BY: NAZLI ISLAM

I used to think I was fairly low maintenance, especially after spending the majority of my childhood sharing a room with one of my sisters, but after living in a dorm, I realized I am far more spoiled than I had ever realized. I currently live in Hume Hall, in a suite with the three other girls: two rooms, one bathroom. Close spaces and a communal bathroom has changed me in a way that, if a relative asks me about my domestic life in college over a family meal, I tense up, my palms get sweaty, and I pull out a list, a list I always keep on me just in case I need to explain the 7 pet peeves I developed when I moved into a dorm:

1. My selfies always look 0/10 in Hume’s fluorescent flighting.

Sometimes, I get dreadful flashbacks of being in class while I’m tucked into my bed and the bright blue light in my room is shining on me. Aside from poor photo lighting, it also makes it hard to transition into sleep. I can’t even look at one of those lights without instantly feeling like I haven’t slept in the last decade.

2. My room has no fan.

I am the type of person who has the fan on for the sound and circulation. Floor fans cannot compete with a ceiling fan breathing life into you as you sleep. Here at college, air is stagnant, letting the stench of stress before a big test settle.

3. The walls remind me if prison on television.

White brick walls are reminiscent of prison cells, and despite any decor, something about the walls makes it hard to feel at home. I cover my walls with posters, and even my own art, but it just makes me feel like I’ve put a layer of paint over something etched in stone — it’s still there.

4. If there’s one thing we shouldn’t be sharing, it’s a toaster.

I never noticed how dependent I was on the toaster until college. As someone without a meal plan, I need to live off the land, aka the appliances available to me. One day, the toaster smelled like someone had burnt a rotten piece of cheese, and that meant I couldn’t have a bagel for lunch. It took two days for the toaster to get cleaned.

5. The storage space of my dorm makes me feel like a hoarder.

As my parents helped me load the family minivan, I should have known: I overpacked. How was I to expect the half of a small closet, a space under the bed, the night stand, two drawers, two shelves and one desk was not enough to house my high school yearbook collection, my 800 pens, my art supplies, and my big basket of glitter.

6. Why go to Student Rec when climbing into bed is enough of a workout.

If you want to maximize your storage, your bed is sky-high. You can’t “roll into bed,” instead you have to leap and hope you stick the landing. At the end of the day the last thing you want to do is work hard to get in bed.

7. I miss belting in the shower.

I love singing: in the car, in my room, in the bathroom, in the bed. It took one remark from another Hume resident about my “karaoke session” in my room, to teach me to keep it shut. I don’t like an audience.

These are all things that can annoy, even if you like the people living with you. In summary, I am living in an apartment for the next few years.