Friday, October 4, 2013

Dorm Life: What To Expect At Michigan State University

By Joyce McIntosh


If you are heading to Michigan State University for college, you are probably feeling a bit overwhelmed by the idea of university life. While selecting the right classes is certainly a priority, settling into dorm life is perhaps the one thing students look forward to and dread the most. Here are some tips to make dorm life at Michigan State a bit easier.

The university offers a wide range of housing options, from single person dorm rooms to apartments. The campus housing is divided into neighborhoods, and each neighborhood has a variety of dorms, which are called halls. Some halls are reserved for upperclassman and graduate students only, and others are open to students at any level of study. Apartments are typically only available to upperclassman, particularly married students and graduate students.

Each hall is a bit different, and some are geared toward people of certain majors and some are designated as quiet halls. Freshman and most sophomores are required to live in the residence halls, and most of the rooms available are either double rooms or quad rooms. In many rooms, beds are loft-style so that students can use the space underneath. Many choose to place a futon under the bed, as well as a fridge and perhaps a small microwave. You also will have a desk, and you might also have a dresser in the room, as well.

One universal truth about dorm rooms is that the size is pretty consistent. In other words, dorm rooms aren't large, and they also don't tend to have tons of storage. At Michigan State, for example, you might have a double room with one shared closet or a double room with two closets, although both closets are fairly small. For the quad rooms, there is a long row with four individual areas for each student. This is open to the room and includes a bar for hanging your clothes and a shelf. No matter what type of closet situation you have, it is wise to spend a few bucks on a doubler, so that you will have more hanging space. Also, you can purchase an inexpensive plastic shelving unit and also buy an organizer that hangs on the closet door. You might even consider buying one for inside the door and outside.

To preserve space, don't bring items such as framed pictures or a great deal of books. Instead you can hang up a cork board and display pictures there without taking up desk or shelf space. Invest in an electronic book reader or simply check out books from the campus library from time to time. After all, your textbooks are essential and generally take up a good amount of space. Rather than bring a television, bring a tablet or a laptop and watch programs online instead.

Other than bringing home some clothes and your computer, MP3 player and maybe your tablet, the rest of your stuff can be stored safely at a local East Lansing mini storage facility or perhaps a nearby Bath mini storage facility. These facilities often offer tiny storage units perfect for dorm items. Just be sure to find a mini storage company that allows you to rent by the month, and it also is wise to find a company that provides student discounts as your budget is probably fairly tight anyway. A three-month rental should cost around $100 and possibly less, so shop around to look for the best deal at the most secure, well-lit facility.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment