Compare and Contrast

My Homes: Before College and During College


Every one of us has a home. Home is where one lives with their family. As many high school students move to college their sense of home changes drastically. The before college home and during college home are different in many respects. When looking at the bed and bathrooms of one’s pre-college home to those during college there is a startling difference.
In the room on the floor there is a bed. The comfy, large, plush bed lies a few inches above the ground and is the main focus of the room. Placed at the head of the bed are four white, fluffy pillows to fall asleep upon. A white comforter covers the bed and keeps the occupants warm through the coldest nights. Upon laying down on the bed one can feel the warmth of the bed lulling them to sleep. Heads rest upon the pillows and within minutes the occupant of the bed is asleep dreaming of relaxing on a beach in some exotic location. The morning brings a rested, wide awake individual that is ready to face the challenges of the day.
The small room barely holds a bed for the student to sleep on. Ready to try the bed, the student tries to make their way onto the bed. At six feet above the ground the climb to the top will be simple. Or so the student thought. A ledge is to the left of the bed and a squeaky futon sits underneath it. The student sets one foot on the futon and puts the one foot onto the ledge and then the other. Standing with one foot on the ledge, a knee on the bed, and hands on the railing the student uses their strength to pull themselves onto the bed. Climbing onto the bed is a workout! Once on the bed the student realizes the bed is smaller and narrower then it looked from the ground. The blue striped comforter and a single pillow calls the student to sleep. The lumpy, squeaky, suffocating bed causes tossing and turning throughout the night and a wake up or two or three. Morning arrives and the grumpy, sleep deprived student tries to face their day without falling asleep in classes.
One toilet, one sink, one mirror, and one shower. The four essentials of a bathroom are for the use of a single person. Perfume, make-up, facial wash, lotion, and deodorant line the cabinets to the left of the mirror. Placed next to the sink is a cup, a towel and hand soap. Stuffed in the a drawer underneath the sink lay a toothbrush, toothpaste, and hair ties. Toilet paper, the soft Charmin brand, hangs on the wall across from the toilet. The process of getting ready for the day can be as short or as long as the user would like. Interruptions are minimal, usually parents saying have a good day or see you tonight. For one person the bathroom is large enough to get ready to face the day.
Six bathroom stalls, six sinks, six mirror, and six showers. The bathrooms, shared by sixty women, formulate three words that are synonymous to a dorm bathroom. Yucky! Disgusting! Gross! When said together, these three words compile a mental picture of dorm bathrooms. Black, brown, and blond hair stick to the sinks and showers. Every day hair causes drains to clog and grey, soapy water puddles on the shower floor. The shower head sprays out hot water that only last for two minutes before cold water paralyses the person in the shower. Frustration builds up in students and their daily getting ready routine shortens considerable because of the bathroom conditions.
Home changes throughout a person’s life. The before college and during college home changes one’s sense of home drastically. The bed and bathroom situations frustrate students because they are unfamiliar. Students figure out, in a short time, that their idea of home has changed.