Nearly all college students spend time in dorms – oops, “residence halls.” And thanks to the first-year residency requirement enacted this past semester, incoming freshmen in 2009 will enjoy all the luxury that campus living has to offer.
As a current resident of a dorm – sorry, sorry, “residence hall” – I am qualified to make a few predictions about what awaits future freshmen.
The guy selling taupe paint must have mad skills. I know taupe is supposed to have calming affects on people, but what is calming about being surrounded by possibly one of the ugliest colors known to man? Walls, cabinets, sink counters and even some floors are the grayish, brownish, tannish, pinkish color.
I guess it will provide a nice neutral backdrop for the Miley Cyrus posters that’ll inevitably cover the walls.
After these bright-eyed and bushy-tailed freshmen unpack in the taupe maze, they can look forward to exciting hall meetings. Don’t get me wrong, my residential assistants are great, but sitting on plastic couches in the lobby while listening to safety tips once a month isn’t exactly titillating – especially when the meetings are in the middle of American Idol and you miss the Star Wars girl auditioning.
Classic television moments will always be missed because of hall meetings.
At least we have YouTube.com.
Soon the freshmen will meet the love birds next door and wonder, “Do they really like listening to their music that loud, or are they covering up some other sounds?” Whether it’s apartments or dorms, living in close quarters with strangers leads to the embarrassment that most normal neighbors dread: running into a neighbor post-lovin’.
While there are more first experiences to reminisce about, I’ll change pace and give some advice to the lucky class of 2013 and anyone else who cares to heed it: from what I’ve learned in my semester-long tenure in college, you get out of this experience what you put into it.
So jazz up the taupe walls with corny posters, enjoy the hall meetings and goof off with your RAs. High five one of the love birds as they make the walk of shame back to their room.
Enjoy your stay in the residence halls – it’s an experience you’ll never forget.
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Contact Emily McArdle at [email protected]