So many seniors are leaving Sage Creek High School next year to go to Universities all over the country, which means leaving home and moving into the dreaded freshman dorms. 

“Try your best to make it your home away from home and really think about how you’re gonna do that,” Sage Creek counselor Megan Corazza said.

As housing applications, dorm room shopping and the idea of living with a complete stranger next year can all seem pretty overwhelming, here are a couple do’s and don’ts of surviving the freshman dorms next year. 

Do

• Reach out to your future roommate(s) ASAP!

“Reach out to your roommate ahead of time … as much communication as you can have beforehand [is] better,”  Corazza said.

You’ll be living with these people for the next year so getting to know them early is a must. Reach out through social media or meet in person if possible, but make sure to get to know each other, talk about rules and boundaries for next year, and don’t forget to coordinate on buying items. It’ll be no use to show up with doubles of every trash can, rug and mini fridge. Talk about who’s bringing what and consider splitting the cost of more expensive items like fridges and microwaves.

• Get to know your school’s dorm room policies.

“It’s common that students don’t even know what they need until they see the room,” Corazza said.

Before you start dorm room shopping make sure to double check out the size of your room including the square footage, bed size, storage options, empty wall space and what furniture already comes with your room. Many schools also ban certain items like microwaves, hot plates and candles so double check with your school before buying anything.

• Get to know your RAs

RA or Residential Assistants are upperclassmen students who will be living in the residence halls with you, they can be great resources in college for any problems you might run into. They already survived the freshman dorm room experience so they’re great for getting advice. RAs also work hard to plan and run events for your residence hall, which is a great way to get to know new people.

• Get to know the people on your floor

Moving to a new school where you don’t know anyone can seem pretty scary but remember everyone around you is in the same boat. Getting to know, not only your roommates. but the other people on your floor can be a great way to make new friends and get support.

• Find a couple of friends in every class

Knowing people in every class can be great for study sessions and group projects. Also, if you’re sick or just can’t get out of bed one day, having someone to text for the makeup work can save you a lot of stress.