The Open Door Effect?

<p>alrighty then, the more and more "1st few weeks of college forums" i read, i learn that many people meet a lot of great new friends just by having their dorm room open... i was wondering if anyone on CC could share a story or 2 about a person they met by way of the "open door method"... another thing i also wanted to know about, was how to these conversations work out... what do people normally talk about with the random amicable stranger that just so happened to ponder into his or her room looking for a new buddy to "kick it" with?</p>

<p>it just happens, so keep your door open.</p>

<p>Each year in college, I had painted my entire dorm room pink and almost everything in it was pink. When I had my door open, that alone drew in a lot of people who would ask about my room or at the very least, poke there head in very far through the doorway. </p>

<p>I met a lot of people that way but I felt I met more in classes or getting lost on campus, and finding somebody else who was just as lost as I was and we'd wander around together.</p>

<p>I'm a girl and I met a lot of people in the bathroom on my floor. I'm pretty shy but I tried to walk down my hall and kinda peek in people's rooms and make a comment - it is easiest in the beginning cuz you want to see how other people set up their furniture.</p>

<p>this is pretty true. usually the rooms on our floor with their doors always wide open have some commotion going on in them. the people with their doors closed tend to be quieter and wanting more privacy, so ppl for the most part don't go disturb them. having your door open is basically saying "i'm here! come drop by and chat even if i look busy!..."</p>

<p>This is how my roommate and I met lots of people. People would just walk into our room, especially during the first couple of weeks, but also later in the year. People near by would ask to borrow something, or ask what we were doing, or just say hi, etc. You could also hear/see what was going on in the hall better and join in. </p>

<p>I might my ex this way too. He accidentally walked into our room thinking it was someone else's.</p>

<p>I was in the dorm known for being quiet/"antisocial," so I was really eager to make friends. My roommate and I kept our door open and that's how I met one of my closest friends...she just stopped by and we started chatting. There's not much of a story to it...keeping your door open just lets people know you want to talk to them. I mean, I'm not gonna knock on a stranger's door just to say hi, I'll only do it if the door's already open.</p>

<p>My dorm building is made up of apartments each shared by 8 people, with 4 bedrooms per apartment (2 people per bedroom)...</p>

<p>Wonder if 8 people all wanna keep the only door open...</p>

<p>I met a lot of the guys on my floor by going to open doors and leaving my door open. As precocious says, having an open door really does signify, “i'm here! come drop by and chat even if i look busy!...”</p>

<p>Even toward the end of the year, that still holds true. I strongly recommend leaving your door open all year round.</p>

<p>By keeping your door open, you might have people drop by for random chatter, but it's also helpful when your hallmates go off for lunch as sometimes they might go around the hall and see if anybody else wants to eat and such.</p>

<p>is this only okay for freshmen? my hall was really quiet last year and my roomie ALWAYS insisted that our door be closed, so do you think it would be okay to do it as a sophomore as well? i'm in a learning comm so I don't think very many other people on my floor will be freshmen but I'm not totally sure (not that it matters...but i'm just worried that only freshmen are friendly at the beginning of the year because older students already have an established set of friends)</p>

<p>I live in an apartment off-campus.
By leaving the door open, only 'things' that will come in are roaches and geckos.</p>

<p>Lucky you guys!</p>

<p>i met people by going down to the common room where everybody was
nobody leaves their door open but we know who's in what room because our names are posted outside the door</p>