Residents
make CSULB home
By Jeff Tyson
Special to the On-line Forty-Niner
When
Jason Kent was ready to leave his home in
Northern California, he was not expecting
much of a change when he moved into the
dorms.
After being accepted to Cal State Long Beach,
he said, he was completely overwhelmed.
“There were so many new faces and things
to do, I was shocked,” Kent said. “ It was
hectic, but at the same time I knew that
I was going to have a lot of fun.”
For first-time college students and freshmen,
a move out of their old homes and lifestyles
can be a scary thing.
New friends, new people, new places and
new atmosphere: this is life in the dorms.
More than 1,900 students call CSULB home,
according to housing information brochures
provided by Housing and Residential Life.
Two
people share most resident dorm rooms. For
some this is a major concern because many
students are not used to sharing a room.
Another worry is whom they are going to
live with and how well they will get along
with this person.
John Davidson said he was not scared about
moving away from home, but said he was apprehensive
about the people with whom he would be living.
“The best thing to do I think, is just to
feel out your roommates and suitemates,”
Davidson said. “You need to take the
time to get to know your roommate and figure
out what makes them tick.”
Living in the dorms is more than having
a place to sleep or eat, it is the first
time that a student is on his or her own.
Having to set aside study hours, classes,
sleep and time for entertainment is a lot
harder than most think when no one is around
to check on you.
“It was very different,” Davidson said.
“For the first time in my life I was in
control of what I wanted to do and when
I wanted to do it.”
Davidson also said that first-time students
may tend to take advantage of this responsibility
and lose their focus on education.
“Every student has education as their first
priority when they first arrive,” Davidson
said. “Nevertheless, with all of the activities
going on and the new people you meet, it
is extremely hard to stay focused and it
is very easy to slip.
“One way to not lose focus is to set priorities.
Have fun and make many memories, but be
sure to allow time to study,” Davidson said.
What to bring to the dorm room is also an
issue for first-time students.
This was a concern for Kent, who said that
he could not decide what was really necessary.
“I was afraid to bring too much stuff,”
he said. “So I only brought the necessities.”
Once he moved into his room, Kent said he
realized that he was missing many things
and had to keep calling his parents to send
them to him.
He advises students not to worry about the
quantity of stuff, but to think about quality.
“Bring what makes you happy,” he said. “Don’t
worry about bringing too much stuff, you
can always find a use for it.”
Moving away from home and not knowing anybody
can be pretty scary for some.
“A good tip is to find someone living in
the dorms that has been there a year because
they know all the ropes,” resident Tommy
Hartnett said.
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