One of the biggest things I’ve learned in my first year at Arkansas Tech is how to deal with people on a day-to-day basis, especially how to live with them. As a relatively private person, I was apprehensive about living on campus with many people that I didn’t know; I had a complete stranger for a roommate and had to share a community bathroom with the rest of my floor mates. As this year reaches its end I have learned a few things about residential life that I think others could relate to, and perhaps help those who wonder about living on campus.
Hygiene: The word “clean” varies from student to student. For some it means a spotless floor and clutter-free desk; for others it means that the trash is somewhat close to the trashcan, and the noodles in the sink are no longer cheese-looking but white. Matters of cleanliness are especially conflicting when you live with a messy roommate or in a dorm with a community bathroom. Where there are students, there are messes — wear shoes at all times and be prepared to smell indiscriminate odors at every corner. It may be a good idea to go to the bathroom with a can of Febreeze. And steer clear of the water fountain at certain months of the year, unless you want to get bronchitis from everyone else.

Roommates: More often than not, you are not going to have your dream roommate to cohabitate with you during college. In fact, you will probably wind up with the Weird Roommate; if that doesn’t seem to be the case, then YOU are the weird roommate. You may not like your roommate; in fact, you may question the legitimacy of Tech’s computer compatibility quiz that set you two up in the first place. In any case, it’s better to be nice to that person, even if it means you are forced to watch The Hills once or twice a week.

Noise: Just because quiet hours start at 10 p.m. doesn’t mean residents adhere to it. In fact, that seems to be the hour that the dorm room where I live starts to become active. It’s often very frustrating that, while slaving over homework in one’s room, the people outside are shouting from across the halls at each other, or have brought a television into the lobby and have it turned on full volume. You can tell them to turn it down, give them an evil look, or go “Shhhhh!” as many times as you want, but the most likely result is that they will continue to be noisy. I have learned to drown it out by sleeping with the television on.

People: You will meet all kinds of people at college. Some of then you will like, maybe even admire; most of them you won’t. And some of those residents will make you say “Wow, how did she get here?” I am a natural cynic, so it takes me a while to like people. That being said, one of the biggest things I have had to learn as a resident is tolerance. That doesn’t mean that I accept everyone’s behavior (I don’t) — I merely put up with it.

These are a few of the experiences that I have had while living on campus. Ultimately, I enjoy living at Tech; I don’t have to drive to school, I have internet connection and phone service 24/7, and I am more inclined to finish my homework (it’s hard to forget about homework when you live at school). I have met many interesting people where I currently live, and it has made me more sociable and accepting of others. In fact, residential life is like a practice course for an apartment or a boarding house, and the kinds of shenanigans that one will have to face in the future, if that future involves collective cohabitation.

That being said, I think I’ll try to live in a single room next semester. There are just some things I cannot give up.