Dorm Life 101

Figure 1: A slideshow of a dorm room setup in Towers, a popular resident hall on East Campus. Both roommates have decided to loft their bed, however one is using that space as a couch while the other is using it for their desk. Image Credits: Single frames selected from https://www.seeit360.com/towers

Move-In Day Success

Move-in day can be quite hectic, but with planning this can become a much easier process.

Here are a few key tips to help with this process:

1. Communicate with your roommate ahead of time to coordinate move-in times
   • While it sounds fun to move in at the same time as your roommate, it is actually easier if both parties have sufficient space during the move in process. Stagger your times so that you aren’t stepping on each others’ toes
2. Be completely ready for your assigned check in slot to avoid congestion.
   • Timeliness pays off in dividends!
3. Pack your items in easy to move boxes with clear labels
   • While you may have the opportunity to use a cart or wagon to move some items, you will end up having to pick up these boxes at some point.
   • Keeping these containers labeled will allow you to unpack what you need for your first night without rifling through a bunch of boxes!
4. Set-up large items first.
   • Start by arranging your bed, desk, and closet. These items become very difficult to move once you’ve started unpacking smaller things.
   • Many students recommend lofting your bed as it allows for storage or even a spot for your desk!
5. Don’t obsess over the small things at first.
   • Decorating is a process that will take time. There is no need to give yourself that extra pressure.
6. Meet your floormates and community!
   • Make sure to introduce yourself to your
     • Resident Assistant (RA)
     • Neighbors on your floor
     • Any other students moving in nearby

Creating a Strong Roommate Agreement

To establish a healthy roommate relationship, one suggested tool is a Roommate Agreement. A roommate agreement allows both parties to establish clear boundaries ahead of the semester. Some TAs will require a roommate agreement already (https://housing.gatech.edu/resources/roommate-agreements). Below is a Roommate Agreement template with guiding questions that can be used in the brainstorming phase.

Roommate Challenges

Even if you start the semester with a well established roommate agreement, challenges or disagreements can still appear during the year. Small differences in sleep schedules or cleaning disagreements can create real tension if not addressed early. The key to avoiding these challenges is through communication and intentional problem solving.

If issues arise with your roommate:

1. Address Problems Early
   • Small frustrations can become much more impactful conflicts if ignored.
   • Approach the conversation early and calmly.
2. Communicate with Respect
   • It is crucial to avoid blaming or harsh language when working through roommate problems.
   • Describe the problem and suggest a solution.
   • Make sure to listen intently to your roommate’s perspective.
3. Revisit Your Roommate Agreement
   • If conflicts consistently arise it may be serve you to take another look through your roommate agreement.
   • Use this time to clarify the expectations from all parties.
   • A fresh update can help both roommates recommit to the set expectations.
4. Find Room for Compromise
   • Living with a roommate requires flexibility. At times the best path forward is via compromise.
5. Ask Your RA for Support

Establishing a Cleaning Routine

Your dorm room is where a significant portion of your time as a college student will be spent. This makes it incredibly important to keep your dorm room clean. A cleaning routine could be daily, weekly, or even monthly but it is valuable to have one. As outlined in this OctoClean blog, here are a few tips you can add into your cleaning routine to keep your space clean.

1. Keep Your Desk Clear
   • Your desk is obviously the easiest spot to place things quickly and easily. However, your desk will quickly fill up throughout the semester by doing this and you will be unable to utilize the space as it is meant to. Keeping your desk clear will allow for easy usage and it also emphasizes keeping your room organized.
2. Take The Trash Out
   • No one enjoys taking the trash out, but it is a necessary evil to keep your room clean and running smoothly.
3. Vacuum
   • A vacuum is a large item that may not fit in your dorm room, but it is incredibly important in keeping your room clean. If having a full size vacuum is unreasonable, then a small handheld one works as well. Keeping your floors and high-traffic areas clean are imperative to a clean room.
4. Wipe Down Surfaces
   • Disinfecting wipes should be your best friend. They are an incredible asset for keeping a clean room and they are small and cheap. They are also the perfect tool for miscellaneous spills and stains that can come up.
5. Laundry Planning
   • You should have a designated laundry day in order to keep your dorm clear and your clothes clean. In addition, maintaining a laundry bag or hamper to place your dirty clothes is essential to keeping your dorm clean.
6. Keep the Floors and Walkways Clear
   • The space in your dorm is severely limited so it is crucial that you keep as much space clear as possible. Some simple suggestions to keep your floors clear is to have a designated shoe section, or shoe rack if available, and to pick up items off the floor as you see them

These are just a few tips that can help you set up your ideal cleaning routine. Staying true to your own routine is key to living in a dorm successfully.

How Not to Starve

Dining Halls

Georgia Tech has two dining halls on campus, North Avenue and West Village. These dining halls are an essential part of your dorm life, as you will have limited ability to cook for yourself in your dorm kitchens. Your entry to these dining halls is dependent on the meal plan you signed up for as a student at Georgia Tech. However, even without a meal plan you can get a meal at either of these dining halls if you pay the entry fee.

These dining halls provide an all-you-can-eat buffet of a wide variety of food that changes daily. They are accommodating to all dietary restrictions, although those with dietary restrictions may have less options to choose from on any given day.

Alternative Food Locations

Outside of the dining halls, Georgia Tech is also home to plenty of restaurants and food spots on campus. The hotspot for these alternative food locations is the student center. A few restaurants that can be found within the student center are Chick-Fil-A, Panda Express, Twisted Taco, Dancing Goats Coffee, and many more. These options provide a wide variety of food choices if you get tired of the dining hall every day. In addition, all of these restaurants accept dining dollars which will come with your chosen meal plan.

There are also a few other food locations further spread around campus. The CULC features Kaldi’s Coffee and the attached library has the Blue Donkey coffee shop as well. There is also a combined Dunkin Donuts and Jimmy Johns near the middle of campus.

Pop-Up Dining

There are also many pop-up dining options available on campus. Food trucks can be found scattered about in high-traffic areas such as near Tech Green or around the College of Computing. These food trucks provide a nice alternative to the standard options on campus.

There is also a market every Wednesday next to Tech Green that hosts lots of shops selling a wide variety of foods and other goods.

Snacks

It is likely that you will find yourself hungry throughout the day and are unable to sit down for a meal. This makes it incredibly important to have a small supply of snacks that are ready to grab-and-go as you need them. Items like granola bars or bags of chips fit this idea perfectly. It allows you to have a little bit of food during your busy schedule without taking up too much of your time.

The figure above represents a map of Georgia Tech with the notable food locations circled and labeled.

Infographic Credits: John Summer and https://admission.gatech.edu/visit/prepare-for-visit

Finding Social Experiences

To create a wholistic Georgia Tech experiences, your time on campus should also include opportunities to build real social connections and participate in activities that interest you. Dorm life can be a great conduit for meeting a community of students going through similar adjustments.

Below are some of the best ways to make friends fast.

1. Attend Dorm and Floor Events
   • RAs will frequently organize events for students that are in their dorms. This is a great way of meeting new people in a safe, low effort environment.
2. Participate in Campus Events
   • Campus events, especially sports games, are a great place to make new connections with other students.
   • While some students opt to buy a season pass, you can actually get into most athletics events with free tickets!
3. Explore Student Organizations
   • Georgia Tech has hundreds of student organizations from sports to academic clubs to culture organizations.
   • Joining a club is one of the easiest ways of meeting people who share interests and can also be a great place to try something new.

How to Keep School and Self Separate

Keeping your school life and personal life separate while in college is essential to having a fun and successful time. Too much mixing and confusion between them will cause issues for both. Although there are many different ways to keep your personal and school life separate, here are two essential tips:

1. Keep Your Working Location and Fun Locations Separate
   • It is imperative that you keep your working location, for things like homework and studying, different from your fun locations, like video games, television, and hobbies. You may not have much space in your dorm room but maintaining barriers between these two locations is much better for your productivity and mental health. For example, if you enjoy reading and you always do your homework in the same spot and position that you read, you will want to read while doing homework and you will be thinking about your homework while you are reading. Keeping these spaces separate is incredibly important for a healthy life balance.
2. Have a Calendar
   • A calendar is an essential tool in your life at college. Your time is limited and your schedule is busy. It is incredibly easy, and common, to get bogged down with responsibilities and lose track of time. Utilizing a calendar will make dealing with your busy schedule infinitely easier because you won’t have to only try and remember every responsibility that you have. It will also make it clearer when you do have free time to participate in other activities or hang out with friends. The following are a few good ideas to include in your calendar, although there are many more:
     • Class Times
     • Meeting Times
     • Club Activities
     • Assignment Due Dates
     • Reminders to Exercise