Dorm Life

Dorm life is a unique and integral part of the total college experience.

For security reasons, your dorm may require you to use a key or scan your student ID to enter the building. Some schools keep their dorms locked to everyone but residents 24 hours a day, while others only institute security measures at night. The decision to lock up a dorm isn't taken lightly, so it's important you don't do anything, like propping open a back door, to allow unauthorized people to enter.

When you sign up for housing, you will have to sign up for a meal plan. You can often choose from three or four options, depending on how many meals you think you will eat each week. Meals don't typically carry over from week to week; if you miss a meal, you lose that meal credit. Consider your class schedule and sleeping habits when determining how many meals you will eat in your dorm each week. For instance, if you are away from your dorm every lunch hour, you might be better off buying sandwich fixings and packing a lunch before you head off to class. A few dorms work more like a fast food restaurant and charge students for everything they put on their tray. In this case, you will simply make a deposit in an account instead of choosing a set number of meals each week.

Your student ID is your ticket to the cafeteria. A worker will scan your ID when you enter the cafeteria or when you arrive at the cash register.

Most cafeterias work on the buffet plan. Each time you visit the cafeteria, you can eat as much as you like. However, just because the food is there, doesn't mean you have to eat it all. Healthy eating habits will keep your energy levels up, prevent stress, and keep you from packing on the “Freshman 15”, the fabled number of pounds freshman students tend to gain. Despite the jokes about cafeteria food, most dorms offer high-quality food, even if it is created in bulk. They also offer options you won't find in most high school cafeterias, like full salad bars and waffle makers.

The hall director is a professional who has made a living of facilitating dorm life. He or she performs all the tasks necessary for running a dorm, including hiring dorm employees, coordinating the work of resident assistants, and disciplining residents who break the rules. Hall directors always welcome feedback and questions from dorm residents.

Each floor is supervised by a resident assistant (RA), sometimes called a mentor or a similar name. The RA is a fellow student who is in charge of keeping things running smoothly on his or her floor. Sometimes this means mediating an argument between two roommates and sometimes it means writing up a student for a noise or alcohol violation. On a day to day basis, the RA is available as a resource and sounding board for residents of a floor.

Resident assistants hold floor meetings to discuss matters with everyone who lives on a single floor. At the beginning of the year, floor meetings discuss dorm rules and similar topics. Floor meetings can also be used to plan social events or to take care of a specific problem like vandalism. They are usually planned at preset intervals throughout the year, although they can also be called whenever an issue arises. Attendance at floor meetings is typically optional, but recommended.

Most dorms have a form of hall government, a bit like student council in high school, concerned with planning social and educational events for the dorm and overseeing decisions affecting residents. While there are official officers and representatives, any dorm resident is welcome to attend meetings and learn more about dorm life from a planning perspective.

Dorms sometimes host special presentations on topics relevant to college students. Health issues and study skills are popular topics, so you might find discussions of everything from safe sex to tips for studying for finals. Even though they are educational, these programs are usually presented in a fun way, like a game show. Look for flyers around the dorm for these events, or ask your resident assistant or hall director for more information.

Most dorm social events take place in the dorm. There may be a movie night in a common area or a special dinner in the cafeteria. Occasionally, dorms will plan group outings which typically involve going to a campus event such as a football game. Dorm social events are a great way to get to know the people you live with while also taking a break from studying.

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