What I Learned From Dorm Disasters

When you think of move in day you probably are expecting many different things; the
nerves when meeting your roommate, the fun of decorating your room, the excitement of
bonding with those on your floor. I had the same expectations but things went a little
differently for me.

 This guest post was provided by Alyssa J Freitas

My roommate and I happily greeted each other in the overheated lobby of our residential
building and proceeded to walk up to our room. When we opened the door we were met
by at least two dozen dead bees on the floor. ‘No matter,’ we thought. I just pulled out
my dust buster and we started to unpack. But what was that buzzing noise? Every few
minutes we had to kill a new bee. Clearly we had an infestation and it seemed that every
person who could help us was tied up elsewhere. I tried to remain calm because I did not
want her to think that I was already flipping out only hours into our first meeting, but
inside I was figuring out how I could avoid sleeping in this room which the bees had
claimed for their own.

Fast forward three days and the bee problem had been resolved (cue the chorus of angels
singing alleluia). We were getting ready that morning for a welcome activity for the
freshmen when I went to open the blinds and they came crashing down on me! Building
maintenance took care of this problem by the end of the evening.

Now skip to a week later. We were coming back from dinner, opened the door, and then
our full-length mirror fell off the door and shattered. We made the long walk to the trash
room with the shards of our poor mirror…and laughed the whole way.

All of these disasters did more to strengthen our friendship and make us better roommates
than anything else. I learned that even though things were not as I imagined they would
be, it didn’t matter because if you face a trial with a positive attitude you can overcome it.
I also learned that bad events come in threes (although there was that electrical fire, but
that is a story for another day).

College is a time for learning to deal with tough situations and coming out the better for
it, in all areas of your life! My roommate and I were lucky enough to only have to deal
with problems that had relatively simple solutions. We did however learn skills that can
be applied to any problem we face: remaining calm, asking for help, working together,
and laughing when all else fails. As the new school year starts be sure to come in with the
resolve to take all of your struggles in stride.

On my blog I discuss how to deal with all kinds of situations in a manner that you will be
proud to look back on. I also share my musings on a plethora of topics, organizational
tips, etiquette, visits to historical sites, DIY, and much more. Give me a visit at and find meon Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram

@alyssajfreitas.