I had a moment of realization the other day that my freshman year is slowly coming to an end. It’s bittersweet. While I can’t wait for my finals to be over and to get started on my blissful summer, I’m going to miss my friends, Iowa City, and I realized I’ll never live in a dorm again. Again, bittersweet. I have so much love for my dorm because it brought me all my best friends, but also it had its challenges. Next year I will be living in my sorority house, and then after that probably a house or an apartment. So as a farewell to dorm life, I thought I would share some of the things I learned this past year in my dorm. 

Make it as Homey as Possible

One thing I regret about my room is not making it feel homier. While I decorated a little, I wish I would’ve really used my designer side to hang some things up, get cute bedding, and overall create a vibe in my room that fits well with who I am. Two of my best friends have the coziest and cutest room because they went all out in decorating. The reality is that room is your home for the next year, so make it feel comfortable for you! 

Clean Often and Thoroughly 

I would not consider myself to be the cleanest or most organized person in the world, and coming to college made me realize that more than ever. It never fails to amaze me how quickly my room can get messy. I try to designate Tuesday or Thursday mornings to clean since I have a nice open morning. Setting aside a specific time once a week with yourself or your roommate where you “smackdown” on the room (as my family likes to call it) really helps keep everything in line and prevents messes from getting out of control. 

Spend Time in the Lounges

I swear by the lounges in my dorm. What I mean by that is whenever my friends and I go to do homework in the lounge, I get an insane amount of work done. They’re super chill and the ones in Catlett have great views. You also never know who you’re going to see there! It’s a great way to potentially meet some other people on your floor. I also recommend going to other dorms to try out their lounges! I’ve heard great things about the Currier study lounges, as well!

Everyone has Different Schedules

Something you’ll discover fast (I know I did) is people have the craziest schedules. Especially being away from home, people in the dorms are up at all hours of the night and into the early morning. Some are up late studying, hanging out with friends, or just because they’re night owls. I’ve heard some people showering at 2 or 3 in the morning! On the other hand, some get up early to work out, shower, or get breakfast. In general, these people are quiet and respectful of those who are sleeping, but I would just be prepared to hear random noises throughout all hours of the day! I promise it’s not as bad as I’m making it seem. 

Make Friends on Your Floor

Some of the best friends I’ve made this year actually live on my floor, and I met them the first week at school. Getting to know people who live so close to you is super convenient and fun because when you’re bored, you can just walk across the hall! Not to mention, if you need something random like a tape measure or bag of tea (true stories), help is just a few feet away. The realization that these girls aren’t going to be across the hall from me next year is one of the saddest parts of leaving my dorm.

Coming into my freshman year, I thought I was prepared for dorm life. I spend my summers in a big house with all my cousins, so I thought this would be a walk in the park for me. While I’ve loved being in Catlett, it is nothing like spending the summer with my cousins. It is its own type of special experience. I truly have loved my time in the dorms, and I wouldn’t change it for anything. Make the most of it while it’s happening! 

As always, go hawks!

Abbie 

P.S. Just wanted to give a quick shoutout to my RA, Roban, who is the best! Truly the greatest RA ever!!! We love you Roban!