So, you’re brave enough (or masochist enough) to try and live in a dorm. Maybe your school says it is mandatory for you to do so, maybe you’re really eager to go through the full college experience or maybe that’s simply the best you can afford. Whatever your reasons, you should know you’re in for a bumpy ride, where the outcome depends loosely on luck. But there are a few things you can do before moving in, which might improve your quality of life.

Get to know your future roommate(s) before you move in

The most important thing when living in a dorm room is people. All the luxury in the world is useless when you’re sharing a room with a person you dislike. Or more. The key to this could-be problem is not completely fail-proof, but in most cases it should work. Most universities will publish the lists of students and their respective rooms a few days before the classes begin, so there is plenty of time to do a bit of research on your prospective roommates. A bit of googling and then maybe searching for an account on Facebook, Myspace or Hi5 can reveal a few things about them and, most importantly, get you an e-mail adress or some other way to contact them. If everything fails, you can always contact your university staff and ask for some contact data. I’m not sure this would work, but it is definitely worth a shot.

Once you’ve contacted them, the surefire way would be a bit of harmless conversation - over a hot cup of java, if possible. This should give you a hint of whether you’ll get along with them or hate their guts. If you find yourself being extremely annoyed by the person(s) in front of you, chances are they dislike you just as much. The good news is that in the first few days it is somewhat easy to switch rooms - this works extremely well when you have a friend in the same hall, or you could even ask the kid that you met while bringing all your stuff in and you just clicked.

However, if you think you’ll get along with your designated roommates, it’s time to move on to administrative details.

Discuss everything as openly as possible, from the very beginning

I have avoided this particular subject until about a month into the semester and it did not work out really well for me, as we had already fallen into a routine. So, gather round and talk, talk, talk. You will know what specific problems you may encounter, but there are a few general talking points that you should definitely go over.

First, who brings what. You will not need two refrigerators and two microwave ovens, unless there’s seven of you sharing the same kitchen (my case). However, in most cases, it will be safe to split the big appliances, such as the washing machine (if your dorm does not have a laundromat), but if you have space, it would be better to bring your own little things: vacuum cleaner, ironing machine, hair blow-drier and such. Sure, there will be loads of sharing, but you will inevitably argue at some point and leaving the house with your hair wet on a blistering February morning because you quarrelled with your roommate over who washes the sink this week is rather undesirable. Which leads me to..

Chores. Yes, somebody will have to take out the trash, wash the kitchen sink and vacuum the room from time to time (unless you live in a frat house, and if you do, why are you reading this blog anyway? Go buy a keg or something). As stupid as it may sound, a schedule (written, on paper) is your best choice. Firstly, because you know exactly who to blame if you come home from school and your kitchen looks as if it has been puked over. And secondly, because it has been scientifically proven that people tend to fulfill their tasks if they have been written somewhere. In my apartment, we used to have one rule: everybody cleans after themselves. It sounds like a good rule, except there are people out there who do not wash their dishes or wouldn’t be caught dead with a vacuum cleaner in their hands. And it’s always the quiet ones! So, my reccomendation is to stick with the geeky-looking schedule. Should work perfectly. Now, on to the actual part.

Moving in: can be fun!

If you’re lucky enough, the only thing you should worry about is how to safely get your clothes and personal stuff from the car to the room. However, if your assigned dorm room is in a very old building that nobody really cares about (hello there, fellow Romanian students of the University of Bucharest!), there will be some work to do. We had to throw almost everything out, repaint the whole room (the walls were a very soothing shade of bordeaux, awful!) and get everything back in. Also, two of us had to buy their own closets and some other little things, such as shelves or lamps. The good news is that in such a room, you can basically do everything you want. Nobody cares about sticking nails into the walls as long as the beds, closets and tables that were in the room before you got there do not disappear.

Now, if this is the case for you, space will be a problem (space is always a problem, this is the rule of thumb inside dorms). To avoid backpains and a lot of annoyance, do yourself a favour and get a measuring tape. Measure the whole room and the big things that should go inside and try to design a way to make everything work for everyone. Watch out for the electrical outlets, not to block them, because you’re going to need them, and need them badly. This may be the time to warn you that electrical systems inside dorms suck ass, so invest in a multiple plug outlet with some kind of protection, especially if you have expensive equipment, such as laptops.

Finally, if you’re a girl and you find yourself in the situation of carrying all your earthly posessions that probably weigh about two tons, don’t sweat it. During moving in time, there are a lot of guys that you can ask for help just lurking around. If there are no guys, you can always ask another girl, but be sure you help her with her stuff too. This is actually a pretty cool socializing method, especially since a lot of the people around you are new and just as lost as you are.

The first night

The first night in your dorm room can be a bit frightening, especially if you were an only child - and a spoiled brat even. However, keep in mind that this is hard for most freshmen, so you are not alone. If you’re a natural when it comes to socializing, you could host a floor gathering in your room. Be friendly and make sure everybody feels welcome - you will become the star in no time. If you’re leaning towards the quiet type, try to get out of your shell for one night. Find a small gathering, go out for a cigarette (if you smoke) and make friends with people that share your interests (stay tuned for an article dealing with the extremely frightening art of college socialization made easy).  Also, note that one of the greatest socialization tools are games. Search for people as interested as you are in poker, Whist, Monopoly or drunk Twister - whatever rocks your boat. Creating a steady group will come in handy on rainy dull nights, too, when you’re all out of booze or drinking game ideas.

In conclusion…

…make the most of your moving experience. Chances are, the next ones will not be as interesting, so get crazy there. Take photos, meet as many people as possible, accept invitations to all parties or gatherings inside your dorm hall. These days will make for great memories and you will have a lot of fun and crazy stories for your friends back home.