Do:Get to know your neighborsRelationships are the lifeblood of campus life, and the people you will most likely build the closest relationships with are your neighbors. It's important to get to know your floor or wing early so you can all live together in peace. Learn what the people around you are interested in, where they come from and who they are. The best way to do this is to ask to tag along when a couple of your wing-mates are going out to do something. It's amazing what you can learn about someone while eating at McDonald's.Maximize your room spaceMost dorm rooms don't have a whole lot of space to begin with, and you can run into the danger of having most of your living space taken up by furniture if you're not careful - especially in a "three-man." In order to give yourself some breathing room, it is a good idea to elevate some of your furniture. You might try using bunk beds or stacking your beds on your other furniture in order to free up some floor space. This way, you'll have room for your fridge or other items you brought from home.Check your Taylor email every dayYour Taylor email is your key to the kingdom. Once a day, a Student Announcements email is blasted out to everyone, containing upcoming events and important information. You also receive emails from your professors, the post office, the Bursar's office and the president. If you don't check your email consistently, you will be out of sync with the rest of campus.Personalize your spaceTo say you'll be spending a lot of time in your dorm room is an understatement. Your room will be your home for the next year, so you may as well decorate your space to avoid monotony. How you decorate also gives your guests a glimpse at the kind of person you are, so design your space to represent you and your interests. Also a tip: if you're tired of the same overhead light, decorating your room with Christmas lights or something similar makes for a more comfortable vibe.
Don't:Leave your dorm every weekendIt's normal to miss home when you first arrive; most students - even upperclassmen - get homesick from time to time. However, that shouldn't stop you from staying on campus, though it can be easy to pack up and go home every weekend. The true nature of campus life shines through best on the weekends when students aren't busy with classes. Open house hours for the dorms are only on the weekends, so this gives students an opportunity to visit their brother or sister floors. There are also plenty of campus events and activities on the weekends where you build relationships with other students. It's also difficult to find a home church if you're gone every weekend. You may miss your family, but you could also be missing out on some great things on campus.Borrow something without askingEven though all dorm halls have an open door policy, that doesn't mean people still don't want their privacy. Just because you share the same living space with someone doesn't mean you share everything else with them as well. Never take or borrow something from someone else unless you ask them first, even if they're your roommate. It's this little courtesy that allows for the open door policy in the first place, and you will earn the respect of others if you respect their things.Eat every meal at the Dining Commons or the Campus CenterAt the beginning of each semester, students obtain a certain amount of Dining Dollars, which is a currency only usable at the Campus Center. If you have any left over at the end of the term, you lose them, but you don't want to use them all up too early. It is often a struggle to balance meals between the Dining Commons and the Campus Center as well as keeping track of how many meal swipes or dining dollars you have left to use. If you still want to enjoy Chick-fil-A during finals week, it would be in your best interests to moderate your use of dining dollars.
Leave your laundry in the machinesIt doesn't take a scientist to realize there are more students in a dorm than there are washing machines available. It can be a hassle trying to find a time when you can do your laundry, so make it less of a hassle for others by taking care of your clothes when cleaning them. If you don't, other users may forcibly remove your laundry from the machine, leaving it out to wrinkle and mildew. This disaster can be avoided if you act promptly to remove your laundry when it is finished.
