Dorm room memories...or "The Days Of Ramen Noodles and Roses"...

A factoid of mine that I am still very proud of is that I am the first woman on either side of my family to earn a bachelors' degree. (We're not counting in-laws...we're counting blood only).

I graduated from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor of Arts in English. That means that I can waitress anywhere in the world.

Like a lot of my fellow students, I chose the dorms as my "home away from home" when I attended Iowa.

My first two years were in Burge Hall (the "scum dorm" where they shove most of the freshmen that don't express a particular preference), and the last two were in Currier Hall. I must admit, most of the time I had a pretty sweet arrangement - I lived in a double room with a bathroom and a/c for the majority of my freshman year and all my sophomore year. My junior year, I shared a suite with three other girls, and it had a kitchenette, a separate bedroom area, and a bathroom. (Unfortunately, one of the other girls was a thief...yuk.) By the time I was a senior, I had my own room, but no bathroom. Oh well, can't have everything.

My parents were quite happy to get rid of me by mid-August. I remember the barely disguised joy in their voices as we packed the back of Dad's Jeep or Mom's Blazer.

"Gee, Sudie...you're going to need all this stuff, right? That means you won't be coming home anytime soon, right? RIGHT?"

"Yes, Mom."

"So you're sure?"

"Mo-om! Dad...make her stop!"

"Yeah - OK - but - you're not coming home till Thanksgiving, right?"

"OH!" (Sudiegirl stomps off...)

So anyway, move-in and move-out days at Iowa were truly a sight to behold. Between hunting for the elusive "convenient parking spot", finding out the spot is only the size of a postage stamp, and then trying to park a four-wheel drive Chevy Blazer in this spot anyway makes for fun exercises in physics and geometry.

In addition, I brought lots of stuff with me and managed to cram all of it into one room. For example, a typical school year would find me bringing:

* Boxes of books

* Dishes/silverware/glasses

* Stereo

* Tapes/CDs

* TV

* Sheets/blankets

* Clothes/laundry stuff

* Obligatory posters of beer and booze bottles, Monet water lilies, and Sting

* First official 24-pack of Diet Coke

* Typewriter
(yes, kiddies...back in the old days, many people used typewriters to write term papers. If you wanted to use a computer, you had to sign a sheet and wait in line. Your papers would print out on dot matrix, and you had to pay extra to use the laser printer. You brats have it easy.)

* Makeup/toiletries/birth control pills
(the birth control pills didn't come in until senior year, and then it was only to regulate my cycle...even though I wanted to do more than that.)

* school supplies (folders, notebooks, pens, pencils, assignment book...)

(PS: The booze didn't come over until my parents had left the building.)

While I was spelunking on the Internet, I saw this list of "necessities" for dorm living. The list is produced here for your benefit, along with a few comments about these items that you probably don't need to know but I'm going to put in anyway.

Here we go!

1. Groovy Chair
Yahoo sez: Give your friends a cool place to sit....other than your bed. Whether you choose something hip and modern, or the ole faithful bean bag, chairs are the perfect addition to your room or retro lounge.
Sudiegirl sez: OK, first of all, when did "groovy" become acceptable again? I mean, it sounds like Greg and Marsha Brady are traipsing off to college or something. And I guess I'm kind of wondering about the concept of having a "retro lounge" in college. I'm open minded - one of the dorm rooms in my building had a full-service WET BAR in it, and funky Hawaiian stuff, but the "retro lounge" thing confuses me. However, I do agree with Yahoo on this one...comfortable chairs are important but I refuse to use the word "groovy".

2. Personal Care & Hygiene Products
Yahoo sez: Toothbrush, Deoderant, Sunscreen, Shaving items - make sure these essentials are on your checklist. And why not throw in a neck massager for fun!
Sudiegirl sez: What about other kinds of massagers? I mean, the massagers I'm thinking about are in different colors...some warm up, and some have attachments! Oh...other personal care products should include contraceptives of some sort. Otherwise, you'll have another person to care for. Just thought I'd mention it.

3. Running Shoes
Yahoo sez: Running helps blow off steam and best of all... it’s free! Don’t forget to bring your favorite pair when you head off to college.
Sudiegirl sez: Oh, absolutely! Important occasions for running include:
*Oversleeping and being late for a final
*Buy one, get 10 free packs of Ramen Noodles
*Free beer (anywhere on campus).
*Getting busted with someone else's girl/boyfriend.
*Running from the campus police because they found your "stash".

4. Sheet Set
Yahoo sez: Find a sheet set that reflect your personality, If you’re into modern, preppy, or bright colors there’s a design out there for you!
Sudiegirl sez: Gee, I had to use either Bambi or Holly Hobbie sheets. What does that say about my personality, besides the fact that I was a cheap-ass?

5. Laundry Supplies
Yahoo sez: First rule of washing. Show up prepared (think laundry basket, detergent, fabric softener and plenty of quarters)!
Sudiegirl sez: Second rule of washing...go home for the weekend and have your mom do it.

6. Desk Lamp
Yahoo sez: Get some cool funky desk and floor lamps to add decor and some much needed light to your dorm room.
Sudiegirl sez: Yeah...but sometimes light can hurt your eyes (especially after you've consumed your weight in alcohol). However, if you need to have mood-lighting for that "special moment" with a new lady friend, drape a t-shirt over the lampshade, and don't forget the musk-scented incense. (Warning: watch for smoke.)

7. Headphones
Yahoo sez: Whether you want to zone out to music or just want some quiet study time, full coverage headphones are a college must-have!
Sudiegirl sez: They're also essential if your room-mate and/or their significant others are loud when having their special moment.

8. Bedside Alarm Clock
Yahoo sez: Sometimes you can’t count on your roommate to wake you. Get your own alarm clock so you have a better chance of making it to class on time!
Sudiegirl sez: One helpful hint...after you get up, throw the alarm clock at your room-mate. Then use the running shoes to run your ass off.

At any rate...hope these handy hints will get you ready for higher learning. Good luck!

Sudiegirl the scholastic