There are many great things in America, but dorm life isn't one.
In Spain most students' residences have individual rooms with their own individual bathrooms. When I came to study at UNC and had to share a room — single rooms are so expensive, it hurts my soul just to think about it — it was quite a change. Let's just say my experience so far has been... hard to forget.
The first weeks, I saw my privacy slowly disappear. I had a moment of silence to myself when I found out I had to share the bathroom with three other people. And I may have shed a tear when my friend told me he had to share the bathroom with his entire floor.
Something I find very amusing are passive aggressive notes and emails — yes, emails. Apparently, this is the way of communicating with your roommates and suite mates if you're annoyed with them. So you're slightly aggressive because there's no face-to-face confrontation but you're also passive because everything is low-key and chill. The good ol' American way of thinking. I love it, I'm going to make passive aggressive notes a thing — especially with my parents — when I go back home.
Also, the range of sounds that wake you up at inhuman hours broadens. From never-ending alarms to ironing, vacuuming, the soothing sound of the blow-dryer and the all-time classic: snoring. Not to mention the recently discovered HOUSEKEEPING and MAINTENANCE that come with much knocking on the door. You're always welcome in my room at 8:30 a.m., housekeeping.
However, if roommates didn't exist we wouldn't have those memorable stories that we joyfully share after the incidents happen. Two friends of mine told me they witnessed their roommate hooking up and, generally, just having a lot of fun. Not awkward at all.
Even though the dorm life can be exhausting, I've gotten used to it and I'm actually going to miss it. Sometimes.
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