Dos and Don’ts of Colburne House: A Survival Guide to Living on Campus

By: Curtis Hoyt

Living on campus is a great way to gain your independence, while remaining in a supportive and tightly-knit community.  Whether you’re a Freshman or a Senior, here are some tips and tricks for surviving living in Colburne House here at Crandall!

The Dos:

• First off, one thing you need to do is get to know your roommate (if you have one) and your pod mates. They can become some of your best friends.
• Invest in some bathroom cleaners to keep your bathroom clean! If not, it can get pretty nasty, and your mom won’t be around to clean it for you!
• Keep your pod as clean as possible! It’ll be better for you and your pod mates in the long run.
• Find a place where you can actually study well without distractions. If you can’t study well in your room, there are lounges devoted to studying, and at the school there is a library, a quiet room and lots of meeting rooms.
• Keep the lounges clean or they will be locked!
• Participate in the activities coordinated by the Res Council like the Pumpkin tree during Halloween.
• Get to know your professors. They want to get to know you, and it’s easy with such a great student/teacher ratio.
• Bring some loonies, some detergent and a laundry bag. Doing your own laundry may be a new concept, but I believe you can do it!
• Make sure you know when your assignments are due. A dry erase calendar is a worthy investment.
• Buy the textbooks that you need second hand if at all possible. It’s so much cheaper.

The Don’ts:

• Don’t be afraid of your RA. They’re super friendly and they don’t bite.
• Don’t eat Papa John’s or an equivalent at 10:00 pm every night. You will gain your freshman 15!
• Don’t cause a ruckus after quiet hours. It makes your beloved RAs angry!
• Don’t forget to get some exercise. It will make you feel better and give you energy to keep studying well.
• Don’t forget to call your mom and/or dad. They may not be looking over your shoulder anymore, but they’re still interested in your life.
• Don’t spend all of your time studying. Yes, you need to get your work done, but don’t forget about the world outside of your studies.
• Don’t prank anyone (especially your RAs) unless you are prepared to be pranked back.
• Don’t forget a fan. It will be useful for both the hotter nights, and as a sound to drown out noise when you want to nap or go to bed early.
• Don’t stay up extremely late every single night. It’s hard to make it to class on time with only a few hours of sleep.
• Don’t under estimate the power of your meal plan. UNLIMITED MILK, PEOPLE!