Girl Tips: Easier Dorm Living
It’s typically quite strange to go from living in your parents’ house (where you are comfortable and know the general routine) to dorm life. It can feel very unnatural to be placed in a room with a stranger and expected to get along perfectly, share a restroom with tons of other girls, and eat in a cafeteria setting daily. If you’re a first-year, it’s just about time for the “honeymoon” phase of dormitory living to start wearing off. Whether it’s a roommate conflict, homesickness, insomnia, or just general discomfort… we’ve all been there. Here are some girl tips for easier dorm living.
Shark Week
Let’s be real: periods suck. Periods in a dorm suck even more. However, there are services to make yours easier! HelloFlo does all the work for you; the service sends you a discreet (unmarked) package five days before your “shark week” filled with tampons, pads, and liners specifically chosen for you… and even send a few pieces of candy to help you cope! This is perfect for students who don’t live near a pharmacy/store, who are shy about buying supplies for their period, who are bad at keeping track of their time of month, or who simply don’t have the time to go shopping for supplies every month!
8 Simple Rules
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Many roommate conflicts can be avoided (or solved) by simply communicating. Establish set rules for things that matter to the both of you, regarding things like overnight visitors and dirty dishes. Once you’ve spoken about these rules, write them down and hang them up where you can both see them!
Kitchen Nightmares
Sick of eating in the dining commons for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? There are other options to satisfy your appetite. Many dormitories have a communal kitchen for residents to use and equipment that can be checked out. Likewise, many universities’ dining plans include options for swapping out meals in exchange for “points” at local restaurants or stores. At the University of California, Davis, students can even use their meal swipes to buy fresh produce at the weekly farmer’s market held in the town center! Here are some easy recipes that you can make with only a microwave, with plenty more to be found on Pinterest simply by searching “dorm recipes!” Don’t give up hope… bland dining commons food can be a thing of the past for you.
Game of Thrones
Dorm bathrooms pose so many problems for girls! Long shower-ers, rush hours, hair clumps, and so on. You can have the best possible bathroom experience in your dorm by learning the cleaning schedule in your residence hall. Try to be the first person to use the showers or toilets after the maintenance staff comes in and does their thing, and you’ll notice how spotless everything is and how stocked the supplies are! It makes for a much less stressful (and frankly, gross) restroom experience.
Do you have any tips for surviving dorm life? Leave them in the comments below!
Brinton Parker
