I'm the first to admit that I'm a neat freak. I organize everything and can't leave my room without making my bed in the morning. I actually dust and vacuum, and yes, I do my laundry regularly.
Coming to college, I knew I was in for a bit of a shake up. I mean, there is no mom here to comment on my room on my lazy days and no rules that I have to follow. And college students are expected to be messy. It's almost part of the ideal of college: studying hard, partying harder, and living in a messy dorm room in sweatpants.
So how was I, a teenage neat freak, supposed to live in the most socially acceptable place to be disgusting? I'm not quite sure how, but I've been doing it for two months now, and I've survived. Here are my experiences and tips for fellow college neat freaks.
The Dorm Debacle
Living in a dorm so far has not has been as bad as I thought. I'm lucky to have found a roommate that likes cleanliness and organization generally as much as me. Sometimes we get lazy or have to rush out the door and don't make beds or clean up the floor, but our room is usually neat and presentable. My roommate and I also have our ups and downs when it comes to cleaning, but so far it's been okay. We dust and take out the trash regularly. Our hallmates are awesome, too, and thankfully let us use their vacuum (shout out to Hayden and Jess!) because our rug sheds every week. Also Clorox wipes and Febreze are literally a life saver. The wipes clean anything up, and Febreze is perfect for clearing out that leftover Chinese or Chipotle smell. My tip here is to find a roommate you get along with, but also who has the same cleaning and room habits, because otherwise you'll be miserable.
Visiting friends (and their rooms!)
This one isn't usually so bad. Of course you wouldn't expect your friends to want to clean or organize exactly like you do, but every once in a while, I notice an excess of mess in their rooms... And although I'm not weird and going to scold them about their room, I do sometimes feel an itch to clean it up for them. The best idea here is to offer your room to hang out or just put up with your friends' messy rooms. Not everyone can be as clean as you anyway.
Sharing a (gasp!) bathroom
I have to admit, this is probably my least favorite part of living in a dorm. Like me, you likely have the least amount of control over your hall bathroom, and it can get dirty quick. Girls especially can be super gross about showers (clean up your hair) and God knows what gets rinsed out in the sinks sometimes. I try to be as clean and respectful to others as I can in our bathroom, because it is shared after all, and we all have to use it. That being said, my pet peeve is others who don't respect that and are absolutely disgusting in the bathrooms; personally, I think you're the worst kind of person. Just saying.
Studying with the masses
More so a tidiness issue than a cleanliness one, studying in the library or any other place can get on a neat freak's nerves. More than once, I have been irked just a little when someone nearby spreads literally everything they own over a library towel... papers, writing utensils, you name it, just everywhere. I like to stack my materials and keep my work space to a minimum so as to not disturb others. My best advice for avoiding messes while studying would be to find a more secluded study space and hunker down. That way you can get your work done and avoid the mess of the masses in the library.
There you have it, folks! Being a neat freak is a lifestyle, and it's a little harder in college. But with a few adjustments, you should be on your way to sparkling clean heaven.
