<p>I'm new at this, so please forgive any mistakes. My son is moving into an appartment style dorm in 3 weeks and I'm wondering about the shared kitchen. Doe every student have his own cookware, own microwave, etc? I understand that roommates may differ as to how they handle this, but my son is moving in with 3 guys that he doesn't know at all. What is the typical arrangement?</p>
<p>What is the name of the dorm? Is it a suite style dorm or an actual upper classman apartment dorm? The fsu housing website will tell you what is provided, but typically the roommates communicate beforehand and decide who will bring what and then they share as there wouldn’t be enough room for everyone to have their own everything. Small stuff, maybe, but not big items like microwaves. And there is typically a limit as to the wattage allowed on the microwave.</p>
<p>Which building is he moving into? From the sounds of it it’s either McCollum or Ragans (they’d be the only apartment-style buildings with 4 residents).</p>
<p>In either one, there’s a shared kitchen, with a full-size fridge/freezer, some cabinets (although in each, when split 4 ways, there’s not that much room), a stove, a sink, etc.</p>
<p>There isn’t room for every person to bring their own microwave. He should get in touch with his other roommates and figure out who is going to bring one, as one is all you will have space for. </p>
<p>As for cookware, your son will want to bring his own. While he could share with his roommates, that’s not always feasible (and some may be unwilling to share, etc). </p>
<p>Will your son have a meal plan, or not? (I advise “not” if he has an apartment, and just pay for whichever meals he wants at the dining halls as he wants).</p>
<p>He is moving into Ragans dorm. I understand that he can find the contact info for his roommates but he is procrastinating (situation normal), so I appreciate your advice. He doesn’t mind just spending my money to buy whatever he needs, but of course I do! I forgot about the wattage limit on the microwave so I’d better check it out.</p>
<p>Thanks for your replies, and I will do some more research.</p>
<p>The kitchen in Ragans is pretty small, so you must speak to the other 3 guys and talk about who is bringing what. It’s also a good idea to get a wire shelving unit to store food on (there is room on the wall for that), since the cabinet space will be very limited, especially if you all bring your own pots and dishes. There is also very little counter space, you don’t want to have more than one microwave or toaster.</p>
<p>You also need to figure out who is bringing a shower curtain (you might need a longer liner, sometimes the regular length is a bit too short and the floor will get wet), shower curtain rings, bathmat, toilet brush, etc. </p>
<p>It’s never too early to reach out and make friends before you get there, you will be sharing a very small apartment for 2 semesters, and it helps to be on good terms.</p>
<p>Yeah, there isn’t enough room in Ragans for more than 1 microwave, so he needs to get in touch with his roommates so that they aren’t trying to stash 3 or 4 microwaves somewhere in the apartment. </p>
<p>Each Ragans apartment has 2 bathrooms, so keep that in mind too when determining who brings the bathroom stuff.</p>