[nabs-l] Single Room: Opinions

Sun Apr 25 00:24:38 UTC 2010

Hi, Chelsea,
  I think this will depend a lot on the style and set-up of your dorm
as well as your personality. I had a single room during college, but
it was part of a suite (I shared a living room and bathroom with three
other girls), and it worked great for me. I did not feel socially
isolated, and I was able to enjoy some privacy and personal space that
most college students, blind or sighted, would appreciate. Since there
were a lot of single rooms in my dorm, I did not stand out in any
particular way with my peers. Although my computer equipment and
braille books would have probably fit comfortably in a regular double
room, having my own bedroom did mean that I could use a reader without
worrying about bothering my roommate, and it also allowed me to use my
Perkins brailler to do some of the more complicated math calculations.
Having said that, I think that  having a roommate simply works better
for some people than others, so if you shared a room with someone
before and would like to have the roommate experience again, your
blindness shouldn't keep you from the adventure (another blind student
at my college chose to have a double room and it worked well for him).
However, if you feel that having more privacy is important for you,
feel free to ask for a single. As others have mentioned, though, make
sure your room is not in a remote or "special" section of the dorm,
and definitely don't shy away from participating in dorm/floor social
events.
Hope this helps, and best of luck with the start of college!
   Katie

On 4/24/10, Briley Pollard <brileyp at gmail.com> wrote:
> As for me, having a roommate my freshman year was the best idea. I had a lot
> of books and equipment, but it worked out just fine. I ended up moving to a
> single the next year because I got a guide dog, but I definitely had a great
> start to my college experience by having a roommate. I learned a lot about
> myself and how to interact with others.
>
> Good luck!!
>
> Briley
>
>
> On Apr 24, 2010, at 12:07 PM, Arielle Silverman wrote:
>
>> Hi Chelsea and all,
>>
>> Don't get me started on this--when I was in college all the blind
>> students were urged to get single rooms, for similar reasons as what
>> you described. We were also urged to get the special
>> wheelchair-accessible rooms at the end of the hall so we could have
>> more space and our own bathroom. I ended up doing the single, but
>> insisted on having a normal room in the middle of the hall so I
>> wouldn't be so isolated from everyone else (not to mention appear more
>> disabled than I really am to all my floormates). In hindsight I don't
>> think having the single was bad, but it certainly wasn't necessary,
>> and I do wonder if I would have been more socially active had I had a
>> typical room with a roommate. I also had Braille books, but they
>> generally fit on one or two shelves on a typical shelving unit. I
>> think it depends on what equipment you will actually be bringing. I
>> think most college students have a computer and printer in their dorm
>> room, so if you bring a laptop or netbook (which takes up very little
>> space), a scanner/printer/copier (same size as a printer and works
>> just as well for scanning), and a Braille Note/Pac Mate (also tiny),
>> you should be fine. Unless you anticipate getting entire books in
>> Braille all at once, I don't think the Brailled chapters will take up
>> much extra space (remember, sighted students have several print books
>> too). I got my Braille books chapter-by-chapter, so I never had the
>> whole book in my room at once.
>>
>> Finally, if you do decide to go the single room route, make sure
>> you're being assigned to a typical room on the same floor you would
>> normally. Residential life once tried to put me in a
>> wheelchair-accessible room on an all-guys' floor, which I suppose may
>> appeal to some women, but would have made social interaction very
>> awkward, to say the least. Use the communal bathrooms if your hall has
>> them and keep your door open and go to floor/dorm events if you want
>> to get to know your dormmates and be part of the group.
>>
>> Arielle
>>
>> On 4/24/10, Beth <thebluesisloose at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> I wouldn't recommend a single room.  I was put in one and in a remote
>>> location, so watch where you live dorm wise.  It's hard for me to walk
>>> everywhere and mobility has been a huge concern, so I'm med dropping
>>> three of my classes.  It's really hard on me because if I need
>>> something done and my computer freezes up, and I have Windows
>>> Vista/Pista (don't ask), I have to knock on someone's door and they
>>> usually help, but I've gotten people who aren't knowledgeable about
>>> PC's.  So I have to be careful and I'd recommend a roommate until you
>>> figure things out.
>>> Beth
>>>
>>> On 4/24/10, Chelsea Cook <astrochem119 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> Hello NABSters,
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I will be starting college next fall. Likewise, I've been very busy
>>>> getting everything worked out! Something brought up: It was suggested
>>>> by a few blind friends that I try and obtain a single room (I will
>>>> have many computers and a lot of Braille for my physics major.) I've
>>>> shared a room before and totally intend to participate in dorm life.
>>>> What do you guys think? From a practical standpoint, it seems like an
>>>> enticing idea; just want a second opinion.
>>>>
>>>> Thanks,
>>>> Chelsea
>>>> --
>>>> "I ask you to look both ways.  For the road to a knowledge of the
>>>> stars leads through the atom; and important knowledge of the atom has
>>>> been reached through
>>>> the stars."
>>>> Sir Arthur Eddington, British astrophysicist (1882-1944), Stars and
>>>> Atoms (1928), Lecture 1
>>>>
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>>
>>
>> --
>> Arielle Silverman
>> President, National Association of Blind Students
>> Phone:  602-502-2255
>> Email:
>> nabs.president at gmail.com
>> Website:
>> www.nabslink.org
>>
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