Ah, college; what almost every high schooler is dreaming of from day one of senior year. What most girls start planning for a year in advance. Using Pinterest as their guide, some start planning on what their dorm will look like, from what color scheme they want to what kind of Christmas lights they plan on hanging up. But what most incoming freshman have to deal with is an old dorm. I'm not talking about "10 years old" old... more like "built in the 70s" old.
1) You Have a Very Small Space.
The older the dorm, the smaller the space. Most dorms only have one closet per room. One way around this is to only bring the clothes you need for that season (like sweaters for the fall and winter) instead of you entire closest. Some rooms may have enough room for some rearranging, but if not, raising the bed higher allows space for boxes or bins or even the drawers if they're not too big.
2) There're No Elevators.
You may be able to keep that freshman 15 off with going up and down these stairs every day. It can be very inconvenient when you're moving in or out of the dorm, but on the bright side, you will have stronger legs and a better looking butt!
3) Bugs Like 'Em Old.
It's your worst nightmare if you're scared of bugs like me. From cockroaches to the tiniest ant, they appear whenever they want. Be prepared and have some bug killer when you move in. It will be one of the best decisions you make.
4) You Have To Deal With Thin Walls.
The walls may be made out of cinderblock, but that doesn't mean they are sound proof.
5) Sharing A Bathroom? Yes Way.
Not only do have to share a bathroom with your roommate, but also with the two from the room next to you! Sounds great, right? It can be very annoying at times when you need the bathroom and someone else has been in there for the past 10 minutes. You just have to be patient and also be considerate whenever you're using the bathroom. It can also get pretty messy in there, which does get annoying, but sometimes you have to remind yourself that no one's perfect. Unless there's dirty underwear on the floor. That shouldn't be okay.
6) There're a Limited Amount of Washers and Dryers.
It seems that everyone does their laundry the same day as you (but for real). When you have a test to study for but you're also running out of underwear to wear, it sucks when there are no available machines when you go to do your laundry. The trick is to do it on a weekday or at very odd hours. If there's ever a washer filled with someone else's clothes, don't be the person to throw them on the table all wet; just kindly put them in a dryer for them because who doesn't like nice surprises!
7) Sometimes You Don't Have Cable or Internet.
It's those weekends that are the worst when you don't have internet or cable. You become so bored you actually read a book because it's not like you have homework or a test to study for, right?
8) The Heat Never Works When You Need It To.
It would be your luck that on a snow day the heater in your room goes out and you're left with two pairs of sweatpants, a hoodie and a long sleeve, three pairs of socks and gloves to stay warm with while attempting to do homework (yes this did happen to me last year on a snow day). This is probably the worst thing about living in an old dorm because I do like my toes attached to my feet.
Even though there are some cons about living in an older dorm, there are pros. Your critical thinking gets better the more you try to solve problems, such as "How am I going to fit this chair in my room?" or "How can I kill this spider without it jumping on the bed making me burn down the whole dorm?". You also become friends with the people in your dorm. But if you do live in an old dorm, like myself, may you have never have to deal with bugs and may those stairs make your legs and butt look amazing!
