Let’s kick off the series “Balancing Act” by talking about Living in a Dorm. Oh dear. What a broad topic. Where should I start?

After three semesters of living on campus, I have come to a few enlightening realizations.

First, it takes no longer than 15 minutes to get just about anywhere on campus from my dorm. Therefore, I spend much less time traveling and getting stuck in traffic.

Second, I do not have to spend time preparing dinner and cleaning...

I am currently eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich off of a Cookie Monster paper plate. I guess I should be eating cookies…seems more fitting. But I digress. Because, sometimes, you just need to feel like a kid again. Or, perhaps the cookie monster plates were on sale and I’m a broke college kid. One way or another, “kid” is at the root of the phenomenon.

I bet you never thought of a paper plate as a phenomenon. Then again, do your paper plates have the ABC’s written around...

So, who else never thought this day would come? My roommate is currently singing to herself in her room (It's 9:00 AM). haha Living on campus (or in an apartment of any kind where you have roomies) is really entertaining.

• We have random people knock on our door in the middle of the night.
• We play the game of "who will take out the kitchen trash" because we all think that the other people should do it... so noone does it. Guess who eventually quells her stubbornness and takes it out?

...

I am currently sipping on a freshly poured “dorm-made” latte, checking emails, chompin’ on a bagel smothered in peanut butter and, of course, typing up this post. As, I stated in my post yesterday, the dining hall does not have the wide array of food options that might come flying out of your krafty kitchen. And, in reality, it never will. Therefore, milk the dining hall for all that it is worth and combine some of their offerings with a few things of your own. It won’t be as good as “homemade”,...

If you are AT ALL health conscious or consider yourself a foodie/cook/kitchen aficionado, then the dining hall is probably the one thing that you despise about living on campus. Because, it couldn’t possibly be the proximity to classes or meeting new people every time you turn around that drives you crazy… Burgers, quesadillas, wraps the size of your head, pre-made sandwiches with who knows what sandwiched between two slices of white bread… yum!?

Some of you are shaking your head...