The Leader declassified dorm survival guide

Graphic by Arturo Magallanes

Fall 2020 is finally here, many of us are returning to our homes away from home, excited to make memories with our roommates, and for many first-year students, experience what college has to offer for the first time.

A sense of newfound freedom, living away from your parents, sharing a room with somebody for the first time, or having your own room for the first time. I know your mind is running amuck with thoughts like, “Is it going to be like the movies? Is it going to be like the TikTok dorm transformations that turn a room reminiscent of a prison cell into a Pinterest dream board?” Look no further, I have the answer for you — no, unfortunately not this year.

COVID-19 has shifted our lives dramatically and has also shifted our dorm aesthetics as well, but that doesn’t have to further dampen your mood. If you are living in a college dorm this year, you can still have it look cute and be safe to ensure that campus doesn’t shut down two weeks in (I’m looking at you, UNC). 

With these 3 tips, you are going to be keeping your dorm clean and keeping yourself safe in the fight against COVID-19. 

1. Wipe, wipe, wipe it down, wipe
   • While this TikTok trend might be obsolete, the message is more relevant than ever. Residential students should be taking extra precautions to keep their dorm room clean and germ-free, and that starts with wiping down surfaces in your room (your desk, door handles, chair backs, cell phone, wallet, anything that you touch from the outside) with a disinfectant cleaner or disinfectant wipes to kill all germs and bacteria. This should be done regularly to ensure your living environment is as clean as possible. 
   • Carrying disinfecting wipes and hand sanitizer on your person as you go from class to class or in a public setting is ideal so you can sanitize any tabletop or surface before placing your things down or eating to ensure your area is clean and your hands are sanitized as well.
2. Mask on, fuck it, mask on
   • Elmhurst University will be providing all students with two masks, a disposable mask, and a reusable mask, that must be worn at all times on campus unless you are in your personal dorm room or eating at one of the campus dining options. It is encouraged to bring extra masks if you are able to since students will have to be wearing them for the foreseeable future. A good tip is to wash your reusable mask regularly to keep it clean after prolonged use. In addition, make sure to bring additional masks with you to campus in the case that your school-provided mask breaks, is being washed, or gets lost. As always, wear your mask over your nose and never place it down on an unsanitized surface outside of your room. 
   • EU also stated that students must be wearing their masks if they are visiting a friend in another dorm hall. Visitors into dorm halls are exclusive to EU students only, so don’t even think about bringing a Tinder hookup into your dorm ’cause the risk of getting ghosted and bringing COVID-19 onto campus from an outsider is high. 
3. …Read the room, stay in your room
   • Partying is the pinnacle of every college student’s experience but for the time being, don’t do it. Being in small spaces packed like sardines goes against the physical distancing guidelines put forth by the CDC that requires you to be 6 feet away from people, and in a sweaty basement, the last thing you will find is 6 feet of social distancing. In addition, EU will be cracking down on students who are throwing gatherings or parties in campus dorm halls, apartments, or houses and risk their housing being terminated. 
   • If you live in a double room, you are permitted to have up to 2 guests come into your room and they must be wearing a mask while in your room, so if you’re going to have visitors have them over wisely. Make sure that they have disinfected their hands before they enter your room and wipe down after they leave. 
   • If you want to hang out with your friends, you all can go online on Zoom or Netflix Party and have virtual hangouts to keep your health safe as well as your campus. Partying in a non-COVID-19 world is possible, you just have to hold out until the world becomes normal again so you can find yourself in a cramped and sweaty house party. 

While this semester is going to be far from normal, and in order to return to normal everyone must follow the rules put in place by EU, especially by residential students since you will be on campus more than anybody else. Together, we have to stay clean, mask up, stay six feet apart, and unfortunately not party for the greater good of the campus community and so everyone can safely experience the ups and downs of college life.