Learn A Lot In The Dorms

For those heading off to college moving into the dorms is an exciting step. For many high school grads dorm life is associated with crazy late night parties, chilling out with friends, studying, funky decorations and most importantly, a newfound sense of freedom. Different schools offer different options when it comes to dorms. Some offer choices such as co-ed, single gender floors, study floors or substance free floors. In addition, dorms are often located on different areas of the campus. Depending on where and when your classes are, this may be something that you want to factor in. Many schools give first year freshman priority for dorm selection and generally, freshman are clumped together on the same floor.
Even though moving into the dorm can be an exciting process, it can also be stressful and scary. Before you move into your new home away from home create a list of all of the basic items you will need. Remember, your dorm room will be entirely void of anything and everything, even the basics. Oftentimes, just exploring online or in stores can give you good ideas and help to remind you of the items you will need to make your room cozy and equipped for life at school.
While you live in a dorm you will be sharing a bathroom, sometimes communal bathrooms are single gender and sometimes co-ed. Important bathroom items to have on your shopping list are a bathrobe, a pair of flip flops and some kind of bathroom tote. Like learning about everything else in the dorm, you will figure out a schedule for the best time to shower at some point.
Typically, when you live in a dorm you will be sharing your room with at least one roommate. This may be the first occasion in your life that you have had to share your personal space with another person and it may take some time to become adjusted. When living in tight quarters with someone else flexibility and compromise are crucial to survival. Occasionally dorms have single rooms, however, these are commonly held for upperclassmen, freshmen are not going to get one of these.
Settling into a new atmosphere typically brings on some confusion. Every dorm has an assigned resident advisor, or RA who is there to facilitate this process. Although the RA is also there to enforce the dorm rules, of which there are often many, they are also there to help you with everything from roommate issues to personal challenges.