Dorm Life

  Dorm life in college is highly dependent on several factors.  These include, but are not limited to; size of the college or university, co-ed (boys and girls in the same building) or same sex dorm set-up, room size, room accessories...the list goes on and on.  Dorms are traditionally thought to only be for students that are young and fresh out of high school, and if you are not fresh out of high school I would recommend some other living arrangement unless the dorms are your only option.  

     Dorm life, like anything else, has its pros and cons.  One great thing about living in a dorm is that you get to meet many new friends, and there is always someone to hang out with or something to do when you have free time from your studies.  The bad end of this is, there is little to no privacy when you are studying, or simply want to be left alone.  Your almost bound to have a roommate, and if it is one chosen at random, its like a box of chocolates, you never know what you might get!  You may get lucky and have a great roommate that shares your interests and becomes a lifelong friend, or you may be very unlucky and get a roommate that is nothing like you and butts heads with you on a daily basis.  

     Your dorm experience will also vary with the way the dorm itself is set up.  Obviously, a co-ed dorm is a welcomed sight for most high school graduates, both male and female alike.  However, you will most likely not have members of the opposite sex for neighbors, because most schools separate males and females in an alternating floor fashion, with boys on one floor, girls on the next, and so on.  While the co-ed dorm set-up is usually more fun for young students, it also provides a huge distraction from your studies.  It will be up to you to balance study time and play time, which is all part of the college experience.  

     Many dorms will also have only one large bathroom per floor which must be shared by all the residents of that floor, so if you are uncomfortable showering or using the toilet around other members of the same sex this could present a problem.  A helpful tip:  You may want to wear some sandals or some other form of shoe that is water-safe when showering in a shared bathroom, because there are many infections and foot fungi that are spread in these areas.

     Living in the dorm, you are sure to experience many new things with different and interesting people.  You are also bound to experience the pitfalls of dorm life as well, arguements with your roommate, and struggles to find a quiet place to study or rest.  Ultimately it is up to you to decide whether or not dorm life is for you, and hopefully knowing these insights ahead of time will help greatly to aid you in your decision.