Category Archives: roommates

5 Tips for Picking the Perfect Roommate

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Going from living at home to the dorm life, is one of the biggest adjustments when coming to college. Here are 5 tips and tricks to think about when looking for a roommate:

  • Chat with multiple people in the Facebook group. This is where you can have small talk and get to know others. Don’t settle for the first person you talk to just because you’re nervous. You have time to figure it out.
  • Discuss interests and hobbies. It is always nice to live with someone who is similar to you. This will make it easier to figure out activities to do during the week and on the weekends.
  • Figure out how they live. Ask when the go to bed, when they wake up, if they are neat or messy, whether they like going out or staying in, etc. Asking these questions can help you figure out if you two have the same ideal living situation in mind.
  • Meet up! If you live close to a potential roommate, schedule a time and place to meet one another. If you don’t live close to each other, try to pick the same orientation date.
  • Connect with them! The glory of having social media is that you can connect with anyone on a variety of different platforms. Add each other on Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Facebook, etc., this can give you a better idea of who they are.
Check out this great interview with Trisha and Camry that touches on what to think about when finding a roommate

College and Relationships

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Leaving your life at home and going off to college can be exciting yet scary. You’re never sure what friendships or relationships will last once you start your “new life” in a new town but, I can assure you everything will be okay.

College is the time for personal growth. It is okay if you distance yourself from that person who was your significant other in high school or if don’t talk to your home friends every second of everyday. They are also growing and getting use to their “new life”.

I am lucky enough to say that I am still close with my home friends. I may not talk to them everyday, but we do check in with each other every now and then. The distance from your friends or significant others only makes seeing them on breaks so much better! Being able to hear how everyones first semester went on Thanksgiving break is always worth the wait. Trust me, that wait goes very fast.

When I came to college, I gave myself that time to be on my own and focus on me. I made friends with people on my floor, who I would get lunch with, talked to kids who were in my classes that became my study buddies and I eventually joined a sorority my sophomore year which helped me meet even more people.

There are so many different opportunities to meet people and become comfortable with the SUNY Oswego environment. Going to orientation, floor meetings, the Involvement Fair where you can sign up for clubs, talking in the Facebook group or creating a GroupMe chat room are all great ways to meet people the second you step foot on campus.

Remember everyone is in the same boat! So don’t feel weird about talking to someone who sits next to you in class or popping your head into your neighbors room and asking if they want to go to the dining hall. It’s a new environment for everyone so don’t be nervous to put yourself out there!

5 Studying Don’ts for Commuters

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I know that feeling of commuting home from a long day’s work or classes and just wanting to go home after and grab your laptop and hopping on the couch to relax.  But does this really help you learn or even bring motivation, while going to college?? I think not!!  Such as this example, which was a HUGE distraction for me.  So, I’m sharing these 5 Studying Don’ts and I also provided some handy tips that have worked for me throughout each semester.  I’d like to share these tips to help you get much closer to become an awesome and educated student.  The better my grades are, the more opportunities I have ever had before.

Here we go … 🙂

 

1. Don’t get too comfy on the couch and set yourself up an ‘office’ with as close as you can get ‘desk’, and this helps with getting rid of distractions.  Or put a desk in your room where there is a door you can close for a certain period of time you planned for school.

2. Don’t dehydrate yourself and drink LOTS OF WATER.  This can help you feel focused and refreshed, as staying hydrated is very important for every student to keep their brain strong to obtain a lot of information.  Put a lemon in your water, if plain water is getting too boring to drink after a while.

3. Don’t think your life sucks right now (ha-ha) because it will all be all worth it when you receive that diploma, in the end.  I will talk myself into how having good grades could potentially help me in my future.  I think most jobs know that a lot of young adults have their degree, but not all have really good grades and that takes determination from the student.

4. Don’t eat junk food or eat too late at time.  A way to not binge eat at night is by going TO BED at a decent hour.  You should reward yourself with a ‘sweet treat’ when you complete a planned study or assignment.

5. Don’t cram your work and try harder when it comes to planning and time-management for studying and assignments, etc.  It’s important to be organized and to divide up the school work between the days of the week, and maybe even on Sunday nights.  It won’t be like this forever and if I can do it then you can do it!!!

 

I never found myself going to the library unless it was to get together with the groups from my classes, for the project we have to complete together.  Places where there are a lot of people, seems to be distracting for me.  So, at home I have found that using a ‘HUGE’ desk calendar has saved me!!   Also, having the option in my house to have an office with a desk.  This room is separate from the rest of the house and has NO DISTRACTIONS. When I get in there, I am in the zone and can focus, kind of like when I am at work!  If you don’t have this option then choose an area where you can’t hear sounds that much in your place.  There is the option of going to Penfield library, which is huge and has computer labs and printer access, etc.

Good luck with your studies Lakers.  Comment below if you find any of these to be interesting, if any have worked for you or if you have certain tips of your own that you have found very useful as a commuter.

 

Move-In Day!

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Move-In Day about four years ago I came to Oswego. Being from New York City I wanted to arrive early so my mother, brother, and I left around 5 a.m. That day it was very foggy and cold which later became warm and sunny. It was about a 6-hour ride and arrived at 11 a.m.
 
As a freshman, I lived in Johnson Hall. I wanted to arrive early because I needed the help of my family to decorate and organize my room. We decorated for about an hour then went out to eat. Came back around 2 p.m. and my resident mentor said at 3 p.m the students had an activity so my family and I said our goodbyes.
 
The activity was basically icebreakers for the people on our floor to get to know each other. Then we all left because some had meetings to go to also there was a picnic for students at 4:30 p.m. Later that day we were told that there would be a torchlight ceremony. Where we were welcomed by the president of the school and came in with our resident halls.
 
Lastly, there were fun activities planned for the rest of the night. My suggestion is come early and listen to your resident mentors/advisors because they have many fun activities planned! This is where you will meet your friends and make memories.

What I’m taking away from college

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IMG_8413As I’m sitting here trying to ignore how fast the clock is ticking, I’m reminded of all of the incredible experiences and memories I’ve had on this beautiful campus over the past four years. I’m taking away so much from my time here, and truly know that I am a vastly different person than I was at the start of my freshman year. I am proud of who I have become, but I know that I could not have become this person if I hadn’t made that initial decision to attend school here.

I am proud of all of the hard work that I have put into my degree and will be happily graduating in a few weeks with dual degrees in Marketing and Public Relations. Through the classroom lessons, professors, and internships, I am prepared to start a career in advertising. Let me tell you, it feels good to say that confidently. I am leaving college with a lot more than a degree. It truly is the lessons you learn outside of the classroom that matter the most.

I’m leaving with memories of the best four years I could have EVER asked for. There’s something amazing about this place. It’s more than the scenery of Lake Ontario and it’s more than the school itself. It’s really about the sense of belonging you gain here. I felt like myself at this school, only a better version of that person. I’ve learned how to be independent, how to stand up for myself, and appreciate who I am as a person.

I’m leaving with a sense of adventure. Sometimes, no matter how much homework you have, it’s important to just get up and be spontaneous, take a drive, or even host your own food eating contest (I may or may not hold a pretty decent chicken nugget record). Even if I may not be good at some things, I can at least say that I tried my best.

IMG_0353I’m leaving having met the greatest people on this Earth (shoutout to my O.G. 3rd floor Scales crew). My friends are amazing and I can’t wait to see where life takes them. My appreciation for them can never be vocalized enough. Last night, we played our last intramural sports game together. If you knew me four years ago, you’d know that I wouldn’t have been sad about this. Flash forward to last night and I’m standing on the court fighting back the tears. My best friend is the one who encouraged me to play a sport for the first time, and after playing in many many games, I’m happy to have friends like her to encourage me because I had more fun than I could have ever imagined. College is about finding the people who inspire you and love you even at your worst moments. To me it’s the memories of dancing like idiots, late night food runs, shopping through each other’s closets, hours of Netflix, and laughing until our stomachs hurt that I will remember the most.

So here’s to you SUNY Oswego. I may be leaving, but you will always be a part of me no matter where this crazy world takes me.

25 Questions to Ask Your Future Roommate

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IMG_2152Hey, everyone! With roommate selection quickly approaching I thought it would be a good idea to come up with some questions that you should ask your potential roommate. Today, we have the ability to meet potential roommates online through Facebook and other social media platforms. During my roommate selection process, I can remember how weird this was for me. It felt like online dating. I ended up finding my Freshman roommate on Facebook and even today, as a Junior, we are still roommates! Even though this may be new and strange for you, it is how a majority of incoming Freshman students and Transfer students are meeting roommates and friends. It’s weird for everyone! Although your Freshman roommate may not be your last roommate, you want to choose someone who will help make your first year of college a positive experience! Here is a list of questions that I used to help me find my Freshman and forever roommate!

What is your major/minor? A common question that is, of course, a great way to figure out if you and your roommate share the same interests and maybe even some of the same classes!

Incoming Freshman or Transfer? How much college experience do they have if any.

Where are you from? Get a feel for where they’re from. Small town/big town. Helps you get to know them better as a person.

Do you have any siblings? This allows you to get to know who you’re living with a little more. Also, it  lets you know if they are used to living with other people

Are you an introvert or an extrovert? This one is important! It introduces you to their personality! If they are the type to want to go out and be around people or if they would rather keep to themselves.

What residence hall do you want to live in? Like every person going to Oswego, we want to find the perfect residence hall. Find out what that perfect match is for your potential roommate. Or figure out why they chose the one that they did and you may change your mind on which residence hall you want to live in!

Do you have any friends coming to the school as well? This may be nice in order to expand your friend group and get to meet more new people!

How clean are you? Cleanliness can make or break a relationship. For me, I gave my roommate a fair warning that I was a bit OCD when it comes to cleanliness. By letting her know this she was very respectful of my space and made it a priority of hers to keep her side of the room clean as well.

What time do you wake up in the morning? It is important to know if your roommate is a morning person. No one likes to sneak around their room all morning until 1 pm when your roommate wakes up. That is unless you both wake up around the same time. Find someone who has the same sleeping habits as you. That way you won’t have to worry about waking your roommate up or your roommate waking you up.

What time do you go to bed?  This is an important one. Generally, night owls go well with night owls and early bedtimes go well with early bedtimes. That way no one is keeping each other up getting on anyone’s nerves. Try to find out as much as you can about this person’s late-night habits and how they’re likely to affect yours.

Are you active? It might be a good idea to know active your roommate is. Maybe you are looking for a potential gym buddy. Or someone to go swimming with down at the flat rocks. Maybe you would enjoy playing some intermural sports every now and then.

Any clubs/organizations you want to join? In Oswego, we have over 100 clubs to join. We also have numerous Greek organizations and sports teams. Although these are all amazing opportunities, they can be pretty time-consuming. If you do not like being alone all the time then it is probably not a good idea to be roommates with someone who plans on being an active member of campus. On the other hand, if you do plan on getting involved, which you should, it would be nice to have someone take the journey with you!

Hobbies? What do you do for fun? This is just to see if they will enjoy doing the same fun things as you! Or maybe they do certain things that you would like to learn more about.

How often do you spend on school work? Is school work important to you or are you just here for the college experience? I would hope that not everyone attends college just to party, but it is always a good question to ask.

How often do you like to party? Are you the type of person that likes to go out Monday – Sunday, maybe your just a weekend partier, or maybe you enjoy doing other things such as Netflix and Open Mic!

What do you do on the weekends?  This is a good question to determine if you have shared interests and whether your future roomie is a party animal or a homebody. Everyone enjoys different things and no matter the person, no judgments, either way, it is an important question to ask.

Do you like to have friends over? This is a polite way to ask if they are going to turn your dorm into party central no matter what day of the week.

Do you smoke? Although our campus is smoke-free, if you can’t handle the smell, even though they can’t smoke on campus, it tends to stick to their clothes. If it bothers you then it is an essential question to ask. It is important to be upfront about this topic.
What time do you schedule your classes? Sometimes roommates do in fact need alone time. It may be a good idea to schedule your classes at different times so that you get your much-needed space. On the other hand, if you have the opportunity to take a class together, go for it!
Do you like to go to the library? Because of the small study space of dorm rooms, it is a good question to ask. If your roommate is always in the room studying, that could be annoying because you can’t really be loud. If one goes to the library and one stays alone in the nice quiet room, then that’s great too!
Do you expect a lot of out-of-town visitors? It is good to know if you plan to share your already small living quarters with others. Especially if it is happening more often than not.
Are you bringing a car to campus? Form of transportation.

What do you want in a roommate? Cliche but good to ask!

Anything else I should know? Or 3 fun facts! It’s your time to shine! If there is anything else you want your potential roommates to know about you let them know! If not add 3 more additional fun facts about yourself!

There you have it future Lakers. A few conversation starters to help you get to know potential roommates and friends! I hope this allows you to meet the perfect roommate that will make your Freshman year the best that it can be as my Freshman roommate did for me!


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Here are the questions to copy and paste into the SUNY Oswego Accepted Students: Class of 2021 Facebook group, let people know more about you!

 

What is your major/minor?

Incoming Freshman or Transfer?

Where are you from?

Do you have any siblings?

Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

What residence hall do you want to live in?

Do you have any friends coming to the school as well?

How clean are you?

What time do you wake up in the morning?

What time do you go to bed?

Are you active?

Any clubs/organizations you want to join?

Hobbies?

How often do you spend on school work?

How often do you like to party?

What do you do on the weekends?

Do you like to have friends over?

Do you smoke?

What time do you schedule your classes?

Do you like to go to the library?

Do you expect a lot of out-of-town visitors?

Are you bringing a car to campus?

What do you want in a roommate?

Anything else I should know? 

3 fun facts!