Adjusting to dorm life hard for most

By: GREG WILSON

Posted: 8/7/08

On Aug. 14, family members and friends will arrive at residence halls to help students move in. But after all the boxes are unpacked and parents fight back tears, students are left alone to begin a new journey.

Being away from home and living in a traditional dorm with a roommate is a tough adjustment for many students

Sara Beth Pertain, a resident assistant in the Oglethorpe House dorm, provides the following advice on how to survive life with a roommate.

- If something about your roommate is bothering you, don't let it build up.

- Know what bothers your roommate. When Pertain was a freshman, she never knew that she woke up her roommate when she got up for her 8 a.m. class.

- Don't share commonly used things such as a printer or computer. They can become a source of disagreement.

- Set boundaries at the start of the year so you know whether your roommate is comfortable having members of the opposite sex in the room.

- Know that getting involved romantically with someone on the hall can be difficult. Let's face it - it is unlikely you will meet the person you will marry. Break-ups will happen and may not end well.

- Be tolerant of another's lifestyle. If your roommate goes to bed at 10 p.m. and you come back early in the morning, you need to be considerate.

- Be aware that having a relationship back home can be hard because you will go home often and talk on the phone while at school, which will keep you from making new friends.

- Do not isolate yourself by playing video games or by only hanging out with high school friends.

- Make the most out of living in the residence halls, even though it might be rough at times. The people you will meet will be your friends for all of college.

Residence Hall phone numbers:

Brumby Community, 706-542-8250

Creswell Community, 706-542-8344

Russell Community, 706-542-1694

Hill Community, 706-542-5934

Morris Hall, 706-542-6200

Myers Community, 706-542-5217

Oglethorpe House, 706-542-8384

Reed Community, 706-542-3753