“As a chemical engineering student, we have the Jack E. Brown Engineering building. I can see that outside my window. There’s very few places that offer that proximity. It’s been my happy place.”
- Mo Adesanmi
fully-furnished apartments conveniently located on campus near the Engineering complex and the Polo Road Rec Center next to the shops and restaurants of Century Square
Grocery
By Kenzie Finch
22 || PETS
How to house your forever, furry friend
By Sarah Norman
By Diego Valle
23 || ROOMMATES
How to avoid conflicts and set boundaries in shared living spaces
By Sneha Bhale
By Caroline Wilburn
Michaela Rush, Editor-in-Chief
Kyle McClenagan, Managing Editor
Ishika Samant, Photo Chief
Kyle Heise, Asst. Photo Chief
Ruben Hernandez, Life & Arts Editor
Anna Deardor , Asst. Life & Arts Editor
Sydnei Miles, Asst. Life & Arts Editor
Caroline Wilburn, News Editor
Kenzie Finch, News Editor
Ana Renfroe, Asst. News Editor
Zoe May, Page Designer and Sports Editor
From the news and life & arts editors, we are excited to present this year’s Housing Guide, and we welcome you to Aggieland!
This Housing Guide covers a wide range of topics to prepare new and returning students for life in College Station. You’ll learn what to ask when signing a lease, on-campus housing, meals plans, furnishing your new apartment, starter grocery tips and recipes, roommate boundaries and more.
Students at Texas A&M come from a wide range of backgrounds, experiences and locations. It can be challenging, even scary, moving away from home for the rst time, or leaving the security that comes with on-campus meal plans in the dorms, but this magazine is here to help mitigate some of those fears. Some of you may be excited to leave home and be on your own for the rst time.
Whichever category you identify with, we hope these pages will help you think about di erent aspects of your living situation and navigate changes that arise when you nally leave home.
Each of us editors has our own Aggie story and perspective when it comes to living in Aggieland. We have a COVID-19 transfer who learned traditions along the way, a rst-generation freshman living on campus in the dorms, a second-generation Aggie who is still discovering unique aspects of Aggieland and a senior who traveled from 300 miles away. Here’s a little note from each of us:
Kenzie Finch — I transferred sophomore year during COVID-19 to A&M College Station from A&M Corpus Christi. Transferring during the pandemic inhibited a lot of aspects of the college experience such as; learning the traditions, joining organizations, in-person classes, etc. Now as a senior, I’ve gone from a two-percenter to red ass, joined The Battalion, established healthy boundaries and habits, learned how to budget, cook and live on my own.
My general advice is: Be con dent and rm in saying no, but don’t be afraid to say yes.
Join an organization **cough** The Battalion **cough cough** learn a new recipe or skill, try new things, but whatever you do, don’t get a business minor (just trust me).
Ana Renfroe — Growing up in Bryan-College Station, Aggieland has always been home, and I couldn’t be more ecstatic to be attending A&M. I’m a townie, but I learned an entirely di erent side of the culture once I became a student. As a rst-generation freshman, I often felt unsure of where to turn for advice. Fortunately, A&M o ers so many fantastic resources and opportunities for its students. Are you feeling lost? Get out of your comfort zone, explore new things and nd your place. That’s the only way I found my footing, and college is nally starting to feel like … college. I’m still learning how to be in the world on my own, but I’m so grateful for the opportunity to pass on some of my newfound knowledge.
Caroline Wilburn — As a second-generation Aggie, I grew up visiting the Bryan-College Station area, but being a full-time resident for the last two years has introduced me to another side of this city. This is a unique place full of colorful life and people. From locally-owned restaurants and businesses to hidden gems on campus, Aggieland can be endlessly explored. Although living on your own for the rst time can be scary, there’s no better place to do it than here. I hope this Housing Guide can provide students and parents with some general advice about how to navigate this amazing university and its community.
Ruben Hernandez — Hailing from the south region of the Rio Grande Valley, I did my rst two years of my Aggie journey at the Higher Education Center at McAllen. After two STEM major changes and a severe case of imposter syndrome, I nally moved to College Station my junior year to pursue journalism. I have met amazing people and groups from all walks of life after my move here, and I have learned so much in my time in Aggieland. I consider myself a pretty reserved person — without the in uence of vodka drinks — so I’m not the most rootin’ tootin’ Aggie. However, I can’t see myself in any other place. Aggieland, I love you.
This 24-page magazine would not be possible without every dedicated editor, writer, photographer and designer who put time and e ort into these stories.To each and every member of our Battalion team, thank you.
By Sydnei Miles @Sydnei_M04
As the 2023–24 school year aproaches, students are in avid search of the perfect place to live off campus. There are many off-campus housing options, both houses and apartments, that can accommodate students need.
For those interested in off-campus housing but don’t know where to begin, Aggieland Apartment Finders assists students in finding the perfect place to fit their needs. Curtis Davis, owner of Aggieland Apartment Finders, said their goal is to help students find a place that checks all of their boxes.
“[We’re] an apartment locator or rental locator company,” Davis said. “People tell us what they’re looking for, when they need to move in, what their budget [is], the type of place that they’re looking for, [if] they have pets, [or want] furnished or unfurnished, gated or ungated, [or] on an A&M bus route [and] if they want a quiet place or a more active student type of place. Then, we’ll take
them out to look at about three or four different places. It’s free for all of the students or families or anyone who uses us, and whoever owns the apartment or rental house, they pay us a finder’s fee.”
Most undergraduate students prefer to stay close to campus, providing feasible distance from campus to home. With places like these in such high demand, their availability continues to drop, Davis said.
“I know a lot of the places that are walking distance to campus, like Aspire and Rise, they’re running out of places,” Davis said. “[For] the places that are furnished and close to campus, they’re harder to find the availability. [However], the ones that are getting further away, and the traditional non-furnished places, have more availability because a lot of those tend to have grad students, and those places just require maybe a 60 or 90day notice that the tenants are going to move out.”
Although prices vary from house to house, most rental homes range from $500-$700 per month. Psychology freshman Alyson Fotso said her rent, including utilities, is about $625 per month.
Education junior Allison Cooper said her rent also falls in the same window.
“Right now, I live on Dominik Drive,” Cooper said. “It’s right next to Sorority Row, which [is] a nice benefit, but it’s a good enough distance from campus, the best of both worlds essentially. I pay $565 a month without utilities, however, I have my own bathroom so some of my roommates pay less because they share a bathroom, but that’s kind of how we split it up.”
Many students decide to live off campus, but often tend to overlook the most important aspects, Fotso said.
“If you want to live off campus, make sure you have a bus stop or a car,” Fotso said. “Second, make sure you see what’s included in your rent. A lot of people think [everything is included]. Garages for some areas, you have to pay, you pay for trash in some areas, security, like all these small things, but they add up. Make sure you see what you’re paying for. If you want to live in a student community, make sure you see, is it a party area, are there parties every weekend, are the cops going to be called every weekend, is it going to be loud and messy?”
Although apartments are especially popular, many students opt to live in houses off campus. Cooper said living in a home has given her adequate space and provided her
the opportunity to learn what it’s like living on your own.
“We just kind of wanted to be away from things a little bit,” Cooper said. “To have our own space, to have our own rooms was a big thing. I wanted my own bathroom and my own kitchen. [I’ve experienced] things like having to call maintenance or, for instance, I’ve found like five spiders in my room in the past week, [so] having to call the exterminator. [People] think ‘Oh, it’s gonna be so fun living on our own,’ like, you don’t think about things like that. Nobody’s going to do that for you, you gotta do it or it doesn’t happen.”
Davis said his advice to all students in search of finding housing off campus is to begin as soon as possible.
“Search early, not late,” Davis said. “This town is overpopulated and under-built due to COVID-19. Every town needs constant development and growth, so they can keep up with the businesses, the new people coming in, the workers, the students [and] A&M growing. Now, if you wait too late, you pay more money. As there’s less options in town, the people last minute are getting stuck paying higher rent.”
A&M
By Diego Valle @jvalle88
For students, it is difficult to figure out where they are going to live for the upcoming year and it is best to be aware of the different options the school has to offer.
Texas A&M’s 26 different on-campus living options can be intimidating or time consuming to look through and in order to assist students here are a few options to look at, organized from most expensive to the most affordable.
White Creek apartments is the only apartment-style on-campus housing option offered and is located on West Campus. Apartments range from one bedroom, one bathroom to four bedroom, four bathroom options.
Cedric Freeman works as a resident manager overseeing the White Creek apartments.
“Pricing does vary; our four fours are
at our lowest rates typically and then the higher rate is gonna be the select few of the one ones, two ones, or two twos, like I said a very small number of those less than 10 of our the premiums,” Freeman said.
As listed on the website, formatted as number of beds by number of baths, the exact pricing for the floor plans are: 4x4 for $4,753, 4x2 for $4,447, 2x2 for $5,522, 2x1 for $5,059, 1x1 for $5,979 for the fall and spring semesters, with summer terms pricing at $1000.
“The apartments, we have a unique setup of being fully furnished, full sized amenities like you have a full sized refrigerator, stove, dishwasher and island that is pretty decently sized,” Freeman said. “If you’re in a four-four everybody has their own bedroom and own bathroom they just share. We furnished the beds and dressers, drawers, stuff like that there and then there is like a little closet area.”
Pros of living at White Creek is the students have access to live-in professionals and resident advisors who can easily connect you to the different campus resources they may need, also rent is paid upfront so students are not worried about monthly
dues, Freeman said.
“The con is the distance right now, we’re on the far ends of the west side of campus and so I think that can sometimes feel like a con because then you have to trek your way back to main campus,” Freeman said. “Thankfully for the transportation services we are on the bus route that comes through here.”
Krueger Hall is a Commons style dorm, where two roommates share a room and also share a bathroom with another room, and is located on the Southside of campus.
Biology senior Veronica Gonzalez works as a tour guide at the information desk inside the Commons.
“Kruegar Hall specifically is going to be the common style and the other four halls are gonna be identical to [Krueger],” Gonzalez said. “The way it’s laid out is gonna be that Jack-and-Jill where it’s gonna be suite style. It’s gonna be two rooms connected to a restroom and it’s gonna be the same for the other four halls.”
A student has to either have a roommate or can request to have a singles room where they would still have to share the restroom
“For the prices they can vary, for the Commons it’s roughly close to [$4,000],” Gonzalez said. “The one that has a little bit more options from more affordable to a little bit cheaper would be the Northside locations.”
Exact pricing for Krueger Hall via the Residence Life website is listed at $3,931 for the double rooms.
The Commons is a main hub for all the amenities, it consists of a game room students could use for leisure time, a community learning center a short walk away, the dining hall located downstairs that has Texas-shaped waffles and the Academic Peer Mentor services which is available for all students, Gonzalez said.
“Pros of living at Krueger is even if it’s storming outside you can still be productive and go to the [Community Learning Center] or go to the game room, go downstairs to get a snack and we also have an Aggie Express that you could go to,” Gonzalez said. “You have study rooms in your dorm as well, your own community kitchen and they also have their laundry unit.”
Fowler Hall is a balcony-style hall located on the north side of campus.
Electrical engineering junior Adrian Cortes
became a resident advisor this semester at Fowler Hall.
“You can opt in for a single or a double, as an [resident advisor] you get your own single,” Cortes said. “I only have one resident in a single room. It is the guy next to me because it has to be matching.”
Pricing for double rooms is $2,620 and single rooms for $3,727 a semester, according to the Residence Life website.
Each dorm has two beds and is connected to another room by a shared bathroom in the middle whereas the single rooms are the same but with only one bed, Cortes said.
“Pros are that FHK [Fowler, Hughes and Keathley] is the biggest complex so in community events there’s a lot more people, we also have a bonfire and it’s a lot more open,” Cortes said. “Negatives are FHK is kinda old it gets kinda slippery because the concrete is really smooth, when bad weather hits I think everyone really feels it like when storms hit you’ll get broken windows sometimes.”
Fowler has triple the amenities because every resident at FHK has a key that can open the other buildings’ study rooms, laundry rooms and kitchens, Cortes said.
One of the cheapest options available at
A&M is Walton Hall, a ramp dorm, which offers suite-style bathrooms and living learning programs, and is located on the Northside of campus.
Sophomore supply chain major Maddie Culotta works with Residence Life and helps students with housing.
“Walton is the only freshmen only residence hall on campus, it does offer some single rooms but mainly double rooms,” Culotta said. “The price range is from about $2,100 to $3,200 per semester.”
The double room has two beds near the walls with a closet, a desk, a sink and a door that leads into the bathroom connecting two rooms together that costs exactly $2,184 while the single room is the same but with only one bed and the exact price is $3,290 a semester according to the Residence Life website.
“It’s cheap so it’s budget friendly, it’s in a pretty good spot on campus, it’s close to Northgate so it has shopping and food and it’s a good distance from Kyle field,” Culotta said. “Most of the negatives that I’ve heard come from it being old, just unrenovated possibly insulation issues. It’s a small room and an old hall.”
Bryan-College Station offers a variety of off-campus housing options for students, but there may be a catch when legally-binding commitments are in place.
Whether students are moving to a high-rise apartment or a single-family house, it’s important to know the specifics of a property’s rules and regulations before committing to a long-term arrangement. When living off campus, many students fall victim to unknown city ordinances or conflicts with landlords and tenants. However, there are resources available to students to make the process easier.
There are four common College Station city code violations that may get students in trouble, including: loud noise, unstored trash containers, illegal parking and having more than four unrelated individuals in a single-family home, according to Texas A&M Student Life.
Students found in violation of the “no more than four” rule are at risk of having to pay a $452 fine per summons or citation. Specifically, individuals listed as a signee on the lease or tenants living at the property but not on the lease are at risk of being charged with a violation. If the violation continues, students may be faced with legal action by the city.
College Station city officials have stopped aggressive enforcement of the “no more than four” city ordinance until May, but students who believe they are in violation of the law can contact College Station Code Enforcement or A&M Student Legal Services.
In addition to knowing the law, it’s important for students to look into their landlord before signing a lease, Student Legal Services senior attorney Rick Powell said.
“The landlord [is] going to treat those tenants the same way they treated the previous tenants probably,” Powell said. “You have to check Google search and check these landlords’ reputation online like you would any merchant or business before you did business [with them]. You might want to do a background check to see if there’s complaints about the landlord.”
In addition to researching their landlord, Powell said, before moving in, students should ask for their prospective roommates’ contact information, as well as to see their actual unit number, not a model unit.
“What if you don’t like your roommate? The
landlord doesn’t really care,” Powell said. “They just want the rent, and they don’t want to talk to you about anything, really. You already signed the lease. They don’t really want to talk to you until it’s time to renew your lease.”
Many students fail to take a detailed look at their lease, including the start date, end date, rent price and notice requirements for ending the lease, Powell said.
If students find themselves in a conflict with their landlord, Powell said they should remember the lease is binding for property management as well and seek legal advice if necessary.
“If they get in conflicts with landlords or tenants [or] their roommates, discuss with the landlord or tenants in good faith,” Powell said. “Talk to them and try to get written agreements. If y’all agree on something, write it down.”
If students are unsure of how to proceed with the leasing process, they can get in contact with a real estate agent for assistance. There’s a lot more that goes into leasing property than the general public might expect, real estate agent and co-owner of Aggieland Properties Kevin Matthews said.
“When it comes to actually going through the process of acquiring that lease, it can be a relatively daunting task,” Matthews said. “You’d be surprised how many actual parents we end up dealing with instead of the actual renter because of that.”
Real estate agents can provide additional information regarding the leasing process, such as necessary qualifications to obtain a lease and whether the property listing is a scam, Matthews said.
“One of the things that a real estate professional can bring is that we have gone through this process, some of us, thousands of times,” Matthews said. “Particularly, [I have] a lot of guys in my office that are really specializing in leasing.”
Another additional benefit to using a real estate agent is access to a large portfolio of properties, as many available properties are not listed online, Matthews said.
“If you came to me and said, ‘I’ve got this budget, I want this product, what do you have?’” Matthews said. “I can, at that point, go through my entire portfolio, in my list, the list of properties that are available in the Multiple Listing Service, [or] MLS, and really provide you with a handful of properties to look at instead of you having to do that legwork.”
Matthews said as long as a student has not committed to a property, there is no specific timeframe for when they can contact a leasing agent for help.
“It’s very, very beneficial to have an agent representing you, again, because they’re looking out for your best interests,” Matthews said. “Selfishly, at the end of the day, I’m not getting paid unless you’re satisfied in signing a lease.”
I remember waking up every Sunday morning as a kid and dreading that my mom would come into my room and announce “cleaning day!” Now, as a sophomore in college, I appreciate a routine of cleanliness.
According to psychiatrist Dr. Gregory Brown, clutter in a room can cause an increase in a stress hormone called cortisol. This stress hormone may be brought back down through cleaning your room, thus reducing what is considered “visual noise.” Biomedical sciences sophomore Christina Wang reiterated the importance of a clean space.
“I definitely can see the correlation between my mental health and a clean room,” Wang said. “When there is a lot going on and when I am not taking as good of care of myself as I should, I can see my room get a lot messier.”
Although it is important to keep a clean space, it can be rather difficult to find the time between classes, work, extracurricular activities, studying and more.
General studies sophomore Pranavi Gandikota said keeping a cleaning schedule has helped her feel organized.
“I typically try to clean on Sundays,” Gandikota said. “It makes me feel better to have a routine in place. I know exactly when I am cleaning and it makes me feel more prepared for the week ahead.”
Northwestern Medicine states that a routine can help improve mental health as well through reducing stress and anxiety. Although, not all students feel the need to clean on a certain day of the week. Public health sophomore Allyson Sinclair said dividing up her routine is the secret to keeping a clean apartment.
“I clean the common areas on the weekends,” Sinclair said. “I probably clean my room like every two weeks. If I don’t clean it deeply then it is just going to get worse every time.”
Although not all students struggle with maintaining their own cleaning routine, there is always the complication of coming
into a new space as freshmen. Engineering freshman Kristina Hruska said she had to transition between living at home and moving into a dorm and trying to keep a clean space.
“It was definitely difficult to transition, because at home I would set aside time to clean it,” Hruska said. “Whereas, at school, I am never in my dorm and over time it will build up. When I am struggling or have a lot going on, I won’t clean and it can get bad.”
Roommates also add in some difficulty to keeping the dorm clean, Hruska said.
“It can be really awkward having a conversation with a roommate about cleaning,” Hruska said. “Usually with me and my roommate, we’ll just say, ‘Oh we need to clean our side of the room,’ and then they’ll get the message they need to clean their side too.”
Even harder to navigate sometimes can be roommate relationships along with trying to keep a clean space in a small, shared dorm. Wang said keeping an open communication is the best way to make sure the space is kept clean.
“I think living in a dorm and having a roommate can be difficult, but we were on
the same page about how we wanted to keep our dorm clean,” Wang said. “There were days where we would let it get messy, but we would come together and clean our room together. It was a good time to spend with her and see everything get reorganized.”
Having an open conversation with a roommate about keeping a shared space clean can be difficult, but if having a clean room is important then it is something that should be discussed.
Remember that, above all, students have a difficult time with managing just their studies, let alone trying to keep a room clean. It can be hard, but having a clean space can help students by improving their mental health through removing some of the clutter in the place where they live or study.
“Having a clean space has a huge impact on my mental health,” Sinclair said. “If my room is dirty, I don’t want to be in it. I cannot function in a room that is not clean because I cannot focus.”
It’s easy to get caught up in the fast-paced moments of college life, and it can be difficult to catch a break. If you need to recharge, a tasty meal or quick snack can do wonders for replenishing your energy.
Let’s face it: buying food can add up quickly. As an on-campus freshman, I was required to buy a meal plan, and the cheapest option cost over $1,600. Although the price tag was daunting, I was determined to use my meal plan, budget my benefits and save money.
But as much as I love saving money, I couldn’t sacrifice my quality of life; after days of tummy aches from dining hall food, I knew something had to change. After coming to my senses, I began exploring other dining options. Other dining halls, food courts, fast food chains, innocuously “branded” locations … Texas A&M’s campus has a lot to offer, and Aggies have to eat!
Whether you’re nervous about buying your first meal plan, or you’re a seasoned meal-plan purchaser, start planning how to save money and get the most satisfaction from your meal plan. Here are 12 tips to help save your sanity:
There are two parts to a meal plan: swipes and dining dollars. There are four types of meal swipes: regular, retail, to-go and guest meals. Plans are offered in tiers or “blocks,” ranging in price increments based on how many swipes and dining dollars you want. Swipes can seamlessly be used for meals, and retail swipes can be used at select locations. Dining dollars are equivalent to using a pre-loaded debit card and can be used at various locations, like food trucks, coffee shops, retail establishments and convenience stores. Be sure to thoroughly research all options before you buy one. Available plans can differ depending on your living situation — such as living in a dorm, an on-campus apartment, off campus or being in the Corps of Cadets. Remember, all on-campus freshmen are required to purchase a plan! More info can be found online at dineoncampus.com/tamu.
It might be tempting to buy a higher-tier meal plan, but think it through. It might be worth it for you, but you won’t know until you’re on campus. Start with a smaller plan first. If you blow through your swipes or dining dollars, you can upgrade your plan.
During my freshman year, I struggled to even use half of my meal swipes each semester on the cheapest plan, Block 110/300, which had 110 swipes and $300 dining dollars. If you buy an expensive plan and don’t use all your benefits, that’s money down the drain. Save yourself and your wallet.
Big purchases will add up quickly, so avoid impulse purchases or overspending. Once you’ve selected a plan, create a budget for your meal swipes and dining dollars. It doesn’t have to be strict but set reasonable, responsible financial goals for yourself. You can make a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly budget. Remember, a semester is 16 weeks! Your meal plan has to last you the entire time.
When you’re in a new, unfamiliar environment, it’s easy to fall into a routine, eating at the same places over and over and over and — you get it. A&M offers dozens of choices, ranging from dining halls, nationwide franchises, campus-exclusive locations and tasty food trucks. Sick of pre-packaged or fast food? Visit Food Truck Row on east campus, which features five fresh food trucks.
If you have a little extra time for your next meal, venture out and try something new. All dining options are available online at dineoncampus.com/tamu/hours-of-operation.
Popular locations will be packed during lunch time, usually from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Plan ahead to beat long lines or scope out locations with multiple options nearby. The Memorial Student Center, or MSC, has eight different dining options, including Aggie favorites such as Chck-fil-A and Panda Express. If you’re busy, and their lines are too long, you might prefer somewhere with a shorter wait time, like Rev’s American Grill.
In a serious time crunch? Got it. Check out the grab-and-go markets, which serve pre-packaged breakfast, sandwiches, wraps and salads. They’re easy to toss in your bag, and cold meals come with a drink and a bag of chips. Closer to dinnertime, some locations serve hot meals, such as the Southside Market in the Commons.
College dining aims to please the most people possible. Dining halls can offer a range of different cuisines, but if you’re a regular, the menu can feel repetitive and limiting. Don’t be afraid to customize your own meal by adding new toppings or trying new flavors. Proceed with caution though — the dining hall food quality is not for the faint of heart.
On your way home from class but don’t want your hunger to interrupt your study session? Save time and take home an extra meal! Try to stock up on prepacked to-go meals if you’re living in a dorm and have access to a refrigerator. Grab-and-go market meals are often in high demand due to their convenience. You can use one meal swipe there every 45 minutes — use as many as you want. If you have an all-access meal plan, you are capped at five to-go meals per week though.
brary Annex. The size and stock of each store vary, but it’s a great option if you’re looking for a quick, specific snack. Here, you can pay with dining dollars — use them wisely.
If your class schedule is stacked and you don’t have enough time to sit down, find the closest Aggie Express. The Aggie Express has three convenience store locations across campus, located in the Commons, Hullabaloo and the Pavilion, which is by Evans Li-
If you’re planning to be a frequent dining hall visitor, keep in mind that all dishes may not initially meet your ideal taste. However, with a dash of your favorite sauce or seasoning, it can elevate your dining experience and give you a taste of home. The dining halls provide salt and pepper, but you can usually find parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper flakes near the pasta stations. Don’t feel shy when using the condiment station or salad bar either — use anything and everything that could help!
ty of late nights — try not to pull as many all-nighters. After a long week of stressful assignments, you deserve a treat from Starbucks or ice cream from Rev’s American Grill. Every so often won’t hurt, but make sure you’re getting proper nutrition. Be sure to listen to your body and what it needs. Stay hydrated, eat your veggies and make healthy, sustainable dietary choices!
While A&M offers plenty of dining options on campus, don’t be afraid to venture further into College Station for a change of scenery. There are many great restaurants, cafes and quick bites in Northgate and Century Square that are local favorites, only a walking distance from campus. If you’re looking for a cheaper experience, grab a friend and split a check.
College is full of ups and downs and plen-
Cameron Johnson— Special to THE BATTALION
Grocery shopping strategy, easy meals for first-time chefs
By Kenzie Finch @Kenzie nch6Although I do enjoy cooking, I do eat my fair share of ramen and frozen dinners. There’s nothing wrong with not being able to cook every single day or enjoying the foods that you love. Having a healthy lifestyle doesn’t mean you have to be miserable.
Clinical nutrition graduate student Lily Deardorff said she recommends buying
Meal prep:
canned foods or frozen vegetables for college students, and doesn’t support a restrictive diet.
“So what I’d always recommend is making sure that your plate has a protein, a grain and then either a fruit or vegetable,” Deardorff said. “I believe that people shouldn’t be trying to focus on eliminating this whole food group or overloading on this food group.”
Whether you’re a freshman leaving the dorms for the first time and don’t know what to do without the Commons dining hall, don’t know how to grocery shop or simply need some new recipes to add to your cookbook, here are my tips and tricks that have gotten me through college.
• Meals can stay in the fridge for 3-4 days
• My basic meal prep pairs a protein, a carbohydrate and a vegetable/fruit.
• Protein: chicken, salmon, shrimp, beans, pork, beef
• Carbohydrate: pasta, rice, potatoes
• Vegetable/fruit: Bell peppers, broccoli, avocado, tomatoes, onions
Use H-E-B Curbside:
This will help eliminate some of the “see it, you buy it” mentality. Using Curbside was a game changer for me. For one, I don’t have to take hours in the grocery store looking for everything I need. I also save a lot of money by doing this. You can sort by price and see how much groceries are going to cost and add or remove things accordingly. No longer are there tense moments at the register as I see the price rack up and realize I overspent. H-E-B’s website also has a list of recipes available and will allow you to add all the groceries to your cart immediately. Plan out your meals:
It doesn’t have to be super detailed, but try to at least plan on two or three different meals that use a couple or more of the same ingredients that way you can mix and match as needed.
Get the basics:
Some items I always restock are: bread, milk, butter, white rice, chicken breasts, eggs, pasta (various kinds) and ground beef
Extra ingredients: Avocados, heavy cream, tomatoes, green onions, greek yogurt (plain), bell peppers, limes/lemons
Condiments: salt, pepper, olive oil, cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, smoked paprika (good on chicken, shrimp or salmon)
Don’t buy everything:
Realistically, unless you’re buying a ton of frozen foods, your food will expire or go bad before you can use all of it if you overbuy. Try to only buy fresh food for things you’re going to use within a week. I always buy a couple things to hold me over at the end of the week until I’m ready to grocery shop again.
Editor’s Note: Lily Deardorff is the sister of Anna Deardorff, assistant life & arts editor. Anna was not involved in the writing or editing of this article.
Chicken Fettuccine prep time 5 minutes, cook time 20 - 30 minutes (4 servings)
Ingredients:
• 1 lb fettuccine pasta
• 2-2½ lbs chicken breasts
• 6 tablespoons butter (sometimes I use a little more depending on my mood)
• 1-3 garlic cloves, minced (I use three because I love garlic, but one will do the trick)
• 1½ cups heavy cream
• 1½ cups shredded Parmesan cheese (can sub for H-E-B pizza cheese)
• Pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt
• Parsley (optional)
Instuctions:
• In a large pot, heat water over high heat until boiling. Add salt to season the water. Once it is boiling, add fettuccine and cook according to package instructions.
• In a large skillet or pan, heat butter over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. Stir in heavy cream.
• Let heavy cream reduce and cook for 5-8 minutes.
• While heavy cream is cooking, prepare chicken by seasoning it with salt and pep-
per and cutting into bite size chunks.
• Once heavy cream is reduced, add half of the Parmesan cheese to the heavy cream and whisk well until smooth. Keep over heat and whisk well until the cheese is melted. Turn heat to low.
• Heat up a medium sized pan, add olive oil and then chicken. Wait until chicken is thoroughly cooked and add to the saucepan and mix.
• Save some pasta water. The pasta water is full of flavor and can be used to thin out the sauce.
• Toss Alfredo sauce with fettuccine pasta. Once it is tossed, garnish with the remaining Parmesan cheese.
• Garnish with Italian parsley, if so desired.
Salmon Rice Bowl prep time 5 minutes, cook time, 30 minutes (4 servings)
Ingredients:
• 1½ lbs salmon
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon each of paprika, cumin, garlic powder, thyme, onion powder, dried chives, dried dill weed, salt and pepper
• 2 cups cooked rice (white or wild rice is best)
• 2 cups shredded carrots
• 2 avocados
• 1 bell pepper (sliced)
• ¼ cup sour cream
• ½ cup Greek yogurt (plain)
• 1 lime
• Cilantro
Instructions:
• Cook rice according to instructions.
• Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees.
• Cut salmon into cubes and mix with olive oil, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, thyme, salt and pepper.
• Put salmon in one layer on air fryer and cook for 8-10 minutes or until brown
• Add sour cream, greek yogurt, cilantro, avocado and squeezed lime juice into a blender. Blend until smooth.
• Remove from the blender and add garlic powder, onion powder, dried chives, dill weed, salt and pepper. Mix.
• Add salmon to a bowl of rice. Top with remaining avocado, carrots and bell pepper. Served with avocado lime ranch.
• Garnish with cilantro and
chives (optional)
Avocado Toast prep time 3 minutes, cook time 5 minutes (2 servings)
Ingredients
• 1 avocado
• 2 slices of bread (any)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Cherry tomatoes (sliced in half)
• Cilantro
• Salt and pepper
• Hot sauce (optional)
Instructions:
• Put slices of bread in toaster until golden brown
• Smash avocado in a small bowl
• Heat up a small to medium size pan on high, add olive oil and crack eggs. Cook for 1-2 minutes for a medium cook or longer if preferred.
• Spread avocado on bread sliced
• Add fried eggs, tomatoes, cilantro and salt a pepper
• Add hot sauce on top
Between school, jobs and paying rent, cleaning seems to be a low priority for many college students. Many residents coming to Texas A&M will now be living on their own for the first time, and with that comes new responsibilities. The constant juggling of deadlines and appointments somewhat
justifies the procrastination of cleaning, but it should still be attended to.
Uncleanliness doesn’t seem to be much of a bother to a certain few, but that doesn’t excuse it as an exception. Health concerns and bad hygiene accompany improper cleanliness. Aside from just physical health,
Plates and utensils will be the main concern when it comes to kitchen cleanliness. There are two main ways to clean them: by hand or with a dishwasher. For a quality cleanse, hand washing is the way to go, but for timeliness, dishwashers help by a large margin.
If you choose to hand wash, make sure to have proper grease-removing dish soap and a sponge with a rough side for a better scrub. Sponges degrade in quality after a while, with the recommended replacement time being every two weeks. However, if you’re using a dishwasher, you’ll start by loading the racks with plates and utensils that have had any food scraped off already. Dishwashers will need specialized detergent, so make sure to stock up on those. Once you place the detergent in the dispenser, close the door, select a cleaning mode, then start the machine.
To clean a dishwasher, every six months or so, remove the racks and
cleanliness somewhat reflects the self-respect you have for where you place yourself — but that’s neither here nor there.
With that being said, here are some tips and important cleaning details for the certain sections of your home:
filter out of the machine, clean the interior of the compartment by hand, run a first cycle of washing with a bowl of 1 cup white vinegar at the bottom of the washer, then remove the bowl and start a second cycle with a 1 cup of baking soda sprinkled at the bottom of the washer.
When it comes to drying dishes, you can either let them dry on a drying rack to dry as you go on about your day, or manually dry them by hand. The drying rack does let you attend to your other needs throughout the day, but with the infamous Brazos County water, water stains will be left on metal utensils and glasses. If you dry by hand, all will be properly clean and put back in place once you are finished but will take considerably longer. You can either dry with paper towels, which you will burn through considerably, or a cleaning cloth that must be washed weekly so as not to cultivate bacteria and bad smells.
Other parts of the kitchen must be
tended to as well, usually to be cleaned by hand. With a simple dish soap and sponge, make sure to manually clean the sink, counters, oven, microwave and stovetop to remove debris or grease from their surfaces. Once cleaned with water and soap, follow with a dry paper towel.
When it comes to fridge cleaning, make sure to buy food that you will eat immediately, for many buy expirable food that they might — heavy emphasis on might — try after a while, only to become a petri dish of bacteria and fungi at the back of the fridge after a month. Place fruits, milk and other foods that expire quickly at the top of the fridge door so as to not forget their existence, making it easier to see once they spoil.
Once you locate an expired food, dump it in the trash. Once the trash has filled the bag, always take out the trash to prevent smells and pests from lingering in your home.
In your place of business, always be attentive when it comes to cleaning, since this area is most susceptible to hoarding harmful microbes. For toilet cleaning, you’ll need bleach, a toilet brush, an all-purpose surface cleaner, a sponge, gloves and paper towels. Clean the outside of the toilet with the surface cleaner, which normally comes in spray bottles, and rub it down with a sponge and paper towel. Make sure to clean in the cracks and hard-to-reach places that go unnoticed.
For the inside of the bowl, add a small amount of bleach, either from a bottle or spray, and thoroughly scrub with the toilet brush. Add a good amount of force from the rim to the hole, since bacteria are good at sticking to porcelain surfaces. Make sure to use the least amount of products as possible, since they can both corrode the sewage system and produce noxious
gasses that can harm you.
For cleaning the shower and bath, utilize a tile scrub to sufficiently clean the surfaces. With the surface cleaner and a light spray of bleach, clean thoroughly while applying a light amount of water in order to create suds. Make sure to target edges and corners where mildew grows and remove hair clumps from the drain. After you’re done, grab any old plastic cup and rinse the area with water, allowing it all to drain.
Sinks can easily be sprayed with surface cleaners and wiped down with paper towels. Mirrors require proper glass cleaning spray, but most surface cleaners are properly equipped with such solutions. Lastly, make sure to clean your floor with a broom and mop, properly cleaning the corners as well.
Bathroom sink cabinets are the most commonly used to hold cleaning
chemicals, as well as other non-cleaning materials. If this is the case, make sure that cleaning chemicals and non-cleaning materials are properly separated to avoid mixing. Make sure that all containers are not leaking and are properly sealed. Minimize the amount of cleaning products used to avoid accidental mixing. Here are chemical mixtures to avoid at all times:
• Bleach and vinegar make chlorine gas
• Bleach and ammonia chloramine
• Bleach and rubbing alcohol make chloroform
• Hydrogen peroxide and vinegar peracetic acid
If you plan on mixing chemicals, read the safety labels on the container. If the are no warnings then use it alone. Finally, wash towels, shower curtains and bathmats weekly.
Always separate your white clothing from your colored clothing; you can even separate light-colored from dark-colored if you’re willing to use more detergent. Mixing white with colors will produce staining on the white clothing, especially when washing jeans and shirts that have colored graphics. If you wash a white shirt with a graphic that has color, make sure to turn the shirt inside out before washing. Use bleach only when washing white. If you need to remove a stain from a piece of colored
When it comes to bed sheets, it is recommended to wash them weekly or biweekly. Not only is this to avoid the accumulation of dirt and body residue on your sheets, but also for the avoidance of bedbugs, which are annoying pests. If you do get bedbugs, wash your sheets with hot water and tumble dry on the highest setting. Brush your mattress in order to loosen the grip of bedbugs and eggs, then properly vacuum both the mattress and the surrounding area of your room. Buy a vacuum if your room has a carpeted area, and even if it doesn’t, it helps in the removal of crumbs and
clothes, it’s best to use a proper stain remover. Make sure to also separate clothes by their water temperature, since they can either shrink or stretch out if put in the wrong temperature. Before starting a wash, laundry machines will have settings you’ll need to choose that match the load you will be putting in. Determine the load size, whether small, medium, large or huge, then select which cycle setting you’d like. From least to most thorough wash, the settings go from: color light, medium, heavy, then white
dust in the general area. Bedbugs and other pests normally come due to clutter and piling of trash. The most notable suspects of clutter are water bottles, tissues, snack packaging and dirty laundry, so make sure to put everything in its right place. Although comforting, avoid snacking in your room to prevent food crumbs and drink spillage from ruining your personal vicinity — and, yet again, prevent pests. If there’s a ceiling fan in your room, dust and clean the fan blades at least once per month. If you own a mini fridge, clean and organize it weekly as well.
light, medium and heavy. Bulky items are for bedsheets and blankets, while delicates are for lace, satin and lingerie. You can’t have apt laundry washing without detergent. It is recommended — both economically and for the quality preservation of your clothes — to use less detergent than expected. When using detergent from a bottle, use 2 tablespoons for every 12 pounds of clothes, and with detergent pods, only use one for every load.
For other areas, be attentive to sweeping and mopping with soap and water to remove all dirt that sticks to the floor. Clean windows with glass cleaners and paper towels, applying the proper amount to prevent smudging while cleaning.
On a biweekly to monthly cycle, take inventory of your cleaning supplies. Be aware of which have been halfway used and which are close to finished, so as to get them as soon as possible on your next shopping trip.
Often, scents and stains are bound
to appear once in a while, most commonly by foods. Pack up on scent fresheners like Febreze or essential oil sprays — avoid candles due to their fire hazard. Stains can be tackled with items such as Oxiclean or the Tide pen stain remover.
If you notice pests, locate which place or food source is drawing them in. Then, fix or remove the problem and place proper equipment to catch any stragglers, such as sticky paper for flies and lavender oil for ants.
If you’re living with roommates or
Properly organize your desk to find all your things in their respective spaces and not be frustrated when you can no longer find them. Organizing your room in general best optimizes your space and allows for more breathing room. The most important items to organize in terms of safety are electrical equipment and their cables. Avoid tangling and contact with flammable materials such as papers, cloth and plastics. When going out of town on break, unplug all your cables that are connected to any outlets.
friends, it’s in the best interest of all involved parties to split the chores, and write down a schedule which cycles each person to different responsibilities on a weekly basis. However, be considerate of work and other commitments which might compromise scheduling, and always make sure to help from time to time. Remember, a clean house for everyone is a clean house for you.
By Jack Lee @JackTheBatt
Editor’s Note: Ewin Xiao’s lines have been translated from Mandarin Chinese.
One of the great unheralded challenges of heading off to college for the first time is furniture placement. Where does the table go? This lamp? Those chairs? To ease some confusion, local interior designer Michelle Dew, interior designer-turned Texas A&M landscape architecture graduate student Hanfei Zhang and Feng Shui master Ewin Xiao have tips for students on designing their own living space.
Regarding personal style, Dew said she looks to make rooms pleasing to not just the eye, but the mind.
“Our philosophy is that our mental health actually impacts our physical spaces and our physical spaces impact our mental health,” Dew said. “It’s all about creating a space physically that promotes what you want internally.”
Zhang said his approach to design revolves around designing things of all scales around the person.
“My design philosophy is to serve people,” Zhang said. “To design infrastructure and to build the environment around human individuals.”
Xiao said his philosophy, Feng Shui, applies to all aspects of life, not just interior design.
“Feng Shui is the harmonization of people with their surrounding environment,” Xiao said. “It directly affects all aspects of life — safety, health, school, career, relationships and so on.”
The most important thing when it comes to room design, Dew said, is the five senses.
“I think it’s all about how space feels, not how it looks,” Dew said. “So things like touch, like adding lots of texture and layers. Then visually, we often have sensory overload from fluorescent lights and those sorts of things, so [I’d suggest] having low lighting like lamp light, turning off your overhead lights.”
Zhang said the most important thing to him is the ability of anyone to be able to enjoy a space.
“Most important to me is accessibility,” Zhang said. “A space that can effortlessly accommodate anybody of all abilities.”
Xiao said the most important element of room design is balance.
“The lights shouldn’t be too bright, the window shouldn’t be too big, the decorations and furniture shouldn’t be too busy,” Xiao said.
Dew said college students should be thrifty and take advantage of natural light.
“At any point, you can shop at Goodwill or Target, you don’t need a designer’s budget,” Dew said. “Let in as much natural light as possible. Open up your blackout shades and your curtains and blinds, especially while studying.”
Zhang echoed Dew’s points on natural light and suggested taking full advantage of every piece of floor the room has to offer.
“Have sunlight throughout,” Zhang said. “No corner should be relegated to nothing.”
Xiao offered tips on placement of furniture in the room.
“College students should pay special attention to the position of their desk,” Xiao said. “It’s best to have your back against the wall, not the door. This can improve the ef-
ficiency of studying and learning.”
Dew said her ideal room for a college student would be a space that evokes positive memories and feelings.
“I would bring in lots of layers of bedding, low lighting lamps and pictures of friends, things that remind them of home,” Dew said. “Keep it pretty minimalist because [you’re] going to be moving if not every year, every other year.”
Meanwhile, Zhang said his ideal room for a college student would be a highly efficient and private space.
“My ideal room would be a two-person room with a movable divider,” Zhang said. “Two surfaces on the wall with access to natural light. A high ratio of usable space.”
Xiao said his ideal room for a college student would be a space that emphasizes harmony.
“According to the principles of Feng Shui, the ideal living space maintains balance between all elements, not just furniture,” Xiao said. “Things such as size, temperature and lighting all need to be placed in balance, not too much or too little. Most importantly, the room should be kept neat and clean.”
When it comes to furnishing and decoration for housing, students face many options. Even with the questions of what, when and how to decorate, the first inquiry should be where to start.
For many students, the use of furniture isn’t critical to their living condition — they can do just fine without lamps, posters and other room accessories. However, with the consideration of how you are willing to spend your college years, coming back to your place from school or a job to a near-empty room, furnishing is the best option when it comes to settling down to a home. With proper planning and budgeting, you can establish your domicile as your own aesthetic sanctuary.
Agriculture business freshman Annalie Scheidt currently resides on campus in Neeley Hall, but will be changing her living situation next year to a townhome on University
Drive. She said it was an upgrade from her housing of the past two years, being able to get her own space and getting to live with her friend.
“I am looking forward to moving into a townhome,” Scheidt said. “I’ll have my own room, and I’m really excited to cook my own food and meal prep instead of having to eat at the dining hall.”
Scheidt said she purchased most of her furniture from Target, a notably famous retail store for college students. She said both she and her roommate will be able to come in camaraderie and decorate the main living spaces together, like the living room and the kitchen, while also being able to individually decorate their own rooms.
“I’ll definitely go to Target because they have cute, affordable options and probably also The Container Store because they have good storage [options],” Scheidt said.
Allied health junior Isabella Conlu said she changed her living situation from a dorm to a house with four bedrooms with two bathrooms in Bryan. She said it was a definite upgrade from housing she had in the last two years, being able to get her own space and living with friends.
“The home is a lot homey-er than a lot of other houses,” Conlu said. “In other types of housing, our rent is very affordable and our landlord is also incredible and works with us as college students.”
Aside from shopping at Target, Conlu said there were many pieces of furniture and bedding that she took from her dorm and different housing locations she had lived in throughout the years. She said she tried to veer toward the more affordable options because, to her, a college home doesn’t need that much. Having no set budget, Conlu and her roommates tried to find furniture and decoration that wouldn’t break their bank.
“I got a few other things at IKEA and The Container Store and then a lot of furniture that I purchased from older girls I knew in college that were graduating, like our couch and our dining table,” Conlu said.
Others, like journalism junior Laura McClintock and her three other roommates, rented common furniture through the units in their separate rooms. The bed, nightstand, mattress, dresser and desk all came with the apartment, McClintock said, but they had to agree to rent furniture in order to fill up the common spaces. She now looks for other af-
fordable ways to purchase furniture in order to save on expenses.
“We definitely had way more plans to decorate and make it all aesthetic, like college girl everything,” McClintock said. “Funding-wise, none of us realized that we wanted to pay for it, so the most we have in our living room right now is just a really big rug and some things hung on the wall and a lamp and some throw pillows … All of us are definitely going to ask our families to help us chip in for furniture. I’m definitely going to have to steal a bed back from home which will be frustrating to move, but that seems to be my plan for my individual room.”
McClintock said apart from buying decorations, she has more interest in creating the decorations. Her most recent project, framed minimalist graphics that show locations she has been to, encompass both her personality and exhibit affordability as a student.
“I made these myself and thrifted the frames and just printed them at the library,” McClintock said. “Basically, a lot of people will buy prints and stuff, but I made it a goal to make them myself. My goal is to just make it as cheap as possible while still looking good.”
Benefits,
For many students leaving home for the first time, the transition to college can be intimidating. Students looking to seek comfort in the form of a furry friend must first ask themselves — is having a pet right for me? A potential pet owner must commit to at least providing a pet with food, water and daily exercise. Additional expenses can include pet sitters, professional boarding, grooming appointments and veterinarian visits, which can quickly become expensive.
One consideration might be where a student is living. Texas A&M on-campus dorms and apartments do not allow pets, with the exception of registered service animals or emotional support animals as approved by Disability Resources. Fish may be kept on campus in a maximum 20-gallon tank.
To establish a successful, mutually beneficial relationship with a pet, an owner must first decide what type of pet is right for them. Different types of animals have different lifespans, activity levels and maintenance needs required to keep them happy. A student should dedicate time each day to mentally enrich their pet.
Aggieland Humane Society Development Director Savannah Gaines said she recommends identifying your own needs before adopting an animal. Larger, more active dog breeds require daily walks or trips to the dog park, while smaller dogs may be content with indoor play.
“As long as you are actively taking dogs to be exercised and do mental toys, treats and keep them stimulated, you should be okay,” Gaines said.
For students with busy schedules or lower daily activity, felines may be an alternative choice.
“Cats are a little bit different,” Gaines said. “They are a longer lifetime commitment, because they can live to be about 20, but they can be a little easier than dogs.”
There are other options for those who prefer more unconventional pets. Animal science senior and active member of Pets Are
Worth Saving, or PAWS, Olga Petritsis, said she describes her pet donkey as “quite a bit of maintenance.”
While entertaining and certainly a talking point, livestock animals such as donkeys, cattle, horses or goats are much more demanding to care for. The commitment is less flexible, as larger livestock animals require feedings every morning, pricey veterinarian visits and larger food quantities.
“You have to hold yourself accountable to make sure you can schedule visits around
your day,” Petrisis said. “I never really have a ‘sleep in’ day, because I’m going to feed him and take care of him every morning.”
Students should also consider the needs, phobias or allergies of their roommates. It’s important to communicate with those sharing a space to avoid any arguments or uncomfortable situations.
Biomedical sciences senior and PAWS member Emily Leeke said she attributes the ease of caring for her dog to her roommate’s
willingness to help care for her dog.
“I’m lucky to have my best friends live with me,” Leeke said.“I know that if I’m out all day or in school and they’re not, that they’ll let her out for me.”
Dr. Chip Cannon, Class of 1992 and founder of CityVet, said the major expenses of a pet as the things you can’t prevent, such as if they get sick or injured.
Cannon said these variable costs can be quite damaging to an average student’s savings.
“I do think that unless you have deep pockets yourself, you’ve gotta have supportive parents in case something does happen to your pet,” Cannon said. “So really it just comes down to the fixed costs which are the essentials; food, basic wellness care, two checkups a year.”
However, Cannon urges students not to be deterred from potentially adopting a furry companion due to the cost.
“You can go to either a low cost or mobile clinic, or even some municipalities have programs that you can get your dogs or cats vaccinated, spayed, neutered,” Cannon said.“Those kinds of expenses are not going to prevent loving people from having a pet.”
Many pet expenses vary by the animal’s size, Cannon said.
“The thing that tends to get more expensive is going to be based on weight,” Cannon said. “Food can be the biggest cost, you can be spending $30-$50 a month on a big dog, while it might be $15 for a tiny dog. In our day of modern nutrition, foods are getting better, so here is a consideration to look at some of the better foods that are out there. In the long run, chances are you’ll have less medical problems, therefore less vet bills and a happier pet.”
Finances might be a key factor when considering getting a pet, but so should the endless love and affection they provide.
“The super neat thing about animals is that they show us this unconditional love,” Cannon said. “They don’t care how big your dorm or apartment is, or how clean it is. I am firmly for college students having them. Having a dog is therapy for sure, especially for long nights studying. I think pets are incredibly healthy for us.”
By Sneha Bhale @SnehaBhale
One of the most important aspects of housing is the relationship with roommates. For freshmen entering Texas A&M and staying in a dorm, they will likely share a room with another roommate and a bathroom with their two suitemates. For apartments and houses, students might share a kitchen, living room and other common spaces.
Some questionnaires and roommate agreements are provided by the resident advisors regarding room temperature, sharing spaces and tidiness for on-campus dorm housing. However, conversations need to be made to address shared dishes, chores and other upkeep around the house.
Rooming and housing with friends and strangers can be two different experiences.
With a stranger, communication is vital since upbringings are different and sharing can be difficult. With a friend, it may be hard to lay down boundaries and personal space. Sociology freshman Olivia Moreno said she has established rules with her roommate.
“Talking it through and communication is very important,” Moreno said. “If something goes too far, talking to a [Resident Advisor] or a third party can be helpful. There is no harm in not staying quiet and it will be worth it.”
For those living in a house, students differ with regard to socioeconomic backgrounds and ways of managing money, which is also influence by how many housemates they grew up around. Agribusiness junior Jackson Harrington said he has guidelines with his three roommates.
“I haven’t had any big troubles with my roommates thus far, but one thing we butt heads on is spending,” Harrington said. “People have different ideas on how to save on electricity, energy consumption and turn-
ing the TV on. What has worked for us is to just communicate and not get angry or complain all the time.”
Sharing a space means splitting the cost of utilities and people use electricity in different ways. One person may want to keep the air conditioning on all night while the other wants to unplug every single device that isn’t being used overnight. The differences in spending can also extend to splitting groceries and other household products. There needs to be a system in place to either mark who bought what and compensate accordingly or to replace products after one person is done using them.
Having guests over can also be tricky with conflicting schedules and the use of space. Psychology freshman Olivia Dang said she has run into conflicts regarding inviting guests over.
“I like to have guests over more often compared to my roommate,” Dang said. “Normally, I would try to ask her or let her know ahead of time at the specific time I
need the room. Although, I do forget sometimes and it can be conflicting or cause slight tension.”
Communication and set rules are something to consider when rooming. Sharing can be extremely taxing on an individual and establishing guidelines early on will be very helpful in case any conflict arises later on.
Some helpful tips to facilitate communication are as follows:
• Have a conversation about electricity, such as what temperature to put the space on, spending and energy consumption
• Talk about a system for chores and other household needs
• Talk about a system to have people over and how often it is preferred
• Have a conversation about sleeping schedules and when to turn the lights off
• Splitting household necessities and toiletries evenly and compensating accordingly
experience aggieland more fully when you live on campus! enjoy the convenience, community, academic support, safety, and sustainability of living on campus.
All its polish and ornate details may be gone, leaving only an amorphous wad of gold, but its owner sees it differently. For him, this old ring represents a special place and time where he learned who he was and what he could become. Neither he nor this ring looks the same as they did then, but they both still shine, nevertheless.
Since 1953, donors to the Texas A&M Foundation have helped provide life-changing scholarships and support for Texas A&M University students earning their Aggie rings. Learn how you can help build a brighter future for Aggies today and tomorrow at txamfoundation.com.
