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Riley Scott
05.30.19
KELSEY BOEING | PHOTO EDITOR
Freshman Orientation was the first time college felt real. The months of preparation – googling the map of Ohio University, researching organizations I might want to join, looking at residence halls and figuring out the layout of my room. None of it made college feel as real as being on campus for the first time as an official Bobcat. Of all the things that lay ahead, there was definitely one thing that stood out as being scarier than the rest: living in a dorm for the first time ever.
Living in a residence hall is an experience like no other. It is by no means a bad thing – I met most of my friends through living in a dorm and made more fun memories than I can count. But at first this can seem daunting. Living in a hall means living on your own for the first time. Here is some advice to keep in mind as you think about moving into your dorm.
Get to know your roommate. Figure out their likes, their dislikes, and find out what you have in common. Establish a friendship, but also keep in mind that, as roommates, you might run into some issues along through the year. As long as you both handle it in a mature and understanding way, your roommate will be a great person to be part of your freshman college journey.
Don’t be afraid introduce yourself to your Residence Assistant. They are there to help make your transition to dorm life as smooth as possible and will be able to answer any questions or concerns you have. Your RA is there for you for more than just room checks and floor meetings. If you ever need anything in your new dorm life, reach out to your RA.
Set a schedule for yourself for when to do chores. This will seem boring and tedious, but chores are really easy to get behind on, especially when no one is telling you to do them. Taking care of your dorm room is an important part of taking care of yourself. When you have studying and assignments to worry about in the middle of the semester, the last thing you want to have to concern yourself with is dusting and dishes.
Everyone is eager to make friends. so walk around and talk to people in your residence hall. It may feel weird to aimlessly walk around the hallways of your dorm, but this is a solid strategy for meeting people who live in your hall. If that isn’t really your speed, spend some time in the lobby of your dorm. A large portion of my downtime and studying was done in my hall’s lobby, and I made some of my closest friends this way.
Add a door stopper to your dorm items list. Propping your door open is an effortless way to invite your dorm mates to stop by and say hi. Your residence hall will be your community for the next eight months, and if you play your cards right, that community will feel like a family by the end of the year.
Living in a dorm is – like all events in college – what you make of it. Approach it with an open mind and a positive attitude, and always remember that a lot of learning in college is done outside of the classroom.
Mikayla Rochelle is a freshman studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those ofThe Post. What are your thoughts? Tell Mikayla by tweeting her at @mikayla_roch.
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This story is part of a series of specially designed stories that represents some of the best journalism The Post has to offer. Check out the rest of the special projects here.