For Amanda Berdak, freshman Spanish major and resident of Jenkins Hall, living in the Sacramento State residence halls is a matter of convenience.

“I live two hours away, so commuting was not an option,” Berdak said.

Mary Stowes, another resident, said she has experienced her fair share of ups and downs during her time. Stowes spent her freshman year living in the residence halls, and has worked there since 2004. She began as a resident aid, or R.A., and has been a hall manager since 2006.

“People want the experience of living in the dorms for the college atmosphere,” Stowes said. “And parents encourage student dorms rather than apartments because it’s a safer environment. It’s right on campus, it has rules and students can get two to three meals a day.”

To help those living in the residence halls, students and R.A.’s gave four tips on how to not only “survive the dorms,” but also make living there a positive experience.

1) Dealing with roommates:

Foremost, communication and honesty are key to getting along with your roommates and other students in the residence halls.

“A lot of problems between roommates start when one student is too afraid to tell the other what they really think,” said Kathie Thyme, a residence hall desk worker.

Stowes echoes this statement.

“Communication with roommates is key,” she said. “We kind of encourage roommates to communicate and get a better understanding of what their point of view is.”

Stowes went on to say that if your roommate is doing something you do not like, don’t just ignore it and hope that the problem will go away. Talk to him or her head on, but do it in a respectful manner.

At the same time, both parties must work together, said R.A. Cece Kuhlman. Be aware that other people are different, and that compromise needs to be accepted, more often than not.

2) Outside the dorm life:

Berdak said that one of the best parts of living on campus is the sense of community in the residence halls.

“You meet so many people and make so many friends in the dorms,” Berdak said. “And some of these friends I know I’ll make for life.”

Stowes said that she’s seen residents who have met friends, significant others, and even future spouses while in the residence halls.

It takes more than just being in the residence halls to make the experience a good one, Thyme said. If you go home every weekend, it’s hard to be connected to anyone.

Business accounting major and R.A. Dion Warneck said that living in the dorms helped him become more of a social person.

“I was really shy. I got to meet and open up to a lot of people I normally wouldn’t open up to,” Warneck said.

The residence halls have a number of programs throughout the year, from volleyball games to pie bake-offs, that are for the benefit of student residents. Kuhlman suggested getting involved in these programs and activities, saying that many end up being more fun than one might think.

3) Get to know your R.A.:

R.A.’s are hired to keep the residence halls from getting out of control, but Kuhlman said that they are also meant to be helpful to students, academically, socially, and sometimes emotionally.

“We have school and social lives but that’s what we’re here for,” Kuhlman said.

Berdak agreed and said that R.A.’s, many of whom have at least a couple of semesters of school behind them, have a wealth of information. The R.A.’s often know the “ins and outs” of campus life, Berdak said.

4) Dorm life isn’t about partying:

Everyone remembers watching the portrayal of dorm life in movies like “Animal House” and, most recently, “College”. Simply put, these movies give the impression that dorms are nothing more than where crazy antics take place.

Most people with experience agree that those films hardly paint an accurate picture.

“When I got here, I thought it would be ‘party central,'” Berdak said. “But really it’s not any crazier than you might see at home.”

In reality, Thyme said, life in the residence halls is between the two extremes of “partying till the cows come home” portrayals in the media, and doing nothing but studying.

Stowes said the “party central” reputation is a hard one to kill.

“Students assume correctly that they have a lot more freedom? but there’s not a party in the hallway every night,” Stowes said.

There’s a lot more living in the residence halls than just sleeping in an unfamiliar bed and occasionally chatting with your roommate. It’s about connecting with other people and learning to get along with those who are different from you. Play volleyball with those on your floor. Sit with someone new during meals. Ask your R.A. about things you might not have learned yet.

By doing so, you’ll be able to look back and remember some good times.

For more information on the residence halls students can call (916) 278-6655.

Kyrie Eberhart can be reached at [email protected].