The Commons life do’s and don’ts

It’s that time of year again: when new students flood Regent’s campus as eager independent faux-adults, while returning students settle back into their normal school routines. Amidst the chaos, it can be tough to truly feel like you’re back at home, and sometimes it’s hard to remember all of the rules for life in the Commons. So here’s a list of the some of the major “Don’ts” and a few helpful “Do’s” that returning students may find interesting.

Don’t:

First off, the number one problem that almost all freshman encounter: DON’T put dish soap in the dishwashers! It may seem like common sense to most, but sometimes those pesky bottles look all the same. Some dish detergent bottles may say they are dishwasher liquid on one side and then hand soap on the other. Let’s just make it clear here and now: if you put dish soap in the dishwashers, you WILL end up with a room full of bubbles. This may seem fun at first, until you get the big water damage bill later. So just save yourself the confusion in distinguishing between the appropriate types of liquid to use, and grab some dish pods instead.

Do:

DO buy yourself a locker shelf. Most of us remember the days when we stocked our high-school lockers with little shelves, magnetic caddies, among other little knick-knacks. But did you know that those little locker shelves can also be the ultimate bathroom counter space saver? I’m not kidding with you here, folks; this little piece of plastic can work wonders. Whether it be solving the debate of how to divvy up the counter space between three girls in a triple or providing a space saving solution for any studio, this little gadget can help you out. For all the ladies out there, this thing is especially handy for holding your hairbrushes and putting your makeup bags. If you don’t have an old one lying around from your high-school days, I suggest running out to the nearest department store to get your hands on one before the Back-to-School sales end.

Don’t:

DON’T use the self-clean option on the ovens. Yes, it’s there, but it is not a miracle worker and will not be able to clean up all of the burnt on mess you’ve left when your RA is right down the hall about to do Health & Safety Inspections. As a side note, none of them work anyway, so all you’ll end up doing is possibly ruining your oven. Please, stay away from it at all costs.

Do:

DO invest in a mini fan. This is especially useful for those of us that get stuck on the top bunk. This is the South, people. And heat rises. It gets stupid hot up there. So when it is the middle of August and you can’t sleep because you feel like you’re on fire, you’ll be very glad to have one of these little, inexpensive babies blowing life-giving, cool air onto your face.

Don’t:

Please, please, please: do NOT use the side doors. The signs that warn of the alarm going off are no joke, and for those of us that live on the first floor, when it goes off it’s very loud and annoying. If it is not emergency, please take the few extra steps to go out the front door. And as a side note, if you don’t heed this advice and go out the side doors anyway, there are cameras. Campus PD will be looking at the cameras to see who set the alarms off. And they will find you. So, it’s better to avoid all of that unpleasantness to begin with.

Do:

Get a fish! Yes, we are allowed to have fish, as long as the tank is five gallons or less. It may seem trivial, but when finals come around and you’re stressed out, you’ll be glad to be able to take a few minutes and watch your little fishy swim around and wonder how he can be so at peace. God created these lovely creatures for us to admire, so go on and admire them!

Don’t:

DON’T use the handicap button or “Push to Exit” button for the doors. If your hands are not full, then take the effort to push the door open yourself. If they are full, have someone open it for you. The handicap buttons do get worn down, people, so if everyone is pressing it, then they will have to be replaced more often; which costs more money. Plus pushing either of these buttons means that the door will remain open and unlocked for thirty seconds as opposed to ten seconds, which means that someone could slip in behind you. Also, the “Push to Exit” button is only supposed to be used for emergencies.

Do:

DO use the fans when showering! The vanity light fixtures are very inexpensive. Which is great for replacing them if they are broken, but means they rust very easily. They’re cheap, but when maintenance has to replace over fifty of them because they’re all rusted, it becomes a problem. So please, please, save maintenance the trouble – and the possibility of you getting fined for negligence – and use the fans. I don’t care if you want to listen to music while you shower, just as long as the fan is on. Buy a speaker if it’s not loud enough with the fan. Just use the fan.

Don’t:

DON’T leave your clothes in the laundry room. It’s not your personal space; you can’t leave your clean clothes in the dryer until you have time to fold them, not to mention leaving wet clothes in the washing machines and letting them become mildew-y. No one’s going to do your laundry for you. Be courteous to everyone else, and set a timer for your clothes so you can promptly remove them, freeing up space for whoever else needs to use the machines. As a side note, DON’T use more than two washing machines or dryers. This means don’t wait until you have nothing else to wear to do laundry; we’re all supposed to be responsible adults here, so please act like it.

Do:

DO invest in a “clean or dirty” magnet to put on your dishwasher. They’re inexpensive and can really save your day whenever you’re in doubt about whether or not your roommate washed the dishes like they were supposed to. As long as they remember to flip it each time, you’ll be golden. Remember this simple tip: if there is water collected on the bottoms of the upside down cups, then they’re clean. If not, better luck next time.

Don’t:

DO NOT use CommandStrips on the walls in the Commons! (Villagers, you’re fine as long as you’re careful.) It’s not a joke people, it is preferred for you to use nails. The walls are textured, so when you try to remove them they will damage the walls. This goes for using tape on the walls as well.

Do:

DO use the mirrors in the corners when walking down hallways. This is very helpful for when you’re bringing in groceries to ensure you will not run into people.

Don’t:

DO NOT let deliverymen into the building. As a matter of fact, don’t let anyone in who doesn’t have their own keycard to get into the building. The keycard system is in place for a reason: to keep us all safe. So please, tell the pizza guy to call you when he gets here, and take the time to go meet him downstairs. It’ll save him from wandering around trying to find your room as well as keep the potential risks involved to a minimum.

Do:

This is especially relevant for those in a triple or any of the rooms with bunk beds: DO buy a bunk buddy. There are many different kinds: some look like little shelves with spots to hang your phone charging cable from and some are more like hanging pockets. This will be very helpful for those of us stuck on the top bunk who use our phones as our alarm clocks and want to make sure they’re close enough to our head to hear them.

That’s the whole list, folks. If you have any other words of wisdom or advice to add to the list, please leave them in the comments below; we’d love to hear from you! I really hope this compiled list helps all the new incoming students, as well some of the upperclassmen, who want to know the reasoning behind some of the Commons rules. Stay safe my friends!



Hannah Vermont is a contributor to the Daily Runner (and an RA).