My Experience in the Dorms

As I conclude second year at East Carolina University, I will be finishing up my two year tenure living on campus. I must say that I have enjoyed the experience to some extent, but there are also some things I will not miss.

I have enjoyed being around all of my friends. In the dorms, your friends are right around the corner! One o’clock in the morning? Bored? No problem, just go see your buddy next door who is likely up as well. I have made a lot of friends by living in the dorm. This was especially true this year, as I have met a band of brothers who I've spent the majority of my time with.

I have enjoyed being close to classes and the benefits of campus. My freshman year, I would wake up at 7:30 a.m. for my 8:00 a.m. class. This year I got into the habit of waking up earlier (7:30 for my 9:00 class) so I could shower and study, but I still saved time by living on campus. The conveniences of the dining hall have been there to save time. Having my dorm close to classes also provided a place to sleep between classes. I haven't had to worry about traffic or paying for gas. Visiting professors and setting up times for meetings have been convenient since I am always on campus.

There have been the drawbacks of living in the dorms as well.

The dorms are disgusting. It is safe to say about 80 percent of male residents in freshman dorms are idiots. My freshman year, assholes decided to shave their pubes onto the toilet seats, jerk-off on the toilet seats, puke in the showers and damage the halls to the point that all of the residents were punished. During my sophomore year, I have had to deal with holes being punched and busted in the walls to the point where all of the residents have been threatened to be fined, residents shitting on the walls and writing racial slurs, and leaving facial and body hair in the sinks and on the floor. This is behavior typical of people with the mental capacity of a ten-year old.

Not every resident that I have met has been pleasant. One asshole who lives next to me bitched me out for pressing a button on the elevator. The same resident is loud and annoying, insisting on slamming his door to let everyone on the hall know what a bad ass he is. Cheers buddy; you've officially won the douche bag of the year award. Another resident on the hall is annoying and insists on being around even though nobody cares for his company. My other neighbors insisted on playing their shitty music for Thomas and I to hear. I also get to enjoy the occasional fight between him and his girlfriend.

Overall, I am glad that I lived in the dorms at East Carolina University for two years. I have made friends that I will know for the rest of my life, I have had a damn good roommate (Thomas Briley), I have learned how to maximize my space and become organized, and learned much about myself. While I am glad that I was able to experience the dorms, I am happy that I am moving on to a new experience by living in an apartment.