There are a lot of things that people do not like about college: the lack of parking, finals week, and $250 textbooks. In my nearly two years of college, I can tell you that nothing compares to the misery of living in a dorm. I have lived in three different dorm buildings, have had numerous roommates, and have texted my mom at least once a week about wanting to come home so I can sleep in my own bed. Here are my top ten reasons that living in a dorm is the absolute worst:
1) Moving in/out of the dorm. Moving in/out of the dorm are two of the days that I dread the most about each school year. I go to a fairly large university, and we have nine dorms and two on-campus apartments. Thankfully, my freshman year, I lived in the honors dorm, so I got to move in a day early and not have to beat the rush of hundreds of college kids and their families. My second year, I was not so lucky. I moved in on the same day as everybody else, with only my dad and boyfriend to help. The line for the elevator was to the door, so we carried EVERYTHING up seven flights of stairs.
2) Laundry. The driers in my building have melted my fleece PJ pants and blankets, so they are no longer soft and fuzzy. They also make all of my clothes smell burnt, no matter how many drier sheets and scent beads I put in.
3) Fire drills. We have had three fire drills in a month in a half. One was the normal one we have at the beginning of each semester, one was because someone burnt popcorn, and the last one was rumored to have been because someone burnt bacon.
4) Lack of space. Luckily I don't have as much stuff as some people I've lived with, but it is still a struggle.
5) Lack of privacy. If you and your S.O. want to go back to your room and Netflix & chill, good luck with that. Also, if you're having a private conversation on the phone, you should leave the room because some people tend to eavesdrop.
6) Dining hall food. Unless you have food allergies, chances are your university will make you get a dining plan. The Freshman 15 is no joke, folks. You'll also become much more appreciative of your mom's cooking.
7) The bathroom situation. Some people live in a communal dorm, which I do not know how they survive. I could not imagine showering in the same room as somebody I don't know. I have always lived in a suite, where I share a bathroom with three other girls. Ladies: don't be that girl who leaves her hair in the drain.
8) The crappy furniture. It does not matter that you pay thousands of dollars a year to live in the dorms, you ALWAYS get crappy furniture. I have never had a bed not squeak, nor a drawer that does not shut the right way. Thank goodness for mattress toppers, or else I would never sleep.
9) Your neighbors. I am 99% sure that Big Foot lives above me, and only gets up at the time I am going to bed. Sometimes people like to blast music at 3am, it just depends.
10) Roommates. Roommates can be hit or miss. I moved twice during my first year of college, and luckily the last time I moved, I met my best friend. We were great roommates, and I wish I still lived with her because we got along that well. I have also lived with people who never cleaned up after themselves, never showered, stayed up until midnight on the phone with their mom while I was trying to sleep, and liked to come home drunk. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don't.
