Lessons Learned

Hi! All happy and shit. haha.

I feel like I'm doing an infomercial in this blog. Well, it will probably sound like one... Hmm... this entry's about the things I learned as a dormer in Ateneo... about random stuff that will actually really help and matter (or maybe it just mattered to me, whatever really). 

(L-R: Yours truly, Francesca Santos, Patricia Liu [birthday girl!!!], April Ong Vano)

615, The Den 

FOOD
1. Probably the most useful advice I could give you is to bring a pot holder! 
Over 3 years, I have been designing ways on how to get my hot plate from the microwave, I've tried pretending it wasn't hot and just using my bare hands...it worked at times, sometimes I just looked silly running through the corridors. I've tried using the shirt I was wearing, but I had to stop using that because I realized I might be showing more than what I should be showing when I do that. I've tried using tissue but then it was a waste. So just go get one, at least one for the room.

2. If you want your SPAM to be crispy, heat it in the toaster not the microwave.
I do advise you to warn whoever is eating with you that your meal will not be ready soon. Trust me, they will give you so much shit about it if they wait too long. haha

3. You can never go wrong with a bag of popcorn in your pantry. It can be a lifesaver during emotional crises. 
I think Jolly Time's cheddar cheese is pretty good and it's available at Rustan's. 

 

4. Whatever food you put out or display: chips, canned goods, cereals... prepare to share them. You can almost always count on someone to get some even if you're not there. So, if you're not prepared to share, hide it.
I didn't mind sharing at all. Plus, it kinda makes me feel good about myself when someone owes me a can of tuna. haha, classic Kylie. But I do admit to hiding some of my favorites, usually I hide my Ruffles Sour Cream and Cheddar and just share it whenever I'm around. 

5. Be creative when you cook pasta. Try it with tuna, corned beef, peanut butter, parmesan and garlic salt, etc.

CLEANLINESS, MAINTENANCE, ORGANIZATION
6. Have your own toiletries, dish-washing detergent and sponge, laundry detergent and basin. 
My mom told me to wash my own underwear so I had my own laundry detergent and basin since I first moved in...until I lost them in the batch wars. It's always best to have your own so you don't have to bother your friends. Hi Iko! Love you. Oh and bring your own toilet paper! There will be many times that not one stall will have any.

7. Have a dish rag and a dish rack. You can have one for the room.
It's best to have a dish rag cover your newly washed dishes, the room gets pretty dirty with dust and what not so better clean than sorry. 

8. Use a shoe organizer. Better if it's something you can put under the bed so you don't occupy so much space. This is something all your roommates can appreciate because you don't want your shoes lying around, also you don't want to lose any of your shoes. Quite annoying if you lose the other pair. 
All four of us had at least one experience of losing our shoes...sometimes it's in the other side of the room, or even 601! haha. There was a time we had a surplus of shoes...well Audrey's shoes. Idk why. 
Anyway, there are a lot of options for a shoe organizer, pick which would be best for your type of shoes. I just used one without any division cos my shoes are big, hard plastic case that had wheels so I just pull it out of the bed. My roommate, Prilla used like a tower... it saved a lot of space too.

9. Before sending out your laundry to Wish Mo, Wash Ko or to wherever you get your laundry, laundered? haha... if you don't like listing down everything you placed, just make sure you count every piece you put. You can also take a picture of all the clothes you put, don't take a picture one by one, just lay them all on your bed and take one shot. Eazzey pezzey.  (Oh, and bring a laundry basket!)
I actually want to conduct a study on how many pieces of clothing I lose every semester. I'm thinking I've lost 15-20 pieces in the four years I stayed in the dorm. If you have the time, label every piece of clothing you have... It's possible, promise. Just ask Lianne! haha:)

 10. Borrowing is a privilege not a right. Better label your closet if people can borrow from you or not. Your friends should understand. Have a sign-in sheet if you want:) hihihi. That's what Lisa did:) 
You don't want fights or whatever because of clothes, right? And you don't want to lose and abuse the privilege of borrowing. 

SECURITY
11. I know it's a hassle, but have your key with you all the time. Whether it's going for a bathroom break, room-hopping, whatever... Place it on a lanyard and put it around your neck so you won't easily misplace it. 
There will be times that you or your roommates will have the urge to lock the door even if you don't usually do it. So to avoid asking your roommate to come back to the dorm just to unlock the door for you, or even paying for the fee, have your key with you at all times. You can also duplicate your key, have the duplicate with you at all times, and then just keep the original one in a safe place so you won't ever lose it. I lost my key almost every year, had to pay 200 every time. 

12. Don't leave your money lying around. 
You will lose it... it may be the wind, the friend who thinks its their long lost bill, or the klepto. 

13. Lock your room at night when everyone's in already and sleeping. And don't shout out when you'll leave your room open!

 RELATIONSHIPS
14. lol. I'm no love guru. The only piece of advise I can give you, don't get caught. kidding. no.  if you're a lobby couple (meaning you're a couple that displays PDA in the lobby), expect people to make chismis about you. The dorm is a small small world. 

Oh oh oh! Finally (for now), if you didn't know already... 
15. Dial 59 and wait for the dial tone to change so you can make calls to the outside world:) Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't... you just have to keep on trying. It usually works if you dial 59 super fast, joke, well actually I used to believe that. haha. You just have to want it to work. hahaha

So basically, these are the things I learned from living in the dorm, I'm pretty sure there's a lot more but I find these the most practical ones. So, enjoy. Add more if you want:)

On a side note, just realized I had so many roommates over the years...yeah yeah, say whatever you want.... I think I had more than 7....

Anyway, I miss everyone!

 Photo grabbed from Kat's FB:)