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Tips for surviving
life in the dorms
By Vanessa Schleider
Special to the On-line Forty-Niner
Students living
in the residence halls for the first time have no need to
worry. Former dorm residents that have been there before
offer tips to new students to help make the first venture
away from home a smooth one.
Missy Blanton,
a junior liberal arts major, lived in the dorms for one year,
which she said taught her some valuable lessons.
"You have
to learn to make the best of everything in college.
Living in the dorms made me a lot more patient and accepting,"
Blanton said. "You also can't judge your new roommate
on first impressions. Remember that it might take a little
time and maybe even a little work to get adjusted to one another."
Besides getting
along with one's roommate, decorating a matchbox-sized room
can be a struggle as well. Two different styles have
to be meshed, but finding these additions at affordable prices
is another task to tackle.
Blanton refers
students to Target. She said they have reasonable prices and
a good selection to suit a variety of tastes.
"In some cases
you have to go as far as dividing the room in two so that
you both can have the room the way you want it," Blanton
said. "Do what you have to do, but it might be time to
change your style a bit and make some compromises.
"Come up with
creative new ideas like making your wallpaper out of pictures
or making your own crafts. You are spending time together
and have a chance to bond while making your new dorm into
your new room."
Dorm food can also
be a change from mom's home cooking. The dining hall
has a huge selection of food at traditional hours, but does
nothing to appease the hunger of late night cravings.
"Jack In The
Box on Pacific Coast Highway was my best friend my freshman
year in the dorms," said senior Nicole Leversen, a psychology
major. "They were open 24 hours and always satisfied
my hunger when nothing else could."
Leversen also recommended
Carl's Jr. and Del Taco, which are both open 24 hours as well
as being close to campus. But Leversen also said that fast
food in excess adds fast pounds to the waistline.
"Ladies, you
have to watch out for the freshman 15," Leversen said.
"To me the gain was inevitable, but if you really don't
want those extra pounds, invest in a small fridge and do some
light grocery shopping."
Grades are another
issue concerning students moving away from home for the first
time.
"You have
to discipline yourself," said Leah Stangas, a senior
fine arts major. "The system that I saw work the best
was when students set aside study hours and committed themselves
to those times to get their studies done."
Stangas recommended
doing homework in the library or a patch of grass on campus;
any place other than the dorms. She said the dorms are too
noisy and distracting.
Amid stress, drama,
bad food and weight gain, these students are all survivors
of the dorms, and say that it was the experience of a lifetime.
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