Every student preparing to move into their college’s dorms has had fears about the living conditions they were about to endure.

Whether those fears included roommates from hell, bathrooms that rivaled chemical-waste dumps, inedible food or bossy residential advisors, the prospect of living on campus isn’t too inviting.

Countless hours of my time were spent envisioning these problems in anticipation of moving to the dorms at Sacramento State.

It seemed apparent that my roommate would have blue hair, green teeth, smell like an ashtray and have a prized lint collection. It was tough not to wonder about the disease I might catch in the showers, dying of hunger because the dining commons food was so bad or having a Resident Advisor who preferred barking orders to advising.

After a few days moving and settling in, late August, my fear of dorm life diminished.

In the first weekend everyone started to find a comfort level and began to socialize like close friends. Some standard icebreakers enabled everyone a chance to meet and greet their fellow residents. The programs included area mixers, volleyball and a showing of “Bringing Down the House” at the dorm pool. This group of recent complete strangers quickly began to become a community.

One of the most surprising parts about dorm life was the relaxed and familiar attitude of the RA’s.They are more like older brothers and sisters than campus police. They are extremely nice, rarely bossy and are always available to help with a problem or give advice — and of course, open your dorm room when you lock your keys inside.

Once you get back in there are no guarantees about what or who you might find. I haven’t had any problems, but I have heard a few horror stories.

It is, by no means easy living with a roommate in a room that usually measures 10-by-15 feet, but once rules are established and people get to know each other better, it becomes a lot easier to share the limited space.

The bathroom situation isn’t nearly as bad as some people make it out to be. The bathrooms are usually pretty clean and it’s extremely rare to have to wait to take a shower. Some guys still have problems aiming and paper towels end up on the floor, but other than that, the bathrooms are more than acceptable, if not luxurious.

The dorm food, isn’t exactly Wolfgang Puck, but it is all-you-can eat and you pay for your food before the semester begins. You can eat even if you have no cash in your pocket.

For those who can eat whatever they want without gaining a pound, the Dinning Commons is hog heaven. But watch out for the dreaded “freshman 15”

There is nothing like having a double-cheeseburger with fries, a couple slices of pizza, soda and dessert for lunch whenever you feel like it. The menu rarely changes, but there is still a good variety.

However, the cleanliness is a concern. I remember seeing a piece of pie fall on the serving counter and a DC employee, placing it back with the other desserts saying, “it’s clean.”

Although most aspects of dorm life are great, there are a couple of negatives about living on campus, most of which deal with the immaturity of fellow residents.

The negative reputation of RA’s comes from those residents who can’t seem to follow a few very simple rules. Don’t drink in the halls, no drugs and respect your neighbors.

Some people have difficulty understanding that they aren’t living at home and mommy and daddy aren’t around to pick up after them. Garbage is routinely left in the residential parking lot, trays in the Dinning Commons and those paper towels on the bathroom floors.

During quiet hours, some people don’t realize that yelling in the halls, blasting Papa Roach or dribbling a basketball through defenders outside my door at midnight does not fall strictly inside the definition of “quiet.”

There have also been a couple of racially charged incidents this semester. Whether these people are joking around or being serious, this has no place on campus or in society. Dorm officials are taking these incidents seriously and working to solve this problem immediately.

For the most part, living in the dorms is a great college experience. You meet new people, you learn to live on your own and you are within walking distance of the campus and all its resources. And best of all, it’s hard to find someone with blue hair and green teeth, though someone likely has a prized lint collection.

Do the dorms still suck? Send your comments to [email protected]