Knowing Your Options: Which Dorm Is Best For You?

Ah, the choices you’ll make in college. One of the biggest choices is selecting which dorm you should live in. Most schools have a lottery system to decide who will get first dibs among you and your fellow incoming freshman. (Actually, if you’re already in school and looking to dorm again next year, you’ll probably be subject to the same lottery system, but you should have a better ranking given your seniority.) Regardless, you’ll probably have a couple options to choose from. Don’t just go with your gut! Do a bit of research.

If you visited your school prior to enrolling, you probably got to see at least one dorm. Some dorms are designated as freshman-only, while others have upperclassmen too. In truth, this factor probably isn’t that significant; don’t be afraid of sophomores hazing you! (That would be so high school.) There are some other big factors, however. First off, there’s location. Living closer to most of the academic buildings around campus obviously means a shorter commute to class and less instances of you being late. Both of those are nice benefits. Most buildings on your school’s campus are likely broken up into subject-specific areas. For example, a few buildings may hold the majority of science classes while one or two buildings may be where all engineering classes are taught. So if you know what classes you plan to take, you can potentially live close by.

Most on-campus cafeterias are located near or within the same buildings as dorms, which can be super convenient! Given college life’s changing and sometimes hectic schedule, it can be easy to skip meals and just eat snacks throughout the day. Yet if you live right by the cafeteria, you’re that much more likely to eat something decent at least a couple times a day. You can even grab breakfast while still wearing your PJs and slippers! Ok, that sounds a little strange, but keep your eye out. You’re bound to see at least a couple diners who quite literally just woke up.

Not all dorm buildings are created equal. Some might very well be newer than others, so try and research your school’s website a bit or ask which dorms were more newly built or renovated. You might not necessarily want to live in a newer dorm, but oftentimes they do have nicer-looking rooms and all-around better upkeep. While touring a school, most colleges like to showcase their newer dorms, but be aware that you might be stuck in a much older dorm your first year! Once again, try and research the various dorm buildings, and if you’re lucky, you can land a spot in a freshly renovated living facility.

While not all dorms have a cafeteria connected to them, some could have a nice gym or even a pool connected or nearby. It’s worth checking out what extras are included in your dorm. No, they’re not hotels, so don’t go looking for any ice machines. But if there is a gym right on the ground floor of your dorm, it’ll take that much less motivation to go.

Where you live your first year probably won’t make or break your freshman year of college. However, if you do find yourself with options, it’s worth taking the time to make an informed decision. Last but not least, the size of your dorm room will probably vary by which dorm you live in! Some will be tiny, and others will still be small yet slightly more spacious. So if you want more space (and who doesn’t?), take a peek inside a few different dorms if you can. And if you can’t actually enter the dorms, ask your friendly campus staff about it!

What To Eat In College? Don’t Worry. You’ll Have Plenty Of Tasty Options

Think you'll starve in college? Hardly! Watch this video to find out what's cooking and take a tour of a real college cafeteria. You'll probably find your school's food surprising palatable.

Hopefully when you visited the school you plan on attending, you had a chance to try the school’s food—not the restaurants or fast food chains around campus, the actual cafeteria food. Cafeteria food has a bad reputation. Remember eating from those off-color cafeteria trays in elementary school? Those lunch plates probably costed around $1, and the price reflected the quality.

Fortunately those days are all in the past. Your school more than likely has a few on-campus cafeterias, and the food is probably anywhere from pretty decent to downright delicious! Schools today face more and more competition to attract students and having good food is a major factor. The food has to be not only more than edible, schools have to also offer a variety of options. Even in small schools, those elementary days of having to choose between one or two entrees are over.

If you grew up on your parents’ cooking, well you might have to adjust your palette and, yes, lower your standards a bit. But the point is, as Jeffrey mentions in the video, you won’t have to dine on only crackers and ramen for the duration of dorm living. No one will be there to tell you what to eat, so cereal can be a dinner food! There will be a range of options, both healthy and unhealthy, but you’ll be sure to find something craveable.

You know what’s healthy and what isn’t, and we’re not here to lecture you on your college eating habits! We can say, though, that like any good establishment that provides meals, expect to show up hungry and leave full and satisfied. After all, colleges are always competing for the best professors, the best dorms, and the prettiest campuses. Food is another big draw, so you can be sure your school is cooking up the best it has to offer.

Do Yourself A Favor And Start Off Strong Your Freshman Year

When you start off your college career, the hardest thing will probably be adjusting to college life. On the bright side, if you don’t have a lot of morning classes, you’ll no longer have to get up at 6 a.m. for school! Other factors, though, such as having plenty of reading and classes and meals at all hours of the day and evening, will take some getting used to. But speaking of those classes, while there may be more reading involved than you’re used to, the start of your college career is your chance to start off running. No, not as in running late to class (although you’ll probably find yourself in that scenario at times). It’s your chance to start off strong academically.

The classes you take during your first year will be largely introductory courses that are designed to get you acquainted with a field of study without weighing you down too much. Introductory courses will still require their share or work, but fortunately they take a broader overview of a subject rather than diving deep into one particular aspect. In short, this means that the tests won’t drill you on the details as they will in later, upper-level courses.

As much as your first year at school should be spent exploring different courses and subjects to really discover your academic interests, be sure you keep up on that reading and studying. With introductory-level courses, you’ll be taking a schedule full of not necessarily easy courses, but courses that are not as brain-wracking as some of those senior seminars and other upper-level classes. With a solid effort, most introductory courses are more than passable; you should be able to do well and start stocking up on those As!

Doing well academically your first year of college will definitely make you enjoy college more. You’ll feel confident and successful. Starting college is a challenge for anyone, yet you met that challenge well. Don’t get too carried away, although you can be sure mom and dad will be gleaming too! Good grades during your first year obviously starts your GPA off right, and it also provides reassurance—hey, maybe these next few years won’t be so difficult after all. College also really makes you take accountability for your grades. Bad grades in high school can sometimes be attributed to those long, grueling after-school sports practice sessions or that grudge you knew your teacher held against you. In college however, a poor grade is often a reflection of poor effort or simply not bothering to attend class, study, and read all those required pages.

Not doing well academically your first year isn’t reason to give up hope, although it can make the rest of college that much more stressful. You’re of course better off starting with a cushion for your grades than having to try and play catch up the rest of your college career. And as courses get harder, this can be a trying task. While hopefully you’re involved in some extracurricular activities and clubs your first year, you might be in leadership positions in those clubs later on. Time is precious in college, and having those responsibilities on top of classes leaves only less time to study. So don’t waste the time you have during freshman year!

Experiencing the social and fun aspects of college living are just as important as giving academics your all. That first year of school is your chance to make an impression, not just with professors, but with yourself. Will you be taking classes seriously, or is it four years of partying? As busy as you’ll be, there’s room to have fun while keeping the grades up, and there’s only one chance to start strong. So don’t leave those textbooks collecting dust your first year. Study up, do well, and feel good about the rest of your college career. 

College Classes And High School Courses: How Do They Compare?

You’ll enter college with plenty of preconceived notions as to what college classes are like. You’ve heard what they’re like, no doubt, and chances are you’ve heard plenty of horror stories. From 15-page papers to having your grade determined by only two exams, everyone’s probably told you that you have it easy right now. Well, depending on what type of student you were throughout high school, the academic side of college might be surprisingly difficult or easily negotiable.

First off, the majority of college courses require significant amounts of reading. Fortunately, a lot of high school classes involve plenty of reading, except in college you have to pay for your own textbooks, there’ll be even fewer pictures in the books, and the writing will read that much dryer. Even classes on film or physical education can require reading! At least in college you’re free to highlight and mark up that textbook as needed, and there are so many pockets of time throughout your day that you can read a few pages here and there and finish up quickly. High school textbook reading requires you to sit and read for one long grueling session; after all, you’re in school all day. With college, your day will be broken up nicely, allowing enough time for reading and other work during the day, which is important because chances are you’ll have a lot more energy during the day than at night.

In addition to more reading, college courses require a greater ability to adapt. High school teachers are all about staying on schedule (and frequently get stressed when they fall behind in their lessons, as you’ve probably seen!). College instructors, however, have a tendency to improvise their lessons and proceed at a pace or rate that pleases them best. You, as the student, will have to work around their teaching style. The good news is that you’ll often find teachers who you can easily adapt to, while others will prove more difficult. College instructors and professors come from so many different backgrounds, and they’re not all under the same guidance or rule, as your high school teachers were. Just try and keep an open mind from the beginning, and you’ll quickly get good at figuring out which type of teachers you learn best from. Another nice thing about college? If you don’t think a certain teacher will work out, transfer classes! It’s another one of the important freedoms that college offers.

Speaking of freedom, college classes all offer greater independence. It’ll be your responsibility to go to class, to pay attention, and to actually do your homework and reading after class. If you neglect any of this, chances are you won’t receive a slap on the wrist like you would have in high school. Your teacher won’t question you in the middle of class in front of all the other students as to why you neglected to answer questions one through five on page 47. The real punishment will come when you receive your grade. Perhaps this independence sounds like another of college’s great, newfound freedoms, but it’s in essence making you more accountable and responsible as a student. Without a teacher there to guide you every step and speak up when you’re falling behind, it’ll also be your job to keep track of how well you’re learning and to ask for help when needed. Just remember, appreciate the freedoms college will bring, but don’t neglect to keep yourself in check too.