Office of resident life helps transition from home

MEGHAN WALSH mwalsh@cjn.org | @themeghanwalsh

For students who choose to live on campus, the transition from home to dorm can be di cult for some. Factors such as homesickness, not knowing people and learning to live in the same quarters with another student who they may not know might contribute to the intimidation that comes with moving into college.

Deidrinelle Rouse Moton, associate director of residence life at e University of Akron; and Mark Zeno, assistant vice president and dean of residence life and student life auxiliaries at Oberlin College, discussed how students can overcome these challenges and make their living quarters feel a bit more homelike.

“I always tell parents and students when I am speaking with them during orientation that, ‘You are living with us for 32 weeks,’” Rouse Moton said. “‘We’ve got you for about nine months out of the year, so bring your room here.’”

She noted there are certain rules about which items and appliances are allowed in dorm rooms. Wall ower plugins, Keurigs, string lights and humidi ers are permitted, as well as some refrigerators and microwaves, depending on their wattages. Belongings such as candles, air fryers and rice cookers are prohibited. Students who live in apartments have a bit more exibility in what they are allowed to bring with them because they have kitchens, which dorms do not have.

Bringing items that remind a student of home and o er them a sense of comfort can help combat homesickness, Rouse Moton pointed out.

“Bring your photos, bring your blankets, bring the things that make you happy,” she suggested.

Some students are afraid to reach out if they are having an issue with a roommate, she said. Resident assistants are equipped to help with these problems.

She suggested students reach out to their resident advisers or another trusted adult on campus who can help them mediate tension with roommates, or help them arrange to move to another dorm if the situation can not be resolved.

“I just want everybody to know that it’s OK if you and your roommate pair don’t necessarily work out because we will do our best to try and nd someone that does work out for you,” Rouse Moton said.

Zeno said one of the hardest parts of the transition is knowing what to bring, and what is essential for a student to be able to make their living space feel like home.

“In some cases, you’re most likely – as a rst year – sharing a room with someone for the rst time,” he noted.

Students may encounter the “culture shock” of realizing they are living in a small space and guring out they have to share it with someone else. ey start to contemplate what they need and what can be left at home, taking into consideration the small living space they now have

“I think, for most institutions, we’re really good about trying to get that information out to them,” Zeno said about what colleges suggest their students bring to their campus living spaces.

He recommended students bring items that remind them of home, such as blankets, stu ed animals or photos.

“Find the things that you want that feel good for you,” Zeno said. “Make the space look warm and inviting, and have a handful or a couple of things that remind you of home so that, when you do get back from class or from those late night activities, you feel like, ‘Ah, I can relax here and this is a safe space for me to be in.’”

Modern dorm rooms have amenities that allow students to maximize their spaces, he pointed out.

Standard dorm rooms include a bed, dresser, desk and chair, and wardrobe or closet, Zeno said.

“Most campuses now are looking at di erent ways to maximize space,” he explained. “So, you’re seeing more loftable beds, you’re seeing where the dresser and the desk can be incorporated into the loft kits, which gives them more oor space. We’re seeing more students bringing the beanbag chairs and love seats and comfy little carpet space areas to sit at and relax on the oor. So, we’re trying to give them opportunities to maximize as much of the small spaces they have.”