Going off to college is one of the biggest changes in every person’s life. Not only will this bring a range of different experiences and obligations into your life, but it also represents a transition from adolescence to young adulthood. For the first time in your life, you’ll move away from your parents and become a more independent person. In addition, you’ll have an opportunity to meet new people and even share a room with a complete stranger. Of course, this often comes with a fair share of challenges and unfamiliar obstacles, so it’s important that you know what to expect from your new environment as a future student. This way, not only will you overcome those obstacles more easily, but you’ll also be able to discover the wonders of student life more freely.
Bringing home to you
If you’re lucky enough, you’ll have a decent room in your dorm, but don’t be surprised if you end up with nothing more than a bed, desk and a shelf. For some students, this won’t be a problem, while others might feel nostalgic about the comforts of their own homes. If you’re one of them, don’t despair! You can easily make your dorm room feel more like home and have fun doing it (at least I did).
When decorating your room, you shouldn’t go overboard and bring all of your personal belongings from home. Trust me, it won’t be fun when you have to move all of your things to another room, which isn’t uncommon in dorms. Start with the essentials that will make your everyday life easier and don’t bring your entire wardrobe. As for decoration, think in terms of functionality, as well – chances are that you won’t get a huge room, so you need to work with the space you have.
Open-minded and positive attitude
Whether you’ll be living in a co-ed or same-sex dorm, you’ll meet a range of different people, some more pleasant than others. It’s important that you remain open-minded when it comes to your fellow students. You will encounter all kinds of personalities and may have a conflict with some of them or even your roommate. You need to understand that a great number of students are under a lot of pressure just like you, so try to find out what the cause of your conflict is and solve it. By staying open-minded and having a positive attitude, you’ll have an opportunity to make a lot of new friends, expand your own interests and get out of your comfort zone.
Balance for a happy dorm life
Living in a dorm is exciting and fun, but it can be quite overwhelming at times. My first couple of months in a dorm was all about parties, having fun, getting to know new people and, unfortunately, no studying. This was a big mistake because it took me a while to catch up with my studies. Don’t make the same mistake and find a balance between studying and partying. You’ll have four years to party and have fun. You need to start with a bang and leave the positive first impression because it will make your life much easier. If you can’t study in your room because of your noisy roommate or you simply can’t focus, you should go to a study room, start writing your papers and relax afterwards.
The power of limits
Student life brings a lot of temptations, including parties every day, dozens of beer kegs and even drugs. Since many students see their college days as an opportunity for experimentation and new experiences, they often rush into everything they come across. Unfortunately, such a reckless attitude can easily cause a lot of problems. Therefore, it’s important that you set certain boundaries for yourself that will guide you through your college life. Of course, there’s nothing wrong about experiencing new things and it’s completely up to you which one of them you’ll try, but being moderate is crucial for your well-being.
Every major change in your life is challenging, but every one of them will bring out the best in you and leave you with valuable experiences.
