I have been told for most of my life that starting any writing with a question or definition is usually a horrid idea, one that is sneered at with the utmost disgust and repulsion. Unfortunately, I am going to do so anyway, even though I technically started my piece with a statement; checkmate, I suppose.
Now, what might one say is the legalized definition of the word ‘Dormitory’? In North American English, it means “a university or college hall of residence.” According to this writing’s author, it is “an initially terrifying place that ended up not being all that bad.” Across the coarse course of my words, I will attempt to very briefly walk you through the intricacies of dorm life and my experience there.
Off the cuff, I should probably shed some light on why I was under the impression that dorm life would be terrible. I’m not afraid to say that I really didn’t want to leave home at first. Home has always been a very consistent, safe place in my formative years, and leaving so to live in Clarke Hall of the Jones College dorms was quite jarring.
The reason for moving on campus instead of making the 15-minute commute to class was to get used to life away from home in light of my eventual plans to move off to Mississippi College in Clinton. I drew the conclusion that I might as well stay in the dorms for a bit since it was convenient, simple, and would give me a bit of freedom from the fam. And that, surprisingly enough, is exactly what happened. I was able to move into the dorm at my own pace and could – within reason – set my side of the room up to my liking. I was somewhat on my own, and I was under my own responsibility. All things considered, it was pretty dope.
Of course, I couldn’t take into account only my own experiences, so I went to the streets of the male dorms themselves and got other opinions.
One Bobcat told me, “My dorm life has been amazing. It’s the only place that I have where I can just sit in the dark and contemplate whether I should go to class or not. It’s the perfect place to be on those days when you wake up five minutes before your 8:15 starts and need to get there pronto. My roommate and I were doing very well until one day he abandoned me. Other than that, my dorm life has been great.”
I may or may not be that roommate, but that detail is neither here nor there. The bottom line is that the dorms are more convenient than they are not, and I would recommend at least trying out staying there. My exodus had nothing to do with a bad living experience or any ill will. It was a matter of not making another trip to Ellisville after work just to get home to sleep since I work near my house.
The average dorm experience is nothing short of original, eye-opening and freeing. I may have abandoned my roommate, leaving him to wither in the isolation of my absence, but he should be ok. If you end up reading this, Gabriel, Godspeed, soldier. In short, I think every Jones student should take the leap into dorm life for their own personal growth and to gain experience. Sometimes it’s difficult, but other times, it’s pretty dope. I say give it a shot.
by Walker Robinson
