college dormitory.
Living in college dorm
Living in a college dorm is very important for the new learners who are joining the college for the first time, this is because they are not used to college and as a precaution, they need to stay on campus as they get to understand more about college life. In college dorms, privacy can be very low, and you can also have a small personal space. Very few schools will offer kitchens and washing machines to their students. An advantage of living in a college dorm is having space to make new friends and socialize. Let us go through some of the important things you should know when you are living or want to live in a college dorm.
College dorm life
Dorm life is a rite of passage for everyone who joins a university or college, it is the intermediate between life in your house and life outside your parent’s house. In dorm life, you will learn how to take care of yourself, live away from your parents, and without the strict measures of your parents. In dorm life, you will have a lot of freedom as no one will guide you on what to do and what not to do, this is where you become a grown-up.
Different colleges offer different dorms. You might find yourself living in a shared room or living in a private room. Some colleges have larger rooms while others will only have small rooms. The Shared rooms might contain 2-4 people, so you should also learn how to live with other roommates who are not your relatives.
College dorms might have kitchens and washing machines while others will not, you should therefore prepare yourself to adapt to any room that you will get.
Start building on your self-discipline and self-control when preparing for college dorm life because there will be nobody guiding you, levels of peer pressure in college might overwhelm you, and no one wants to fall into the powers of peer pressure in college.
What you should expect in your first year living in a college dorm?
You should expect to get some new things when you want to start college life. You need to know what you expect to find while living in a college dorm for the first time or in the first year of your college life. Here are some of the things that you should expect,
There are some rules that you should learn and follow
When you join college, you are supposed to live in a college dorm, there are some college dorm rules that you should follow to avoid disciplinary problems. Get to learn the new rules to avoid these problems.
Know your resident advisor
Know your resident advisor or housekeeper because many dorms have these people who control the entire dorm and each student’s welfare.
All dorms have Resident advisors and housekeepers, you should know these people because they are the people you will report to whenever you have house problems.
Get to know your dormitory because you might get lost
Remember you are new to the school and still naïve to avoid getting lost, ensure that you have marked the building where your dorm is located and make sure you know your house number.
Bond with your roommates in a good way
Many colleges give shared rooms to new students; therefore, you will have roommates. If you are someone who does not know how to bond or live with other people, you should prepare yourself to bond well and live with your roommates.
Personalize your dorm to look nice because sometimes dorm rooms can be bland
College dorms can sometimes be bland, you should therefore know how you will personalize it to look good like having pictures on the walls and keeping your floor clean.
Reasons why you should live on campus in your first year in campus or college
- When you live on campus you will have closer connectivity with the university programs than when living off campus. For example, when living on campus you can participate in the different university clubs’ activities hence making new friends and socializing with many people.
- When living on campus the college has an easier task in solving problems that you might encounter during your studies than when you live off campus. It is easier for university personnel to intervene and help when students who are on campus fall into trouble.
- Living in a college dorm will instill some skills into you that you might not find anywhere else. An example is that you will learn how to live with people you do not know in the same room and be able to solve your problems whenever they arise.
- Dorm rules will at least prohibit you from taking part in any unwanted behaviours.
- When living in a college dorm you will be closer to college facilities like the college dorm, swimming pool, library, café, gym, and health facility.
How to prepare for college life?
Prepare for noise
If you are used to a quiet room in your parents’ mansion, you should start preparing for a noisy one. In college rooms, you will live with roommates and some of them might happen to be very noisy, you should therefore be prepared for such roommates.
Prepare for reduced privacy and personal space
The level of privacy and personal space is highly reduced in a college dorm because you will live with others in the same room. Prepare yourself to live in an environment where you have minimal privacy.
Prepare to share rooms, kitchen, and bathrooms
In college, you will have to share some important facilities with several people. You should therefore make sure you are prepared to share facilities like bathrooms, kitchens, and even your rooms.
What to carry to a college dorm?
There are some things that you will be allowed to come with into college dorms while you will be prohibited from carrying others.
Allowed Items
Large items like televisions, gaming consoles, microwaves, and mini-fridges. You are also allowed to carry all your essentials, clothing, toiletries, and other items like utensils, laundry commodities, and some snacks.
Prohibited Items
Most schools have items that prohibit their students from coming to college dorms. Before you join a college and start living in their dorms, they will offer a list of allowed items and those prohibited. The general items that are prohibited in many college dorms include candles, weapons, fireworks, and gas or charcoal grills.
Advantages and disadvantages of living in a college dorm
Advantages
- It is easier for the college authority to offer security to students living on campus than those living off campus.
- Students living in college access the school facilities easier and faster than those living off campus.
- Students living inside the campus are more focused on studying than those living outside the campus.
- It is easy to make new college friends when living on campus.
- When living in college some rules govern students and there are strict measures that guide students making it hard for them to participate in unwanted bad behaviors.
Disadvantages
- Reduced privacy and little personal space.
- Some college dormitories are very expensive and not easy to afford.
- There is a lot of noise in college dorms making it uncomfortable for students who are used to quiet rooms at their homes.
- The living quarters might tend to be very small and you stay there with other roommates.
- So many distractions.
Conclusion
Living on campus is very important for fresh students and senior students who stay far away from the university. Before you start living in a college dorm you should be prepared. College dorms have their advantages and disadvantages. An advantage is that living in a college dorm you are assured of protection from the school while a disadvantage is that you will have very little privacy and personal space. Dorm life is important in that it prepares you for life after school and also it makes you know how to live with people. You should know that college dorms have rules that you should follow to avoid being scrapped off the accommodation. College dorm life is one of the best transitions from living with parents to living on your own.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why is it important to live on campus in your first year in college?
It is important because when you are joining a college that is far from your family it is important to stay on campus because of the security and the services offered inside the college.
- Do colleges offer accommodation to their senior students?
Yeah, many colleges do offer accommodation to their students but priority is given to all the new students first.
- What is the disadvantage of living in a college dorm?
The disadvantages of staying in college dorms are reduced privacy and little personal space, noise, and many distractions, and some dorms might be very expensive to pay for.
