It's my third week living in a dorm on school campus for the first time and I think I can safely share my experience so far.
Since I like ending on a good note... let's start with the bad things about dorm life.
The Bad:
- Very little to zero privacy. You could have a single but it just isn't the same as being in your own room in your own house. If you have a double and don't get along with your roommate.. you either beat them or join them. Everything you say or do should be done knowing that anyone could be watching and judging your actions.
- Following the previous statement, very thin walls. I'm not insinuating anything but sometimes you hear things you just don't want to hear.
- For those who are used to having someone look after them, you need to realize that you need to clean your own room... No one's going to run around telling you what to do. So you know, you could potentially let your room turn into a wasteland and people wouldn't care.
- Going to bed early is not a possibility. Unless you are very quick and heavy sleeper, you will lie in bed for a good hour listening to shouting, giggling, stomping in the corridors, very bad dubstep, etc.
- Bathrooms. I was lucky enough to get shower stalls but other dorms are just communal showers. If you are a private person who generally doesn't strut around naked in public places, it might take some time to get used to dorm bathrooms.
The Good:
- It's kind of like a big sleepover, all year round. I'm not even the most social person in the world but it's fun to be able to walk over to your friend's room in 20 seconds and just chat. Besides, when you put like 40 energetic teens in one place, crazy things are bound to happen.
- Everything is within arm's reach. For lazy people like me, it's pretty darn convenient.
- Helps you develop your people skills. Living with dozens of people in one building can be overwhelming at first, but over time you learn to live with others and how not to piss them off. It prompts you to be more outgoing, polite, and talkative.
- Food. You're bound to find food anywhere you go. Which can be a bad thing, because you know.. *cough* freshman fifteen *cough*. Well, it teaches you to not scarf down the food at 11 PM.
- Your parents aren't there. Don't get me wrong, I love my parents but sometimes you just need to spend some time away to mature individually. Each dorm is bound to have monitors though, so that doesn't mean you can do whatever you want.
