by Tom Ontis

Created on: March 23, 2008

Though it was many, many years ago, in a galaxy far, far, away, there are many things that students should know while living in the dorms. We did not have the traditional Resident Assistant program where everyone sits around and sings 'Kumbaya' on Friday nights. We had a manager, who in many cases, was not much older than the students he or she was 'managing.'

I did things a little backwards; I lived with family off campus the first year and moved on campus for the final three years. In a major cosmopolitan city, rents were pretty high, even when I was going there in the 1970's. Generally, when students got tired of the institutional food, in different shades of green, out they would go, either that or go home as often as possible.

We were schooled in the do's and don'ts early in the experience. The biggest no-no was cooking of any kind, especially a popcorn popper. VERBOTEN. It's just that the food was soooooooooooooo good...

Secondly, I didn't know who my room mate was going to be. Unless you came from home with a friend, you could get Charles Manson, or Ted Bundy for a room mate and would not know it until you walked into that room together. Needless to say, I had some pretty strange room mates: A macho 18 year old, a Momma's boy and a slightly drug crazed spoiled brat from the Central Valley, who grew pot in his clothes closet. (I almost got kicked out for my senior year because of him.)

Thirdly, organize your time. As a freshman you may not get much of a say as to which classes you are going to take what, when. The only students further down on the totem pole were undeclared freshman students. Give yourself plenty of time to get around campus. Our dorms were a good 15 minute walk from central campus and slightly uphill.

Set yourself into a routine, trying to do the same things at the same time, but don't schedule it sooooo tightly that you can't go out to see a movie now and again. Those kinds of breaks are important.

Get to know those who can help you. I made it my mission to meet with the housing Director. I even visited him on occasion in his on-campus apartment. He intervened in the problem written about earlier in this article.

Get to know how to get out of the place for a few hours or a few days, without always going home. If you can afford it, take a trip to an amusement park for a day. Get a motel room, anything to break the tight routine.

Lastly meet people, have fun. I am still friends with people I met in the dorms in the 1970's.

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