One of the things I looked forward to most about starting college was what living in a dorm would be like.

Growing up, I’ve really only lived with my family. Though we’ve moved around a bit, I’ve always had people I know around me. So, coming to Iowa for college was… definitely a change for me.

Living in Mayflower has certainly been quite the experience, and I’m sad that it might possibly not be in use in the future anymore, so here are some bits of my dorm life in Mayflower.

I started this blog earlier this month, and it was announced that Mayflower will be in use next year!

The Mayflower Experience™

Before I get to my personal dorm experience, allow me to list out some of the reasons why Mayflower is still worth picking despite what everyone else says about it.

1. You only have one roommate, which means more space in the room compared to living in a triple or quad. Don’t worry, you still have suitemates that live in the other room connected to your amenities.
2. You get your own bathroom (that you still share with your suitemates). No need to worry about carrying your shower caddy while walking down the hall to use the communal bathroom!
3. You get a kitchen! This is a major plus especially if you enjoy cooking. You’re not always limited to eating dining hall food for all three meals (and yes, we have our own C-store downstairs).
4. You have a heater/AC in your room! If I remember correctly, most of the other dorms only have one function, so you can stay in your dorm without ever feeling too hot or cold.
5. Mayflower has its own gym! Although it’s small and lacks certain equipment, it’s still a convenient spot to get a workout in when you don’t want to have to wait for a bus to come by to go to the rec.
6. There’s a computer room here! We even have our own printer here if you ever need to print your notes or anything else (use printing.its.uiowa.edu to upload and print your documents).

First Semester

I’ll admit, my first-semester dorm-wise wasn’t the brightest. My roommate and I weren’t exactly the most compatible (if you know me you would absolutely know this ?) and there were also a handful of misunderstandings between each other. For example, she would have people over when I wasn’t comfortable, and I in turn also got a bit passive-aggressive to her. But after we solved our misunderstandings, things got a lot better between us. I had the dorm to myself a lot toward the end of the semester because my roommate stayed at her boyfriend’s place a lot, and the air also no longer tense between us.

Mayflower also gave me some of the closest friends I have on campus. Although I’m not usually a people person, the friends I’ve met at Mayflower are people I feel comfortable being around. We’ve had movie nights, girls’ nights, and also emotional support nights together, and I’m glad to have these friends to spend them with. We even had a friendsgiving together, which was the first time I’ve done anything for Thanksgiving!

Mayflower also occasionally has events that Mayco hosts. Although my luck (and memory, but we don’t talk about that) for these isn’t the best, every once in a while, there’s a table by the front entrance with stuff for the event. Last semester there was a friendship bracelet event, and so far, this semester we’ve seen a hot cocoa night too 🙂

 

Second Semester

This semester so far has been a great time, and great might even be to light of a word. My roommate from last semester graduated, so when I got the email over winter break that listed my roommate options for this semester, my family and I immediately decided that buying out the room for myself would be the best thing for me.

And boy has it been good.

I don’t mean to brag (maybe I do just a bit) but having the room to myself is so comfy. An entire space for myself only, more room for my stuff, and even an extra bed and table (my room’s layout is still a double)??? I’ve been living peacefully these past six weeks. I even got the other bed lowered so I can use it as a couch or guest bed when people come over!

Aside from my quality of life improving drastically, there isn’t much else different about living in Mayflower. It’s still great having my own kitchen and bathroom and it’s still just as far away from the main campus.

Oh, right! Over winter break, maintenance was done throughout the dorm, and this semester we don’t have to pay for laundry! I originally thought that this would be the case for every dorm, but my friends have told me that it’s reversed for them, so they now have to pay for laundry when they didn’t have to last semester (it’s about $1.50 per load for both washer and dryer), so I guess that’s a bonus 🙂

 

Overall, I personally love living in Mayflower. It was even my first choice when I was picking my dorm last spring. Mayflower suits my lifestyle a lot, and I love having my own amenities in my room already. I don’t think I can ever live in another dorm now that I’ve experienced the Mayflower life (unless I get chosen as RA, then maybe). I’ve even picked a single in Mayflower already for next year!

If you’re considering living in Mayflower, I’d say go for it. It’s a nice environment to live in, and even if you don’t like it, you can always request a room change. But for now, I believe in the Mayflower supremacy <3