While all Freshmen at OU are required to live in the campus dormitories their first year, many students choose to move into off-campus housing after completing this requirement. A small number choose to remain living in the dorms; a few become Resident Advisors in order to reap the benefits and fulfill a desire to leave a larger impact on incoming classes.
With the financial weight of my college education being nearly exclusively on my shoulders, I made the decision halfway through my Freshman year to enroll in the R.A. Training class in order to become "certified" to apply to be a Resident Advisor, and fulfill both of the aforementioned goals of this position. After taking the class, interviewing, and being offered a job, an application for a similar position at Sooner Housing Center (commonly known as "the athletic dorms") was accepted and I decided to take the job there.
So after two years of living in dorms, and having considerably different experiences both years, here is a list of things that were not the best about living in the dorms, and I will not be sad to leave behind.
12) Flights of stairs.
11) Paper thin walls which make it possible for EVERYTHING to be heard.
10) Food produced in bulk. Aka cafeteria food. 'Nuff said.
9) Fire drills. Also, fire alarms set off by overcooked popcorn, or (actual scenario) overcooked brownie.
8) Having to use a swipe card to swipe in.
7) Having to use a swipe card to swipe out.
6) Being locked in your building because you can't find your stupid swipe card you need to swipe out when you're already running late for class.
5) Fighting for parking spots in parking lots that are still considerably far away from your door.
4) Having a room so small that one item on the floor makes the whole room look like a disaster.
3) Being advised to lock your bedroom door because your hallmates might steal from you.
2) Showers with only two possible settings: a showerhead with no water pressure that is a comfortable temperature, or a showerhead with adequate water pressure that scalds you.
1) Wearing shoes in the shower.
Freshman year was a great experience. I loved my room, my roommate, my friends, the thrill of everything unknown about college life that I was getting able to discover.
But living in the dorms a second time has felt like being a freshman again, only lacking the things that made it great.
Living in a dorm room by yourself sounds like it could be fun, but it's amazing how you can live on a floor with 30 other girls and still "live" completely alone.
Yes, dormitories, you have been okay. I am pretty ready to bid you a not-so-tearful goodbye.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Plus it makes a difference leaving for our cute little house :)
ReplyDeleteI feel you! I did 2 dorm years. The first year I was not itching to leave, but by the second year, I was clawing on the card-swipe, locked door in order to escape.
ReplyDeleteYear 1 in dorms for me: suck.
ReplyDeleteYear 2 in dorms for me: great.
I'm glad you're done with your stupid duty. It was getting the way of things.