Living On Campus as Junior
When I first stepped into my dorm room at the beginning of this semester, I nearly gagged when I saw yet another twin XL bed. Me, a queen, relegated to anything less than a full-sized throne? The audacity! As I surveyed my new kingdom (shared with nine other subjects, mind you), I couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy. My off-campus friends were living it up in their cute houses down the road, each with their own room. Meanwhile, I was playing Tetris with my belongings in a space that could generously be described as "cozy” and trying to shove my frozen Trader Joes meals into our communal freezer.
After an eternity of rearranging furniture in the sweltering heat, debating the age-old question of "head by the window and risk being seen during day naps" versus "door that doesn't fully open," I finally settled in. Once my posters were up and my beloved smiskis found their places, I thought, "Maybe this won't be so bad."
Oh, how naive I was. The FOMO is real, folks. Watching groups of friends stroll past my window on weekend nights is a different kind of torture. And don't get me started on the laundry situation. The walk to the laundry room in the next building is manageable now, but come winter? What if I just Ubered to my friends' houses to wash my clothes… (I won’t, but the idea did cross my mind.)
But wait! Before you write off on-campus living entirely, let me share the silver lining. I get to live with my bestie! We may have fumbled our housing plans last year, but fate (specialty housing) smiled upon us. Now, I can knock on her door whenever something mildly interesting happens (rare), and we can trudge to our 9 AM class together (another collective "gag").
Now, let's talk about my off-campus friends. They're not living in paradise either. That 15-minute walk to campus? Not for me. I value my sleep too much to sacrifice those precious minutes in the morning. And cooking for themselves? The horror! I have a fear of cooking meat and my culinary expertise is limited to the fine art of pancake flipping and grilled cheese assembly. (JumboCash meal plan is clutch – Hodge burritos on demand is the true college dream.) Oh, and did I mention one of them is convinced their house is haunted? Eek! I'll take my non-supernatural dorm, thank you very much.
So, here's my hot take: living on campus as an upperclassman isn't the end of the world. Think about it:
-You're ON campus. Less walking, more sleeping.
-Easy access to Hodge burritos and butter rum muffins from the Sink.
-Prime people-watching opportunities.
-Potential dorm-mate bonding. Complain together, walk together, save money together.
-No need to decipher the language of leases and rental agreements.
-Day naps between classes? Yes.
If you're feeling down about your on-campus situation, remember: with the right attitude, a cool enough poster to fill the space, and a newfound appreciation for people-watching, you'll be just fine. Plus, you might meet some amazing people you'd never have encountered otherwise. (Or some not-so-amazing ones, but let's stay positive, shall we?)
And let's not forget the most controversial opinion of all: I'm a fan of Pizza Days, which happens to be a mere two-minute walk from my dorm.