Residence is a Class in Social Living

In Residence, you're living with people you've never met before, didn't choose to live with, and who might have very different habits from you. Yet you have to get along with them just the same.

I have three siblings, so I'm used to sharing space. But the hardest type of person for me to share space with is the very kind this University seems to attract: spoiled rich princesses. Their problem is that they're used to having parents or maids pick up after them. They do things like put plates of chicken bones outside their door, thinking they will magically disappear by themselves. Really, who thinks this way? Spoiled rich princesses, that's who. Picture their lives: they brag about how big their house is, how much stuff and how much money they have, how many exotic places they've visited, and how much richer and better than everyone else they are. And then they behave like idiots because they expect things to be the same here; especially that others should do their dishes and pick up their garbage.

I’m sure it's hard for them. But I think it's even harder for the people who are used to sharing to live with these people who aren't.

Then there are the bizarre things some of these girls will say. We had a floor meeting once where a couple of them brought up the fact that they didn’t think the quality of soap in the bathroom was good enough, and the toilet paper wasn't the proper type.

Ironically, one of the things I was most looking forward to at this University was living in residence. Contrary to the archetypical undergrad stereotype, it wasn’t the late night partying scene I was looking forward to, but the independence and freedom. Don’t get me wrong, I love my family, but a part of going to university is growing up. I looked forward to meeting new people from all walks of life and faculties.

At first, I was excited about it all: the energy and the friendliness of people in my residence. But soon I began to notice the many different personalities that took getting used to. While living in residence has given me the opportunity to meet so many interesting people, I've learned that you can't get along with everyone.

Again, don't get me wrong. University Life is everything I expected and more. So intermingle with others and don't get too frustrated when you get home from a full day of classes and arrive at the next one: at home, your class in Social Living.