Who said the only way to learn about money was to read articles on top of articles? Financial education is all around us—provided you look closely enough. Increase your awareness with the SALT Blog video of the week, picked fresh from YouTube.
I don’t know about you, but that video just completely filled my happiness quota for the day.
And. of course. because there were cute animals involved, it got me thinking about financial and college-related metaphors (I’m not sure if this is normal or some kind of condition I should probably be concerned about).
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You see, these puppies got quickly tossed into a new environment. They were happy cooling off in their kiddie pool during the summertime heat, when all of the sudden, someone takes all the water away! Their living situation changed pretty drastically (for puppies, I mean) and without any warning.
Sound like someone else you know? Well, if you are or happen to know a college freshman, I hope it does. You’re in the same boat (or pool) as these puppies, after all.
WELCOME TO DORM LIFE
A few weeks ago, all you freshmen kind of got thrust into a brand new environment too. The majority of you went from living in decent sized houses to a room that’s roughly the size of a walk-in closet. You previously shared your communal spaces with your family, but now strangers in the form of roommates and hallmates are popping up everywhere. It’s a lot to take in, so what can you do about it?
Well, you do what the puppies did, and just kind of go with the flow.
They didn’t start chewing up the pool, barking like crazy, or attacking their owners.* They just waddled around and huddled next to each other, much to the viewer’s elation. Some might call this confusion, but I like to look at it as just playing it cool.
WHY THIS APPLIES TO YOU
In many ways, you’re just going to have to chill out and go with the flow in your new living situation too. You won’t be able to force your roommates to like you, make the homesickness go away, or fix the dorm’s water heater when it goes out (a frequent occurrence if your dorm looks like mine did). That stuff just has to happen on its own. Worrying about it won’t get you anywhere, and sometimes it might just make things worse.
If you think that your situation is abnormally unbearable, talk to your RA to get some help. That’s what they’re there for, and most of them are happy to help out a resident in need.
Time, courtesy, and a good amount of chillness can solve most dorm-related problems. There’ll obviously be times when you have to speak up and make your own wants known (especially with a roommate), but trust me on this one: the “cool guy/gal” always does way better than the high-strung types when it comes to college housing.
*Note: The owner claims this is a “frenzy,” but I disagree. They don’t seem mad or aggressive, just like puppies being puppies.
