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Random College Hints

I. Fighting For The Shower
Whether you live in a suite with your own shower or have community showers that are shared by an entire floor, everyone will be showering at the same time. At 8 am the showers will be full of students with 9 am classes, at 10 am the showers will be full of students with 11 am classes. Keep this in mind and plan ahead so you're not stuck without a shower, or late to class because you needed to take one. It may mean you have to get up a little earlier to beat the rush. If you live in a suite you have it a little easier. You only have a few people to worry about opposed to an entire floor of people. Sit down with your suitemates before the first day of classes and arrange a shower schedule. Doing this ahead of time will avoid any early confrontations.

II. Toothpaste?
And you thought toothpaste was only used for keeping that pretty smile of yours. We Do Not promote or encourage damaging school property (our disclaimer, we had to say it). We do understand that you may make a little boo-boo on the wall from a thumb tack, a nail, or maybe even a 10 inch spike to mount your stereo system on.. wait a minute, let's not get carried away. For whatever mess you need to hide, toothpaste will usually do the trick. Take a trip to the grocery store and pick up a brand of toothpaste that matches the color of the walls in your room. Use the toothpaste to fix any holes, scratches, or blemishes as if it were a bucket of plaster. When it dries your walls will look as good as new. Don't forget to thank the supermarket for having just about any color of toothpaste under the sun!

III. Bring spare eyeglasses, contacts, or prescription drugs
If you use prescription drugs, eyeglasses, or contact lenses make sure to pack some back-ups.

IV. Don't waste your money on shower curtains.
If you will be living in a suite, cleaning the bathroom and changing the shower curtain will be your responsibility. Because mildew grows at a phenomenal rate in residence hall bathrooms, the shower curtain will need to be changed frequently. Schools know this, and provide free shower curtains for students in the Housing Office.

V. Vacuuming is always a chore, but even more so at college.
If you didn't bring your own vacuum you will have to borrow one from the school. Vacuums are available in every residence hall, but must be shared by all the students in the building. To make sure that you get a vacuum when you need one, do your vacuuming at times when other students are less likely to have already "rented" the vacuums. The best times to vacuum are earlier in the morning or in between classes. Most college students tend to be nocturnal, making late at night the worst time to vacuum. Another solution is to bring a dust buster to keep the mess under control until a full-size vacuum is available for you to use.

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