What is it like in dorms?

Your dorm room may feel cramped, loud, and even a bit smelly sometimes; however, you should approach dorm living with a positive mindset. This is to be your home base on campus, and it's a hub for student connections and community. Be flexible and push yourself out of your comfort zone.

Is it hard to live in a dorm room?

Living in a dorm can be a difficult adjustment, especially when you're used to having your own room and not having to wear shower shoes in the bathroom. However, dorm living has its perks, too.

What to expect in a college dorm room?

Most dorm rooms come with a bed fitted with a twin extra-long mattress, dresser, closet or wardrobe, desk, and a chair. You'll need to supply the rest. Below is a recommended list of items to bring to college: Mattress protector and topper.

Are college dorms fun?

College dorm life is fun — and rewarding. Your roommates and dorm neighbors will be your first friends on campus, and they often become your lifelong friends.

Is it hard to sleep in a dorm?

Student housing is not known to be as conducive to sleep as you might think, even though sleeping is the primary purpose of your room. With dozens of students who have various schedules and spaces that are shared, you might find yourself getting less of a peaceful night's rest than you would like.

College Dorm Bathrooms Haunt Me

Are dorms bad for mental health?

Psychology Today even said that not having sufficient alone time can cause increased levels of stress and anxiety. When living in a single room with another person, there is a limited amount of alone time. There's really no private space for students when the rooms, bathrooms and study areas are constantly communal.

Should I lock my dorm room at night?

Lock the door to your room when you are sleeping or are out. Know who's at the door before you open it. Take care of your keys! Don't give anyone the chance to duplicate them.

What are the disadvantages of dorms?

Some disadvantages to consider include the possibility of bad roommates, lack of privacy, communal bathrooms, and overeating in campus dining. It is important for students to carefully weigh the pros and cons of living on campus and determine if it is the right choice for them before committing to an accommodation.

Are college dorm beds uncomfortable?

Dorm room mattresses tend to be firm and are made with either low-quality foam or innersprings. You would also hope the mattresses are switched out with each incoming new resident, but that's far from the truth. There's no saying how much dust mites and dander have collected inside the beds over the years.

Do college dorms usually have AC?

Dorms without air-conditioning are common even at the most selective colleges. But as summers get longer and hotter, many see AC less as a luxury than a necessity. Many students, restricted from using a portable AC of any kind, keep multiple fans blowing in their rooms to try to keep cool during heat waves.

What are college dorm showers like?

In most dorms, bathrooms include multiple sinks, toilet stalls, mirrors, and separate curtained showers. If you're living off-campus or in a fraternity or sorority house, the situation may be different. You may, for example, need to take turns using a single-user bathroom.

Do most dorms have bathrooms?

Traditional rooms generally have a twin-size bed, a desk, a closet, and a dresser for each roommate. Some traditional rooms have in-room sinks or small attached bathrooms, but many opt to just have communal bathrooms for the floor. Suite-style and apartment-style dorms are becoming more popular on college campuses.

Do college dorms get broken into?

In colleges and universities, student, faculty, and staff security is a primary concern. According to Campus Safety and Security Data, there was a combined total of 62,787 burglaries, robberies, and vehicle theft across U.S. college dorms in a two-year period.

Is 20 too old to live in dorms?

Many colleges allow adult students to live in dormitories or residence halls with “traditional” students but typically students over the age of 25 usually decline this option.

Can guests sleep in your dorm?

Not normally. Colleges usually have policies to prevent extra people from living in dorms. Don't forget, guests are an imposition on the other residents and they use resources meant for students (utilities, etc.). Furthermore, there is a security issue.

Is 25 too old to live in dorms?

You can still live on campus even if you're over 25 years old. Some universities have made it mandatory for all freshmen and sophomores under 21 to live in residence halls. It all depends on your finances, goals, and whether you are young at heart.

Do dorm rooms smell bad?

Dorm rooms have to work hard to house all your earthly possessions, from work equipment, to clothes, to toiletries, to food, and with all these can come a host of different odors that can sometimes make them smell bad.

Are there bugs in college dorms?

Bed bugs are all one of the most pervasive pests to infest colleges and universities. Unless you are highly sensitive to insect bites, these pests are relatively harmless but their bites can leave itchy welts behind. More significantly, bed bugs in dorm rooms can be difficult to get rid of.

Can you dorm with a girl in college?

Also, though most shared dorm rooms are still single sex, more than 150 colleges, including Brown University, Stanford University, The University of Pennsylvania, Oberlin College, Clark University, and the California Institute of Technology now allow some or all students to share a room with anyone they choose—and we ...

Do dorms make you sick?

The key thing to keep in mind is that as long as the exposure to mold in college dorms continues, the chronic symptoms will persist. All of those particles are continuing to make their way into the body, raising the toxic load and triggering the immune system.

Is it cheaper to live in a dorm?

The rental cost of living off-campus is cheaper than the price of a room or bed in the school, although additional running costs on utility, furniture, and fixtures might eventually scale up the cost of living outside the campus and bring it to par and sometimes more than the cost of college dorms.

Is it worth living in a dorm?

Research has shown that students who live in dorms achieve better academic outcomes during their degree, even if they live on campus for just one year. This has been attributed to being closer to classes, faculty and facilities like the library, enabling you to be more engaged.

How safe are dorms?

According to the dorm security data, there were a total of 62,787 burglaries, robberies and vehicle thefts across the US college dorms from 2012 to 2014. And dorm burglaries are the TOP 1 college dorm security threat, accounting for 70% of the total crimes, while 15.4% were vehicle thefts and 7.6% were dorm robberies.

What do you wear to sleep in a dorm?

You should wear pajamas. Yes, it is generally considered rude to sleep without pants in a mixed dormitory room. In a shared sleeping space, it is important to be respectful of others' personal space and privacy. Sleeping without pants can make others uncomfortable and is not appropriate in a shared sleeping area.

Why do people leave their dorm doors open?

However, the open-door structure can work to your benefit by giving you friendly faces to say hi to, and possibly long-lasting friends. Open-door conversations can be awkward at first, so remind yourself that college is a new experience for everyone, and the other residents are most likely feeling the same way!