7 answers
Elaine
Student
The Colony, Texas
2
Questions
Asked
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What are your dorm life tips?
I'm sharing a bathroom with three other people and need to know some ways to bond and split chores! #any #dormlife
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7 answers
Samantha Secrest
Teacher
63
Answers
Fort Myers, Florida
Updated
Samantha’s Answer
Hello!
Dorm life can be fun, with the right people. You definitely need to have open lines of communication with your roommates!!! Communication is key to having a smooth and clear year. Most times you meet with your RA about quiet times and cleaning. I would recommend coming up with a chart of chores. As a general rule people just pick up after themselves which makes it easier when it comes to chores. When I was in a dorm we kept a shower cleaner in the shower and when we were down showering we just sprayed, which made cleaning it (about once a month) sooooo much easier and faster.
To bond I would recommend going to the dining hall together to get some food. Doing homework together and even having a game night is a great way to bond with roomies. Even going out to sporting events or school gatherings can be a great way to bond as well!
Dorm life can be fun, with the right people. You definitely need to have open lines of communication with your roommates!!! Communication is key to having a smooth and clear year. Most times you meet with your RA about quiet times and cleaning. I would recommend coming up with a chart of chores. As a general rule people just pick up after themselves which makes it easier when it comes to chores. When I was in a dorm we kept a shower cleaner in the shower and when we were down showering we just sprayed, which made cleaning it (about once a month) sooooo much easier and faster.
To bond I would recommend going to the dining hall together to get some food. Doing homework together and even having a game night is a great way to bond with roomies. Even going out to sporting events or school gatherings can be a great way to bond as well!
Taylor Bergman
Senior Associate
9
Answers
Tampa, Florida
Updated
Taylor’s Answer
College is a very exciting time! I feel that living in the dorms is an important part of the college experience because you will not only get the opportunity to meet people but you will learn how to take on some part of responsibility living in a shared space. Communication will definitely play a part when there are multiple people sharing a room or bathroom. I would say to communicate with your roommates about splitting chores. Know that you will be responsible for a part in the chores and you should be ok with that. Respect each other's space and things. I would suggest getting to know the people you rooming with and creating a bond between them so that you feel comfortable in your living space. Dorms can tend to be small and room may be limited so be creative with you sharing space. Overall it will be difficult but you will learn what works best for you and your roommates. Enjoy the time while you are there as much and you can and have fun!
Shelby Steuber
Teacher
66
Answers
LaBelle, Florida
Updated
Shelby’s Answer
This is going to very much depend on your roommates! Some people are super willing to split up chores, talk about boundaries, and get to know each other. This is always helped by being open, honest, and communicative yourself. However, there are some people who, no matter how you act, will deflect responsibility and act hostile. For this type of person, I would suggest that you continue to act like yourself. If you are a cheery person, don't let this roommate's attitude get you down. Now, here are some concrete actions you can take for when you have good roommates:
1) Ask for each other's phone number! You never know when you're going to accidentally lock yourself out or need another roll of toilet paper. This will allow you to keep good communication with your roommates, even if you guys never see each other.
2) Keep your space cleanly. I'm not saying you have to sweep, mop, vacuum, sanitize, blah, blah, blah, every single day. But do try to wash your own dishes, throw away trash, put away food, and clean up your clothes every now and then. They will appreciate that you respect their shared space, as well as your own.
3) Try and coordinate some sort or weekly or bi-weekly get-together! If you really wanna bond with your roommates, try to have a day for getting to hang out. Have a pizza night, movie night, lunch/brunch date, go out for drinks, anything you guys want to do to have fun. Some roommates will not want to do this though, so don't try to be too pushy!
I hope these suggestions help!
1) Ask for each other's phone number! You never know when you're going to accidentally lock yourself out or need another roll of toilet paper. This will allow you to keep good communication with your roommates, even if you guys never see each other.
2) Keep your space cleanly. I'm not saying you have to sweep, mop, vacuum, sanitize, blah, blah, blah, every single day. But do try to wash your own dishes, throw away trash, put away food, and clean up your clothes every now and then. They will appreciate that you respect their shared space, as well as your own.
3) Try and coordinate some sort or weekly or bi-weekly get-together! If you really wanna bond with your roommates, try to have a day for getting to hang out. Have a pizza night, movie night, lunch/brunch date, go out for drinks, anything you guys want to do to have fun. Some roommates will not want to do this though, so don't try to be too pushy!
I hope these suggestions help!
zach gordon
Credit Underwriting
6
Answers
Bethesda, Maryland
Updated
zach’s Answer
Dorm life is a great experience that you should cherish. As others have mentioned, the best advice is to make sure everyone has clear communication. If you all are upset at one another about your actions, you should make sure to talk to each respectively and see if there is a solution. Having clear communication is not only important now, but throughout the rest of your life. When you get to an office setting, you can't just yell at someone if you are upset, but need to communicate effectively to come to a positive outcome that everyone can abide by.
My tips for dealing with room mates/ dorm mates:
-If there is something that you are upset about (They dont clean up their hair after they shave), you shouldn't take petty revenge (such as throwing away their razor), but rather discuss with them that everyone should do their part to clean up after themselves.
- If there is something that really irks you, I wouldn't suggest confronting them while you are still annoyed as it can be difficult to contain your annoyance and they might only become defensive about their actions. It can turn into a screaming match which doesn't get you anywhere. It is best to wait a few hours/next day and discuss their actions with them. This is obviously very tough, but having a discussion when everyone is cool headed makes for a much more productive time
- Depending on the size of the bathroom, maybe you all can make a rotation for one person to clean the bathroom each week, but everyone should make an effort to do their basics of cleaning up after themselves.
Everyone looks at the roommate relationship differently. Some feel that they should be very close friends, while others look at it as an arrangement where you should be respectful/friendly to one another, but don't need to do everything together. If you all want to spend time together that's great, but don't feel offended if they just want to go off on their own.
If you all want to do some activities together:
maybe find a hiking trail
are there any fun museums worth taking a look at
get some idea's for sites to see from Tripadvisor
if there are grill's somewhere nearby, maybe go grilling
My tips for dealing with room mates/ dorm mates:
-If there is something that you are upset about (They dont clean up their hair after they shave), you shouldn't take petty revenge (such as throwing away their razor), but rather discuss with them that everyone should do their part to clean up after themselves.
- If there is something that really irks you, I wouldn't suggest confronting them while you are still annoyed as it can be difficult to contain your annoyance and they might only become defensive about their actions. It can turn into a screaming match which doesn't get you anywhere. It is best to wait a few hours/next day and discuss their actions with them. This is obviously very tough, but having a discussion when everyone is cool headed makes for a much more productive time
- Depending on the size of the bathroom, maybe you all can make a rotation for one person to clean the bathroom each week, but everyone should make an effort to do their basics of cleaning up after themselves.
Everyone looks at the roommate relationship differently. Some feel that they should be very close friends, while others look at it as an arrangement where you should be respectful/friendly to one another, but don't need to do everything together. If you all want to spend time together that's great, but don't feel offended if they just want to go off on their own.
If you all want to do some activities together:
maybe find a hiking trail
are there any fun museums worth taking a look at
get some idea's for sites to see from Tripadvisor
if there are grill's somewhere nearby, maybe go grilling
Harvey Tripp
9
Answers
Updated
Harvey’s Answer
Hi Elaine!
Figuring out how to properly do dorm life can be challenging and fun! Some advice I have about this is making a sheet that divides up the chores. It would be best if it were a whiteboard. That way, you can keep track of who is supposed to be responsible for doing what chores in order to keep the room in good condition. It also keeps people accountable!
In order to bond with your roommates, finding similar interests is definitely a positive. You could start off by playing some fun card games like uno or mafia. Eventually, if everyone enjoys the games, you could upgrade and buy full board games which is definitely fun. Additionally, finding opportunities outside to hang out with your room mates is also great. I would recommend going to an escape room with them. This promotes teamwork and collaboration, which can bolster your guys’ bond.
Figuring out how to properly do dorm life can be challenging and fun! Some advice I have about this is making a sheet that divides up the chores. It would be best if it were a whiteboard. That way, you can keep track of who is supposed to be responsible for doing what chores in order to keep the room in good condition. It also keeps people accountable!
In order to bond with your roommates, finding similar interests is definitely a positive. You could start off by playing some fun card games like uno or mafia. Eventually, if everyone enjoys the games, you could upgrade and buy full board games which is definitely fun. Additionally, finding opportunities outside to hang out with your room mates is also great. I would recommend going to an escape room with them. This promotes teamwork and collaboration, which can bolster your guys’ bond.
Chi Luu
3
Answers
Tampa, Florida
Updated
Chi’s Answer
That is exciting! College life is such a fun experience that not a lot of people have the opportunity to go through. Dorm life is definitely an adventure on it's own, it is exciting but can be overwhelming at first. Once you move in with your dorm mates always remember to take care of yourself first, but also remember you are in a small space with others. Some tips that have helped me are below:
- Communicate - it is so important to be able to communicate with your roomates on how to split chores/cleanliness. Although you want to respect others, know it is also your home too and speak up when necessary (in a mature fashion).
- Get to know your roommates - this also falls in line with communicating , bond by getting to know who they are, what they like or don't like, their background, etc.
- Respect others & their space
- Understand you will not have a lot of privacy and be comfortable with that
- Get to know your RA, they are there to help you when you need. It is good to get close with them as they can help you since you are on your own now
- Most importantly, have fun!
Bryce Cromer
Student Teacher
89
Answers
Fort Myers, Florida
Updated
Bryce’s Answer
Hi Elaine,
Dorm life is very interesting, often times it can be a really great experience or a really bad one. Dorm life can be really fun. You can make great friends either with your roommates or people near by. You can form study groups with people on your floor and so much more. Dorm life allows you to get a look at living independently from your parents, while keeping you within the safety of campus. The first advice I would give you is open a line of communication between you and your roommates as soon as possible. Communication is a big factor to successful dorm life. Then you need to set up ground rules about everything in the dorm. This will ensure that nobody is inadvertently making the other mad or aggravated.
Dorm life is very interesting, often times it can be a really great experience or a really bad one. Dorm life can be really fun. You can make great friends either with your roommates or people near by. You can form study groups with people on your floor and so much more. Dorm life allows you to get a look at living independently from your parents, while keeping you within the safety of campus. The first advice I would give you is open a line of communication between you and your roommates as soon as possible. Communication is a big factor to successful dorm life. Then you need to set up ground rules about everything in the dorm. This will ensure that nobody is inadvertently making the other mad or aggravated.