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[dormlife-blog1]

5 Lessons Freshman Learned From Living in a Dorms

Living in a dorm helps you learn a lot about yourself, your roommate and others on your floor. Here’s 5 lessons freshman learned this year while living in the dorm.

1. You won’t always get along with your roommate

2. The dining halls’ food is not as good as the food your parents make, but at least you don’t have to cook for yourself

3. Appreciate alone time

4. The best conversations with your roommate happen late at night

5. Get your homework done first and then enjoy the free time you have 

[dormlife-blog1]

Hey, Hey, Hey, Goodbye.

It’s that time of year again... 

The 2017-2018 academic year is finally coming to an end. With only about three weeks left in the semester, freshman are beginning to pack up their stuff and getting ready to move out of the dorms. 

Some may remain in the dorms as an RA or just because they enjoy living in the dorms, and others will enjoy life living in an apartment or a house the remainder of the year.

If there’s one thing freshman can all agree on, it’s that this has been the year to know what it’s like to live away from home and be on your own.

Moving out can be a bittersweet moment, but there’s much more to look forward to in the upcoming years. 

Here’s some tips from West Virginia University’s website on moving out of the dorms: https://housing.wvu.edu/policies/residence-halls/moving-out

[dormlife-blog1]

Express Yourself

Your dorm room is where you will spend 98% of your time since, well, it is your room. Sure. you’ll spend time elsewhere, but nothing will compare to the comfort in being in your own room and your own bed. 

The one good thing about dorm rooms is that you get to customize them however you want. You can buy as many decorations as you want, AND you can redecorate your room as often as you want. 

Some roommates like to coordinate their halves of the room, and other (like my roommate and I) will make their sides totally different. 

We thought our room and our decorations were extravagant, but after reading an article from Today, our room was put to shame. Check out the article here: https://www.today.com/home/once-drab-dorm-room-now-epitome-high-design-t101938

The one good thing about being able to customize your dorm room however you want is that it makes it feel more like “home”. I brought a couple of my favorite things from my actual home, so it was like a little piece of home was with me even though I wasn’t there.

Dorm decorating is also a way for people to express themselves. There really are not any limits when it comes to decorating your room however you want, however some dorms restrict you from keep certain items in your room. 

If you need help figuring out how to design your dorm room, check out https://www.society19.com/amazing-coordinating-dorm-room-ideas/ for some inspiration. The sky is the limit. 

[dormlife-blog1]

Have No Fear, Your Resident Assistant Is Here

The one thing most freshman look forward to once they get to college is the freedom. They have the freedom to do whatever they want, whenever they want and they don't have to worry about their parents telling them otherwise. 

Too much freedom can seem a little scary though. You have to motivate yourself to wake up and go to class everyday, get all of your homework done before going out with friends, and go to bed at a decent time so you aren’t exhausted the next day. What happens when a phone call to your parent is not enough? 

Luckily, there’s a good solution: Resident Assistants! 

Resident Assistants at West Virginia University are there to help you with whatever you need for freshman. 

Unsure of where a certain class is? Ask an RA.

Having issues with your roommate that can’t seem to be resolved? Go talk to your RA.

RA’s are meant to make your first year at college a little easier in any way possible. They have a chance to make a lasting impression in students’ lives.

During my freshman year, I had two RA’s on my floor. I really do believe that they made my year easier.

We could go to them for anything, and it helped that they were really easy to talk to. We would have floor meetings every months that informed us of events going on around campus and in the dorms. They wanted to make sure that we were always on top of the game and well aware of everything WVU had to offer.

I think that RA’s are essential for freshman. Not only are they there as a resource to freshman, but they can also become your friend. 

For more information on RA’s at WVU, please feel free to check out the link below!

https://housing.wvu.edu/employment/resident-assistant