My second year at West Chester is coming to an end and, like most WC sophomores, I am getting ready to move out of the dorms for good and I’ve never been more excited! I have lived in the same dorm building for the past two years and while I love all the friends I’ve met and experiences I’ve had, there are several things about living in the dorms that I just can’t deal with anymore. Dorm life, it is time for us to break up. I need to move on (literally) to something more accommodating. Here are a few reasons why our relationship must end.
BATHROOMS
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I live in a hall with communal restrooms and while this isn’t completely unpleasant, it’s a huge inconvenience. When I use the bathroom, I am tidy and clean up after myself. But, I share this bathroom with about 20 other girls who aren’t as clean. Some of my floor mates don’t even flush! And don’t get me started on the clumps of hair left EVERYWHERE. They are left in the stalls, on the sink counters, and the showers. Wearing flip flops is the least of my complaints about the showers. Again, no one cleans up after themselves. I have found used feminine products (that's right, USED), hair, floss, you name stuck all around the shower walls. A nice thing about these bathrooms is that they are cleaned daily by the maintenance staff. However, these cleanings take place at the WORST times. I always find myself with a half hour till class and needing to shower only to find they are being cleaned and I have to wait or go to another bathroom. Nothing like walking in front of your whole floor in a towel as you go to another bathroom to shower!
NOISE
At the beginning of each semester, the RAs will give the speech on hall rules, regulations, and consequences to not following these guidelines. They explain quiet hours and the penalty of noise violations if quiet hours are not respected. While I totally agree with and (usually) respect quiet hours, they are also a huge inconvenience and are not taken too seriously. Is your music a notch too loud five minutes after quiet hours begin? *Knock Knock!* The RAs are here to cite you for noise. But, that kid across the hall that CONSTANTLY slams his door waking the whole floor up? Nope, no citation or even warning for him! Not to mention the walls aren’t very sound absorbent, so you can usually hear the TV in the room next door. You can also hear if your upstairs neighbors drop a pen or open their drawers. I’m beyond excited to live in my apartment and play music whenever I want!
GUEST POLICY
At West Chester, if someone doesn’t live in your exact dorm building and wants to come in after 8 p.m., they must be signed in by a resident of that dorm building. This is biggest pain in the ass. Even if you just want your friend from another building to come over and study or just hangout, you have to sign them in. And out. And your limit is two guests per night. And it’s a HUGE pain. Either get your friends in before 8, or you beg your friends in your building to sign other people in. While there are definitely ways to cheat the system, it’s a huge inconvenience when you want to hang out with your friends from different buildings but there aren’t enough people to sign everyone in. I can’t wait for the day I can say, “Let’s all just go back to my apartment!” without worrying if everyone has proper photo ID on them.
THE FEELING OF BEING BABYSAT
While I’ve loved my RAs and RD the past two years of dorm life, I still get the feeling I’m 20 years old and am being babysat. With bag checks, room checks, limits on guests, and limits on noise, I feel like I am always being watched over. I get it, I live in a building with tons of other college kids and without some sort of rule enforcement, the place would be a free for all. I’m ready for more freedom and no more limits for my last two years of college.
MICROWAVES ONLY
For obvious safety reasons, toasters and hot plates are not allowed in the dorm room. While I understand the reasoning, I physically and mentally cannot make food out of only a microwave anymore. I sometimes just want to make some good food that isn’t from the dining hall, but being stuck in the dorms leaves me with a microwave as my only resource. I’m beyond ready to kiss my dining plan and Easy Mac goodbye and break in the kitchen in my new apartment!
I’ve paid my dues of two years of dorm life, and two is enough. I’ve met so many amazing friends from living in the dorms and it has been a great home for two years. But, my relationship with dorm life needs to end. There are just some things it needs to change, but never will. I’m growing, dorm life, and I need my independence. I think it’s time we both see other people (or places to live).
