Any good tips for a dorming college freshman?

Question

In one month I'll be moving out and begin dorming. I'll be sharing a dorm room with two other people and a hall bathroom with a bunch of other people.

Do you have any tips for sharing a room with two other people? And any tips for sharing a bathroom with basically everyone else? I already know that I need to wear flip flops in the shower, but that's basically it when it comes to specifics =/

Answer 1

Before heading to school, if you are able to, contact the people you are rooming with and determine who will bring a TV, radio/CD player, larger lighting fixtures, a rug, etc.

Also, when you do get to school and meet your roommates, determine rules.

Good rules to set up:

1) TV and music time. Find out what programs or what times you and your roommates like to watch TV or listen to music. Try to formulate plans for when the TV is on and off, when people do their homework, etc.
2) Sleeping and waking schedule. You need to determine what type of schedule everyone is on so that you don't hinder other people trying to sleep or continuing to sleep.
3) Visitors. Not only family and friends from back home, but determine rules on having boyfriends over, especially overnight.
4) Sharing. Determine how you're going to share toiletries and other possessions.
5) Hygiene and cleanliness. Have rules regarding not only how you three keep up the room, but also yourselves. You don't want to share a room with someone that rarely showers.

Tips for communal shower:

1) Of course, wear shower flip flops, else, you can get a fungal disease.
2) Clean up after yourself. When your done, pick your hair out of the drain using a paper towel. Also, don't leave personal hygiene products lying around. We actually had this problem in my dorm this past year, someone left their bloody tampon in the shower. Kinda sick, so always clean up when you're done.

Answer 2

It's not as big a deal as one might think, unless your roommates are total jerks. :P

Anyway, you could probably use something to hold your toiletries. Like a plastic container that you can stick your shampoo, soap, etc. into whenever you go to the bathroom.
And a toothbrush container, and your favorite toothpaste.

Don't bring too much extra stuff to the dorm, because you will be sharing the space. Once you move in and see how much space everyone takes up, you can decide what else you might want to bring. You'll probably want a lamp and some family photos to put on the wall.

Overall, make sure you agree early on with your roommates about how you all will conduct yourselves in the room. (e.g. loud music being played, bedtime, leaving the light on, etc.).
Living with other people can be about compromise a lot of the time. If you always have to have things a very certain way, it will be more difficult. But if you can live with stuff not being perfect, you should have a good time.

Have fun! May God bless you.

Answer 3

Very early on you need to be tell everyone what you are comfortable with in your room. The Resident Assistant (RA) is someone you should really think about going to if you ever have a problem, but you should try to solve your differences without going to him/her first to prevent any sort of animosity.

The most important stances you should make aware with all of your roommates, are how late everyone can play music / watch tv; everyone's expected bedtimes; use of each other's things such as computer, videogames, stereo, etc; how many people you can bring in the room (you can get in trouble with the RA if it is too noisy and you happen to be one of the people in the room); smoking, drug, and alcohol use; and whether you are comfortable with men sleeping over guests staying overnight. It is also generally nice to give each other your class schedules to know when you can expect some privacy.

Also, some roommates may just be crappy. They may be loud and obnoxious, have friends you don't like around, may invite themselves to hang out with you (this is normal early in the year and there's no reason you should reject them at this time) or they may be awkward, withdrawn, and passive aggressive. There is not much you can do about that other than trying to find another area you can spend some of your time, such as an especially friendly neighbor's room, or a common area of the floor or dorm.

There are also some things you can't be strict on. For example, one of the ways people meet in dorms is by leaving your door open for semi-friends from down the hall to peak in, especially important in the first few weeks. Insisting that your door be closed during the day when you're not the only one in the room can really suck.

The bathroom is always generally a free for all, and if you have a problem with someone in there, such as people stealing or using your things (which should always be in your room anyway) you should just go to the Resident Assistant to settle the issue.

Answer 4

You will need the following....
1) cell phone and numbers/contact information of your dorm mates
2) crates or other organization boxes to put your stuff in
3) plenty of hangers
4) quarters for laundry
5) iron/ironing board
6) febreeze and room air freshers
7) a laptop (if this is possible) Don't let the wireless internet, youtube, myspace and facebook distract you too much because it can lower your grades (personal experience)
8)Talk to your dorm mates and establish some rules and talk about personal habits that may cause trouble or concern later on if you have any.
9) Get to know your dorm mates, establish friendships if that suits your fancy, but under no circumstances trust anyone completely. College is very competitive and people can be extremely petty and tricky. That's not saying that your dorm mates will be losers, gossipers or thieves, but they may bring losers, gossipers and thieves into the dorm. Don't leave anything that contains social security number, credit card information, or bank statement information.
10)Get disinfectant spray and wipes for the toliet seats. Some people might have personal infections that can be transfered from the toliet (true story in my dorm)

These are some tips. Good luck and have fun. Enjoy your college years.

Answer 5

ooh, yay! how exciting!! Well when it comes to sharing a room, pick your fights carefully b/c afterall, u do have to live with these ppl for the whole yr, so dont fight over stupid things. Try to keep your side clean b/c your roomates can get annoyed. Dont leave very valuable things out in the open b/c even if you trust ur roomates, they might bring friends over that like to steal stuff. Try to actually get to know and get along with your roomates because you guys can either become very close friends or the worst of enemies, which would sucK!
For the bathroom, there's not much to say. Other than the flip flop thing you said, and dont make any mess because it can get others mad, and umm..i think thats it. But when school starts, good luck studying, b/c having 2 roomates will keep you distracted. And dont make noise if youre up studying really late! Good luck, and have FUN!!!!

Answer 6

Yes, it quite clearly depends upon which college you attend. Every college has a different flavor and then, and this is particularly true of large colleges or colleges in urban areas, there are a lot of different types of people. (I say colleges in urban areas because in that case, it's easier to associate with those who do not go to college as well, thus resulting in a different attitude sometimes.) Anyway, Coursework: This is largely dependent upon the lecturer/professor. A lot of general education classes are taught by lecturers and Teaching Fellows who seem to expect less from you than Professors. You'll most likely end up with a variety of course loads for each different class. Just be sure to allot your time wisely. For example, don't spend all of your time on the hard readings/writings and neglect the easy ones. You'll need time to do both, even though one may require more time than another. Some classes will feel like high school, in terms of ease. This is often the result of uninteresting teachers who fail to understand the potential of undergraduates. It will neither help you prepare for harder classes nor for what comes after college (grad school, work force, etc.) Drinking/Parties: They are available if you want to attend, but it is possible to find other things to do. I went to college in an urban area, so I was able to find things to do on weekends besides drinking - going to plays, symphonies, etc. However, if you do wish to drink, you'll have no trouble finding opportunities. Dorming: I had a single room, so I won't be much help in regards to roommate troubles. However, if you have a good R.A.,you will probably have a good dorm experience. Free Time: I spent most of my time sleeping. Free time can be hard to come by, especially during midterms/finals. Making Friends: This can be hard. I suggest getting involved with clubs/organizations-almost all of my friends are from clubs. It's somewhat difficult to make friends during class. Good luck! College is so much better than high school: classes are more interesting, people are more intelligent, professors are usually more interesting and/or better, and the atmosphere is completely different.

Answer 7

Talk to your roommates ahead of time so you know who is bringing what, you won't have any spare room to keep duplicate items!

Be friendly! One of the last things you want is a roommate who doesn't like you. Be tolerant. Don't say anything behind their backs.

As for sharing the bathroom. In the first few weeks you'll find out when the busy times are (probably in the morning before many people have classes and in the late afternoon).

Answer 8

don't bring stuff you don't need. I ended up with so much stuff with no where to put it! Things like staplers, a hundred pencils, paperclips, rubber bands. you don't really need more than one set of sheets and towels either, when you do laundry, throw those in too!
If possible, move in a day or two early. I go to a small university and move in day was C-R-A-Z-Y!
Set groundrules with your roomate. I made the mistake of saying 'oh no, it doesn't matter that your boyfriend hangs out here!' he was over ALL the time and they were ALL over each other. Respect privacy and know limits.
Keep your door open when you're in your room! Get to know the other girls on your floor or it'll be awkward and you could miss out on a lot of great friendships!
I hope these help!! There a a ton of great 'freshman experience' books and guides. If you have any other questions, feel free to message me on yahoo: alicia.mier
GOOD LUCK!!

Answer 9

communication and compromise.


that's about it. are you sharing a dorm room or a dorm room suite? if all 3 of you are sleeping in the same room it's going to be rough. set up a night to sit around and talk to them about their likes/dislikes and rules. some things you can take as they come along, but somethings like whether you can bring a guy or girl home (didn't get whether you were m or f) and if the others are supposed to leave the room or just cover their ears.. this needs to be decided in advance!

for the bathroom, just get a little plastic caddy.

Answer 10

this is a little different but i have seen many people ruin there college experience in the first month of college and it is usually the room mates fault
1. do not party the 1st month all the crazys are out "or at least do the 1 hour thing"
2. do not be talked into things by room mates stand your ground
3. pick your battles or the battles will truly begin
4. they will always be in your stuff so leave the valuables at home for awhile
5. don't eat their food and don't whine when they eat yours
6. it is far better to be respected first friends second