One of the lovely perks of being a new student at Winthrop is the mandatory residence in dorms (sarcasm intended).
Whether they’re hall style or suite, they are anything but ideal. Cramming tons of people into tiny rooms on small hallways is a great way to meet people, it just might not be the perfect first impression. While we have all made tons of pretty crazy memories in the dorms, there are still some things that we would all prefer to live without.
1. Going Barefoot Has an All New Meaning
Walking around without shoes has never bothered me before, but living in a dorm makes a person so much more aware of all of the dirt and germs that reside on the floors. We all (hopefully) understand the importance of shower shoes, but there are so many more disgusting surfaces you do not want to be walking around on. Even if you’re just going down the hall, please put on some slip-ons. Nobody wants to get athletes’ foot from going barefoot, and there’s only so much cleaning supplies can help with. Even though the hallways get cleaned weekly, these buildings are old and gross. Walking around without shoes on is a major no, and people will notice. I cannot count the times I almost threw up because someone was in the elevator or laundry room without shoes in.
2. No Matter How Hard You Try, The Room Never Stays Clean
Being the neat freak that I am, I deep clean my dorm at least once a week. Still, there always seem to be random bits of paper and clutter littering my floor and desk. The fact is, the room is small, and we all probably have way too much stuff. There’s only so many places you can put your things, which means some of it is going to end up all over the place. You’ve also got your roommate’s things to worry about, which is something some people might forget about. No matter how hard we try, I have still found some of her stuff in my closet, but neither one of us has any idea how it gets in there. Things are going to get messy fast, no matter how much you try to stay on top of it.
3. The Appliances Can Be Scary
This could be a personal problem, but I refuse to use the kitchen appliances in my residence hall. I have tried the oven in the hall kitchen once, and accidently set the smoke alarm off by just opening the contraption. That wasn’t my fault, though, because the same thing happens to most of the girls on my hall when they try to cook. I have major respect to the girls I see using the stove top effectively, but I can assure you that you will never see me use it. Even the microwaves can be a little dysfunctional. Ours looks like it’s been here as long as the building itself, and the one time we used it there was way more smoke than I was comfortable with. Like I said, the building is old, and so are the appliances. It’s no fun, but it makes freshmen appreciate the unlimited meal plan a whole lot more.
4. Laundry is a Battle
This is especially true in my residence hall. I have seen girls get nasty in group chats about people not coming to get their laundry, as well as some girls get very upset that their laundry was moved. No matter how many flyers get put in the basement about the five-minute rule, people still can’t come to a consensus about when it’s okay to move people’s laundry. It does suck when someone moves your laundry to the gross table, especially if your clothes are wet, but please come get your clothes on time. Set a timer 3 minutes before the washer is supposed to be done, that way you get down just in time and people aren’t getting frustrated. It’s also hard when the only time you have to wash your clothes is the same time everyone else is free. The app is great because you don’t have to make multiple trips down to see that they’re full, but it’s not fun when you only have a little bit of free time in your week to do laundry.
5. Sickness Spreads Like Wildfire
Luckily, I have not had to experience this perk of dorm life yet, but it’s bound to happen. When you cram a ton of people into very close living quarters, any virus is going to run rapid through the residence halls. We all share the same bathrooms, elevator buttons, and door handles, so germs are going to jump back and forth constantly. No matter how much you wash your hands and Lysol surfaces, you are going to get sick. The only good thing about this, everyone knows what you’re going through.
Dorm life is anything but glamorous, but most Winthrop students are going to have to experience it someway or another.
Even though it can be disgusting at times, it’s one of the best ways to meet new people. You can meet so many different people in elevators or in group chats when they need to borrow something. Even though they might not be your best friends, you’ll still have some more familiar faces.