codyg1985’s Think Tank

Last Thursday was kickout day for all UAH dorms.  Accordingly, I packed my belongings and made the 90 mile trek home.  It is somewhat good to be back home, but I will miss the social aspect of living in the dorms, seeing that I will be getting my own apartment for Fall 2006. 

Living in the dorms was an adventure.  In some instances the privacy was an issue for me, but it was not too much of a hinderance.  After all, each roommate got his own room!  Noise was sometimes a problem, as my roommates loved to play games or socialize with other people (freshman year).  I like to do both, but I do both in moderation. 

A lot of times, I admit, I like to be alone in my room chilling out.  Since I made good grades, my roommates always thought I was in there studying.  Well, most of the time I was not studying.  I hate to study.  I hate to do homework.  But, both things have to be done in most cases in order to pass certain classes.  So, being the guy that wants to refrain from taking a class more than once, I try to do homework and study, if necessary.  Most of the time, however, I am just in there either surfing the internet or watching television.  Occasionally I take naps during the day as well.  Nothing more, nothing less.

Dorm life has plenty of distractions that keep you from doing what you should be doing.  Yeah, I got decent grades, but I could have done better if I did not have distractions.  Games were distraction.  People were distractions.  The dorm itself was a distraction.  With that said, it is not impossible to live in a dorm and make great grades.  In fact, if you live in a dorm, you are more likely to attend classes since in most cases those classes are all within walking distance.   That did not apply to my roommates though, as they often consipred to skip class and play WarCraft.  Not that I could blame them somedays. One valuable lesson you learn in college is that you don’t have to have perfect attendance in order to pass a class.  In fact, you can make an A in a class without perfect attendance.

I will miss the social aspect of dorm life.  By living in the dorms, you get to know your roommates very well.  You get to share a multitude of experiences with your roommates that you could not do in high school.  Most of all, living with roommates helps to build lifetime friendships, as long as everyone gets along.  I hope that the friendships I have built with my roommates will last a lifetime.  I guess time will tell on that one.

Living in an apartment by myself will be a large adjustment for me.  I reckon it is part of the growing experience.  I will be a more responsible person by paying my own rent and utility bills, but I won’t have as much of a social scene as I would in the dorms, especially if I get an apartment at one location I am considering.  The distance from campus may influence my decision to go to class somewhat, but I always base that decision on whether anything important is being covered, and of course, if there is a test/quiz that day.

I hope to have guests over sometimes at my apartment, but the real nice thing about an apartment is that I can have some peace and quiet if I want it, and I can have visitors if I want them over.  (Don’t take that statement to think that I am anti-social; I just want some time alone sometimes).  I am looking forward to the next chapter of my life.

P.S. I am bored, I am restless, and I am in the mood to write.  Hopefully I will be in this mood more often.