Dorm life. What every girl nervously anticipates as college approaches: will the dorms be clean? Will getting into the bathroom be a problem? Will my roommate be weird? Where will all my clothes go? Am I going to make friends with people I live around? I certainly had these questions and many more. I was so nervous — being a shy person — about living with a whole dorm full of girls. Also, being the fashionista I am, I was worried about how all my clothes would fit.

The point of this article is to help quell your dorm life fears, as I have conquered many of mine through experience. The dorms are relatively clean — but a broom and Clorox wipes are a must. I live in an all-girls dorm with community style halls, and I can say that I have never had a problem getting into the bathroom or shower when I needed it.

As far as roommates go: yes, my roommate is a complete weirdo, but I completely love her for it. I chose to room with a friend I had from club soccer, so we knew each other well, but we were not super close. I will say this: living with a complete stranger can be hard, but when you find the right roommate it is awesome.

I have someone who I can go to for advice, who I know has me when I need it; someone who makes coming back to my room feel like a home and not a temporary place to live. Be willing to put work into a relationship with your roommate and I promise it will pay off.

As for clothes, dorm rooms actually have more space than you would think. No, my entire wardrobe does not fit in my closet, but I don't need it to. I have a ton of clothes at college, and my advice to having the best working wardrobe you can at school is: bring what you actually wear. For me, this is the hardest thing to do. I will look at clothes and think, “Oh, I will wear this,” when in reality I have had it for over a year and worn it once. Bring clothes you feel confident in, but don't forget the comfortable clothes.

Lastly, on making friends: living in a dorm is a completely unique experience in which you get to live close to a whole group of people you don't know at first. And for me, introverted as I am, it has been one of the biggest blessings in my life. I absolutely love living in a dorm. I have made so many friends just by leaving my door open so that people can stop by; also just by doing homework in the lobby. If you are introverted, take yourself out of your comfort zone, because it is truly rewarding. I love living with some of my best friends around me.

Being in a community with a group of girls, especially at a Christ-centered college, has affected my life in so many ways. I am surrounded by girls who love the Lord and who, through their fellowship, pull me closer to God. I have also found people who like to have good fun, just by hanging out. From fashion shows to baking cupcakes to late night talks in the bathroom—it all means so much.

My final piece of advice: put the effort in to make it special. Make your dorm room special so that it feels like home, and do things with your roommate so that she is not just a friend but a sister as well. Then, finally, put effort in around you. Get out of your comfort zone and talk to people; grow those relationships. Pretty soon you too will be growing, and isn't that the whole point of college?