You will likely be told the contact information of your roommate or roommates before the semester begins. It is always a good idea to call your future roommates to introduce yourself and talk about information such as who wants to sleep on the top bunk and who is going to be bringing larger items such as a DVD player or a TV for the room. This will help you avoid duplicate items and chaos on move-in day.
While living with roommates may seem like a fun idea at first, it is important to have realistic expectations. Even if your roommates seem cool over the phone and you have similar interests, remember that you will be living in tight quarters together. You may have issues when one roommate wants to have a boyfriend over, another roommate wants to study, and you want to watch TV. Sit down together during the first week of school and come up with a list of room rules.
Very few college freshmen are given private showers on campus. Likely, you will have to share a shower with your roommates and the room of people next door. Some colleges even have communal bathrooms for the whole floor. It is important to pack a robe and flip-flops. Do not go barefoot in college showers or you will be at risk for getting foot fungus and warts. Pack a basket where you can keep your shampoo, razors and other bath products so you can easily transport items in and out of the shower. Since you never know when there will be a long line to use the showers, wash your hair at off-peak times.
Noise can be an issue in two ways in a college dorm. There will be a lot of noisy people living in the dorms, and not everyone may be as serious a student as you are. If you think you will have trouble studying in your room, plan to go to the library or another quiet place on campus when you have a big test. Noise can also be a problem if you are a loud person and a night owl. Some dorms have quiet hours, where voices need to be kept down past midnight. You don't want to get a written violation for making too much noise too late.