Day 1 of college tips: dorm living

My first day of college tips! Since I only just set up my blog today and no one has read it yet, I figured that I would do an easy one just to get my feet wet. Obviously one of the biggest changes about going to college is transitioning into dorm living. Living in a dorm can seem intimidating at first but I have a few simple tips that helped me to feel at home during last year in the UMD dorms.

1.  Make your dorm feel like home!- Your dorm is more than just a bedroom for the next eight months, its your home! Your dorm is the only place that is entirely yours (and your roommates) on campus so make it feel like a home you want to come home to everyday. Personalize it like you do to your bedroom at home but also don't be afraid to go the extra mile to make it more than just a bedroom. Adding simple things like a coffee maker and bringing real dishes and mugs can make it feel like more than just a dorm room. Another huge thing that helped me feel comfortable last year was bringing my own lamps so I didn't have to use the harsh overhead lights in the room. The soft lighting from the lamps added a much more homey feeling. Also, rugs make a huge difference!
2.   Make friends with other people on your floor, but don't make them your only friends!- The first people that you meet will be those who live on your floor with you in the residence halls. And they will most likely be the people you hang out with most when you first get to college. And that's great! Don't be afraid to hang out in the common areas on your floor and get to know these people! Go to dinner with them, play cards against humanity with them, all of that is great! The people who live on your floor will most likely be your first friends at college. But don't make them your only friends. After move-in settles down and classes start, you are going to be exposed to tons of other new people and when you get involved in clubs (trust me, you will!) you meet even more people who share you interests! Don't focus so much on the people who live on your floor that you miss opportunities to get to know people that you really have things in common with! One of the biggest regrets I hear from my friends at college is that they spent way too much time with the people on their floor their freshmen year and they aren't even friends with them anymore! So trust me, the people you meet on your floor will really help my the transition into college easier, but don't be afraid to make other friends! 
3. You and your roommate don't have to be best friends!- As shocking as this may sound, your roommate may not become your best friend in college. I know it seems like on all the tv shows and movies about college you've seen that they are but I promise you; its ok if your not best friends with your roommate. Unless you requested eachother, you and your roommate were two people who go thrown together based off of some very basic questions by a computer program. The odds that you two will have a ton of stuff in common beyond whether or not you smoke is unlikely. And that's ok. Like I said before, you will meet tons of people within your first few months at college and you will make tons of friends! So as long as you and your roommate get along enough to not fight when someones sweater lands on someone elses  chair, then your good. Don't force a friendship that just wasn't meant to happen. You will still look back on your freshmen year with fond memories even if your roommate wasn't your best friend. 
4. Get organized!- I know it sounds like a cliche, but organization is key to success in college. One of the best (if not the best) purchases I made when shopping for school my freshmen year was a big desk calendar where I could write out everything that was due during the week and check things off as they got done (see my college study habits post for more!). Trust me, as the semester goes on it is imperative that you stay ahead of what you have to do to make sure that all of your work gets turned in on time. Because in college, spoiler alert: there is no make up work! Being organized is half the battle when it comes to college work. And trust me, your friends will be incredibly impressed with how neat your desk looks, etc.
5. Go to the gym! - Seriously! Go do it! College is one of the few times in your life where you have access to a state of the art gym facility for free! Well, not free because you pay tuition but TECHNICALLY...you get the point. Going to the gym has so many more benefits than just physical fitness. It is a great break from studying or homework rather than just turning on netflix because it keeps your mind active! Take advantage of the fitness classes offered at your schools gym because they can be a lot of fun and motivating! I started taking a yoga class my second semester and loved it! Also, take the opportunity to try a new form of exercise you've never done before! Start swimming or lifting weights, anything! It can be really fun! 
6. Watch what your eating!- Another cliche, the freshmen fifteen is real. I can attest to it. But it's not for the reasons you think. Most people think that the freshmen fifteen is caused by snacking and eating unhealthy once your out from under your parents watch. And they're not wrong. But it is also due to one simple fact: College food is made from and prepared with the worst stuff imaginable. The food that colleges serve is filled with artificial ingredients, grease, and sugar. And it is impossible to get away from if you don't eat everything out of the salad bar. Even the things that they say are healthy most likely aren't that great. The companies that colleges purchase from specialize in food in bulk, not quality or healthiness of ingredients. So be careful and eat smaller portions than you normally would if you want to stay away from gaining weight. Unfortunately there is not much you can do to get away from the dining hall food while living in the dorms which is part of the reason why going to the gym is so important! 

Well that is all I have for now, If people end up liking this I will do another post with more tips later on. Have any other dorm living survival tips? Leave them in the comments!