If you're like me, growing out of the dining hall and wanting to spend more time in the kitchen but too busy to actually do it, you're probably searching the Internet and bookstores for quick and easy recipes and cookbooks to accommodate your tastebuds as well as your schedule. Unfortunately most dorms limit your access to cooking media (except microwaves) in your room and the common kitchen is probably too small, in use, or is covered in spaghetti sauce and needs to be cleaned. There's actually quite a few things you can make in your microwave, if you're creative enough - one of my roommates has a "microwave pasta cooker" that basically amounts to a large microwave safe bowl with a lid. You put in the pasta, add water, and pop the whole thing into the microwave for around 15 minutes (enough time for a little homework or a shower). It turns out pretty well!
Another alternative for the busy and not as kitchen-restrained is a slow cooker. I managed to score one when my family cleaned out our home kitchen during winter break and hadn't used it yet because I didn't have any recipes. Well, lovely Super A found this list of solidly good healthy slow cooker recipes. I'm a particular fan of breakfast food, as he well knows, and I can't wait to try the Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal. I'm also looking forward to the Pulled Pork and Squash Lasagna, and maybe trying to replicate my mom's Cranberry Sauce recipe!
There are plenty of dining hall alternatives if you're ready to move on. Just make sure you check and see what the rules of the dorm are, if you're still living in campus housing, and learn how to use your kitchen stuff!
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Keep Calm Printable
First things first: above all else, keep calm. College can be very stressful, but that doesn't mean you need to stress out. A friend of mine once told me, "Don't be stressed. It slows down your reaction time, speeds up your heartrate, and increases your blood pressure. Besides, you don't need to be stressed, you can handle it." He was right, I could. But sometimes we all need that little reminder. In honor of not being stressed, here's a link to some nice printable "Keep Calm" posters. (I'm partial to the cupcake one!)
Friday, February 1, 2013
Dorm Rooms: Living Tips
If you've ever lived on a college campus, you've had the pleasure of experiencing dorm life. Whether you had a great time, an awful time, or a time full of crazy adventures and fun stories, you can be sure it's helped form you into who you are now. What kind of experience you've had has a lot to do with the person or people you live with, and how you all interact.
Keep in mind, whether you're just moving into your first dorm room or you're a senior well versed in tricky roommate situations, you and your roommate are different people. Maybe you know them from high school and you grew up together, or maybe you're taking the luck of the draw. You both are going to have different beliefs about certain things and it's very important to make sure you both respect each other's beliefs and feelings.
Be honest. If something's going on that makes you uncomfortable, speak up! Your roommate isn't telepathic and neither are you. At the same time, think before you blurt anything out. Maybe schedule some time with your roommate for the two of you to clear the air. Use "I " statements, such as "I understand that your schedule prevents you from doing homework during the day, but it bothers me when you have all the lights on at 3 am." If you expect your roommate to listen to what you need to say, extend the same respect. If needed, you can ask your friendly neighborhood RA to mediate - don't be worried that they won't have time, the RAs are there to help make your experience a good one. If it's not that serious, use the 48 hour rule - if it's not a big deal and you don't say anything within 48 hours of the incident, let it go and don't bring it up.
Be clear about your expectations when you move in. Some colleges require roommates to sign "roommate agreements" or "roommate contracts". Take them seriously! It is a good idea to have one in case a issue arises in the future, because it can tell the two of you how to address it. It can also clear up potential awkward-ness that surrounds friends or significant others sleeping over or out-of-sync schedules. Understand that you're both going to want privacy at certain times and outline how you'll communicate those needs with each other.
For triple rooms or suites, things can get more complicated when more people are thrown in the mix. Set up a cleaning schedule, since those settings are not normally in the bounds of the dorm staff's job. Discuss the AC/heat and what a reasonable temperature is. If a conflict arises in the suite, the guidelines above are a good starting point for conflict resolution. If things escalate, it's very easy for one person to talk to the other people in the suite and leave out the person they actually have a conflict with. Don't do this! The other person involved in the conflict will feel like it's them against the entire suite. Address the conflict at its root!
Above all, remember your dorm room should be your home on campus, for both you and your roommate.
Keep in mind, whether you're just moving into your first dorm room or you're a senior well versed in tricky roommate situations, you and your roommate are different people. Maybe you know them from high school and you grew up together, or maybe you're taking the luck of the draw. You both are going to have different beliefs about certain things and it's very important to make sure you both respect each other's beliefs and feelings.
Be honest. If something's going on that makes you uncomfortable, speak up! Your roommate isn't telepathic and neither are you. At the same time, think before you blurt anything out. Maybe schedule some time with your roommate for the two of you to clear the air. Use "I " statements, such as "I understand that your schedule prevents you from doing homework during the day, but it bothers me when you have all the lights on at 3 am." If you expect your roommate to listen to what you need to say, extend the same respect. If needed, you can ask your friendly neighborhood RA to mediate - don't be worried that they won't have time, the RAs are there to help make your experience a good one. If it's not that serious, use the 48 hour rule - if it's not a big deal and you don't say anything within 48 hours of the incident, let it go and don't bring it up.
Be clear about your expectations when you move in. Some colleges require roommates to sign "roommate agreements" or "roommate contracts". Take them seriously! It is a good idea to have one in case a issue arises in the future, because it can tell the two of you how to address it. It can also clear up potential awkward-ness that surrounds friends or significant others sleeping over or out-of-sync schedules. Understand that you're both going to want privacy at certain times and outline how you'll communicate those needs with each other.
For triple rooms or suites, things can get more complicated when more people are thrown in the mix. Set up a cleaning schedule, since those settings are not normally in the bounds of the dorm staff's job. Discuss the AC/heat and what a reasonable temperature is. If a conflict arises in the suite, the guidelines above are a good starting point for conflict resolution. If things escalate, it's very easy for one person to talk to the other people in the suite and leave out the person they actually have a conflict with. Don't do this! The other person involved in the conflict will feel like it's them against the entire suite. Address the conflict at its root!
Above all, remember your dorm room should be your home on campus, for both you and your roommate.
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