Dorm living

Sand_Dollar, BSN · Apr 17, 2009

Personally...i hated it.

When I first went to University I went into the dorms. I was very lucky and got a single room which were usually reserved for the 'floor monitor' positions. Every weekend parties we going on in the room above me - 2am in the morning and I could not get any sleep (I need a full 10 hrs). I was going to school to study, not to party. It didn't even last a semester, I was back home in a couple months living in my Moms basement.

If I knew what would happen with that move, I think I would have just bought headphones for the nights and spent the rest of the time in the library, at least I would have finished my degree.

Good luck, hopefully its all nursing students and all have the same goal. Like you said, its only one semester, you can do anything if you know it has an end point.

libnat · Apr 18, 2009

Yeah, that was my worry, a noisy roommate who wanted to have friends over to party all the time. the walls look pretty thin.

http://ts.realtourvision.com/tour/BU/tour.view.new.php?utl=BU-9071-95JJS9-01

Cilantrophobe · Apr 18, 2009

I have probably experienced more dorm life than the typical person. Only with me, it was Air Force dorms overseas. It was a nightmare, at every base. Drunk people pulling the fire alarms, drunk people knocking on your door just to say hi, or simply irritate you, people knock on your door to see your roommate when you don't feel like company, room inspections, the list goes on and on. I hated it, and I can't imagine living in a college dorm. I was even forced to share a room with my supervisor while deployed, and she was one of the rudest people I have met in my life.

So, if college dorm life is anything like what I have experienced, God help you. My advice is to balance avoiding conflict with setting boundaries. Like the above poster said, hopefully you get paired with another student nurse , or better yet, in a nursing dorm. And if you don't, see if you can switch roommates down the road if need be so that you can be with a nursing student.

libnat · Apr 18, 2009

No nursing dorms, there is a medical dorm but for medical and dental students only. I know they have room inspections because I saw it on a dry erase board as I walked in and housing meetings everyone must attend.

Cilantrophobe · Apr 18, 2009

I hope I didn't sounds like a total downer. I also had a lot of fun at times, but those days are long gone. And for the most part it wasn't that bad. Except when I was in South Korea and everyone was their without their spouses and the only thing to do was drink. It was CHAOS.

BabyLady, BSN, RN · Apr 18, 2009

Some schools are very in tune with matching students based on their personalities, and some even send out a questionaire.

A phone call to the student housing association, informing then that it is "extremely important" to you that you get with a student that also puts academics first, will make your life much easier.

Many times, it has to do with expectations. I would also suggest, on your first night together, that you two go out to dinner, get to know each other, and set out some expectations for each of you...ask how early the other needs to get to bed...are they messy or a neat freak? Do they have tons of friends at the college or do they not know much of anyone there?

I think that when young people go to college and get their first dorm room, they are more worried by making friends with the roommate and being overly nice than really talking about what can cause fights in the future.

There are a few things that usually cause a ton of fights between roommates:

1. Agree to not swap clothes...no matter how cute the other's wardrobe is.

2. Agree to keep food separate....this can be a huge expense for the other.

3. Never swap money back and forth with each other.

4. Make a rule not to have friends over the night before an exam....keep a calender so both of you can post your exam schedules.

Some universities have different visitation schedules and this can vary by different dorms. The ones with the MOST restrictions will be avoided by the partyers.

Another tip: Any, truly sentimental jewelry that is irreplaceable...never take this to school with you. Leave it at home. Any other "good" jewelry that you have...never tell your roommate how much you have...unpack it in private and put it in a box at the bottom of a drawer...never let your roommate seek you access it...they generally won't steal what they don't know exists.

I wish you luck!