Pretty soon, you'll be off to college, but right now, you're packing up and getting everything together that you might need to live your best #DormLife. If this is your freshman year, you might not be entirely sure what to expect. You may wish to have something similar to Rory's dorm situation from Gilmore Girls, but the truths of moving into a dorm aren't exactly the same as something you'd see on TV or in the movies.
I can definitely tell you that Felicity's "NYU" dorm was certainly not my experience. I had to share a room half that size with two other roommates and closet space that wasn't even big enough for one person. It was an adjustment, but I actually loved it. In fact, I lived in the dorms all four years of college. As much as I wanted rooms like Rory and Felicity's to be real, I was faced with adjusting to living in the dorms those first few weeks of freshman year.
It's not the same as living at home with your own room, and having your siblings, parents, and friends there to help out. For the first time ever, you might be on your own. Luckily, it's a lot easier to manage when you're faced with these 11 truths ahead of time. As long as you're prepared, you'll be ready to tackle the school year with all the confidence.
Long-haired woman in red hanging the pictures on wall at home
Every dorm room starts out the same, but with each new student living there, it becomes a reflection of their unique personality. I loved going to Target to buy decor to make my dorm feel like a new home away from home. If you love decorating, you'll love filling your walls with all the artwork and posters you want.
Just like every dorm starts out bare, your bed is just a generic bed. It may not start out as cozy as your bed at home, but after a little bit of work, you can make it your go-to spot to lounge in after a long day of lectures.
One of the first things you and your new roomie should consider doing when you move in is having a meeting to set some ground rules you're both happy with. Some people like their room to be pretty quiet, and other people love having the TV on all the time. You can both come to a compromise on quiet times needed for both of you.
Most dorm rooms don't necessary come with a ton of storage space, so you'll need to get a little creative. Consider buying some bed risers so you can store things under there, or invest in cute storage containers that won't take up too much space.
A group of diverse women sitting on the couch and eating pizza together
Since you're living in a shared space, you should check in with your roommate whenever you want to bring people over, and vice versa. Neither of you will likely appreciate unexpectedly coming home to a room full of people after a long day.
Get in the habit of setting aside a day every week that's just dedicated to laundry. You can even make a fun plan out of it with your roomie and grab smoothies or pizza afterwards.
Waking up is all on you. Don't get too attached to that snooze button, because you are adulting now, after all. Your roommate won't love hearing your phone go off every few minutes with the same alarm, either.
Living in the same space, you'll get to know your roomie real quick. That'll just help you become fast friends who can help each other navigate the new campus, and eat dinner together in the dining hall before you really get a chance to make additional friendships together.
girl with colorful hair sitting at desk and making notes in living room
The question of whether or not your desk will actually get used to do any schoolwork is up to you. If you know you'll be doing most of your work in the library, that desk may just become an extra storage unit or makeup table.
Since the bathroom might be being used by multiple people, you have to plan your time wisely and coordinate schedules. At first, it could be a race to get there first.
You and your roomie might become fast friends, but you may also get super close to your neighbors. My freshman year squad comprised of my entire floor. We had movie nights, games nights, and spent hours just laughing together in the hallway.
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