Selecting a Dorm

Student Lounge College Life
1

<p>Hi, I'm a current senior who will be going to college next year. I have to pass in my housing form by this weekend, and I was wondering if anyone have any advice on choosing the right type of place to live.</p>

<p>I like to make friends and need people who I feel comfortable with around me. But I also need my own time. I'm pretty "my-paced" but I can also change a lot depending on the people I am with. (I party with party people and become quiet with studious people.) I get distracted VERY easily, so I am wondering if it's a good idea for me to have a roommate... (even though I'd love to have a cool person living with me, and singles don't guarantee quiet halls.)</p>

<p>Do you think a single or a double is better? </p>

<p>Any advice would be appreciated!</p>

2

<p>I'm going to opt for double. I personally couldn't stand being by myself in a dorm room. Half of college for me is learning to be around people more, and growing up. You can't grow up in a room by yourself.</p>

<p>Plus, I was home-schooled. I never had much of a social life. College is going to be a blast.</p>

3

<p>you can grow up just fine in a single. Believe me, I had one. You just have to work a little harder to meet people as you lose both the roomate and any friends by association. Doubles are better for some people but make sure that you can cope with the tv on while you go to sleep, getting sexiled occassionally, etc...</p>

<p>I know of only one person who had a really bad experience and his roomate ended up dropping out after 1 semester anyway. Everyone else I know has adapted to having a roomate and probably would say that it was better than a single. I had a single and wouldn't have wanted it any other way but i'm the private type.</p>

4

<p>do you think it's worth giving a double a try? I'm just worried that I cant sleep or study with the TV on and that may affect my academics... Do you think double is a better choice moneywise since it's cheaper than singles?</p>

5

<p>Double. Chances are you'll get a decent roomie and it easily expands your social network if you guys click.</p>

6

<p>ahhhh, to have a choice of being in a single as a freshman!!!
<---- in a triple along with 85% of her class</p>

<p>anyways, while i'm envious of anyone with this decision to make... here's my two cents.</p>

<p>being in a triple means that you hardly have the room to yourself.</p>

<p>so, keep in mind that a double means you'll practically have a single + extra furniture anytime your roomie goes home, visits friends, stays late in the library, has class, whatev. you'll have privacy AND a barrier to self-isolation.</p>

<p>being in a single, well, you'll always be by yourself. not everyone likes that, but it's what i'm going to do next year. i figure i can go out and socialize when i want to, and come back and have my own room my own way.</p>

<p>i'd base your decision on how flexible of a person you can be. you say you're flexible on personality type, which is great. but are you flexible when it comes to living conditions? i realize that your school will have some sort of compatibility/matching system, but, you can still end up with people who live completely differently. are you a neatnik who doesn't want a messy roommate? are you a semi-messy person who will resent it when your neatnik roommate moves your stuff around and puts it away for you? <em>sigh</em>
if your roommate likes to go to bed early and you don't, will you be fine studying out of the room? how about if you like to bring friends back to the room every so often but it annoys your roommate, or vice versa?
i only mention these things because your quality of life is going to affect your college experience. in a double, you have less of a chance of getting a terrible (as in, incompatible) roommate than in a triple. but if you KNOW you aren't very flexible, and that little things might push you over the edge... take that into consideration.
perhaps i'm letting my triple year influence this post too much. but i'm an only kid. i like my space... i like my stuff to remain mine... i don't want to share my water bottles... i don't want to listen to other people's LOUD music or smell their perfume or get woken up waaaaay too early in the morning.</p>

<p>however... if you ARE a flexible person, then i highly recommend a roommate. i'm just... semineurotic xD
a roommate will enrich your first year. she may not be an instanct friend, but she'll broaden your perspective on life at your school. she can be the first person you go to when you have problems. she can also be the first person to cause you problems... okokok i won't be negative anymore...</p>

<p>listen to your gut. you know best what you value (quiet, personal space, socializing, companionship)
if you go with a single and hate it, you can change next year.
same goes if you hate a double. the first year really DOES go by fast!!!</p>

7

<p>A double is good. You'll make friends easily, stay connected, know when and where the hot places to party over the weekend will be. I can distract easily too, so I like to study in the library if I seriously have to get things done. Hey, that's what libraries are for. </p>

<p>The only downside is that you may end up with a roomie you aren't compatible with. Say, how long have you known that you will attend this school and that the housing form date was whatever day it is? If you are waiting until the last minute while most others got the housing form in weeks ago, you may not even get a single. It happens. But if you just decided to go to this school over another school and have been going back and forth for weeks, then it's cool I guess. The Res Life department won't cut you slack because of that, but at least you can justify to yourself why you didn't get in it sooner.</p>

8

<p>I'm a only child too. That's why I'm also kind of worried about "sharing" with people since I'm not good, or rather, very bad at it... But I requested a double... I guess this is the time to learn to be with people who don't always "go your way." lol</p>

9

<p>If you're a first-time freshman, turning his/her housing app in at the last possible moment, you have a 99.9% chance of getting a double, triple, or greater. I wouldn't even bother asking for the single. There are other places on campus than your dorm room for peace, quite, and alone time.</p>

<p>I think it would be most important to select your dorm based on any interest groups they have (outdoor adventures, clean living, honors, etc.). Also, any questionairre they send on your personality, answer as honestly as possible. If you have a brother or sister close in age, have them look at it and give you feedback. We sometimes see ourselves differently than we really are.</p>