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Show OPINION THE VOICE OF DIXIE STATE COLLEGE OF UTAH Bom Life The A wild ride through dormliving by Eric Watson Dixie Sun Staff Writer prison cell, a rusty cage, maybe months wedged in- A or side a dingy Tijuana motel room are seeming- accurate portrayals of life m a college dorm ly room Many students taking their first step mto their new living quarters at the dorms are coming from the luxurious surroundmgs of home, and upon entry their eyes clench and their heels automatically click m hopes of a telepathic return back home But that hardly ever works unless youre on dope or dreaming Or maybe you live m a world of flying monkeys and talking tm men but chances are youre still probably on dope or dreaming Students reluctantly open their eyes to fmd a less than luxurious" room dorm jammed between four cold brick walls, and home may as well be a million miles away Dorm living starts just as you enter your cell and fmd yourself standing on a sad slab of t carpet bearing repulsive stams of all sorts This is simply the start of it made-to-fi- The dorm room tour could be completed while holding your breath, and holding your breath might be wise when entering the infamous dorm bathroom Shiloh hall has facilities fit for a king if you happen to be the king of pathetic looking bathrooms, that is Twelve inches separate the casket-sizeshower from the toilet, and your style prison newfound appreciation for the elegance and roominess of public bathroom stalls is almost mstantaneous A piping hot shower to begin your busy school day means waking up ten minutes earlier than usual, which is the required amount of time for the water temperature to reach a tolerable lukewarm d you arrive at your desired water temperature, Once you step into your shower casket and prepare yourself for at least six quick shots of or Antarceither hell-ho- t tica style water surges But dont fret just yet, because the showerhead gives off a warn DIXIE SUN ing cry just before the unmistakable burst, and you have a slight anticipatory period to duck and dodge out of the way Do not let discouraging thoughts enter your mind at this pomt, for the duck and dodge technique is a skill you will acquire after at least a month of dorm life -- 11 ciable un less you cover them with pictures and posters The dorm life truly is the essence of college With all of it combined, the good and the awful, youre left with a real impression of true college living To think of living with a complete stranger from a completely different walk of life is a daunting thing for anybody, but an education is gained from such experiences and its an education comparable to anything learned m pinReaching that nacle means youve mastered certain survival techniques crucial for dorm living The bed, which may have first struck you as a miniature version of some phantom original, is now large enough for two But remember that the opposite sex is out by 11 oclock on school nights The air conditioner, with a booming sound like that of a freight tram or a diesel truck, now serves as a sweet, one-mont- h any classroom When the time comes to pack up and leave, you look forward to your old home and all that was taken for granted, but somewhere in the depths of your mind you find an appreciation for this place A lot of it all just fades with time, and the good memories are doubled while the bad get chopped in half Or at least thats how it should be lullaby m the night The dull brick walls, however, will remain as such, never to morph mto something appre- - Starving college: Campus life 101 Knight Ridder Newspapers As I start my semor year of colcant help but reminisce about the anticipation that danced through my fnzzy head as I waltzed mto lege, I castle Ah, my new dorm living lOby-12-fo- and the experience What a zoo This first-yea- r year, universities across the country are welcoming some of their largest freshman classes ever first couple weeks, new students bring a myriad of emotions to campus You have The the hesitant folks "I and the joyously TM LEAVING MY PARENTS" folks There are the students who think college is just one giant party, and those whoVe just been dying to " live among "mature adults unrestrained Whatever the illusion of choice may be, students should be aware of a couple of things before they call the new roomie and stock up on Cup 0 Noodles First are valid anxieties Because everyone Why7 arrives with the same agenda All of these by Angela Balinbin of all, every student enters college with two fears ') Tm gomg to fad, and 2) No one's gomg to like me they just want to be successful Academically speaking, here's some good advice on bemg successful Go to class No one calls your mom if you skip, but you're paying for each class session whether you're there or not It's not fun when you break down your tuition, and realize you're paying roughly $75 or so for each hour of class and by the end of the quarter have more or less wasted 450 bucks Ouch. Go to class Its the best way to get the highest return on your tuition investment Here's another Avoid becoming chemically dependent Aiding m your own belittle-men- t isn't a good thing Getting mto a steady pattern of abdito a subcating it's alcohol, stance, whether something herbal and illegal, or that sneaky drug caffeine, is dumb And becoming dumb' of is kind of the anti-poigomg to college self-contr- The end goal of college, we hope, is to learn. And not to be trite, but some of the most growing, profound life lessons truly are learned out of class Consciously or unconsciously, students will face big ques- tions Do I have my own set of values, or am I just a paltry reflection of morals that are not my own7 Can I own up to the choices I make7 Personal growth aside, most students and parents are con cator of career success7 It's when you find something you're passionate about, and someone who'll pay you to do it I now lend my last little wisdom pearl of Make a pomt in college to have adventures, to explore different subjects, and to really learn from professors and peers alike cerned about career opportuni- ties This often prompts students to choose majors with a high potential starting salary rather than one that incorporates their talents and passions Hopefully, college will be a time when students can eat their cake and have it too After all, what's the best mdi- - 4 V You cant do anything on an empty stomach. Well, you can. But why? Weve got pastas, salads, y and oven-bake- d sandwiches. - Congratulations, your first power lunch. AZoxjH -- |