Finding the time
Roommates adjust to college lifestyle
By Joanne Fox Journal staff writer | Posted: Monday, October 01, 2007
Managers, self-help books and now two college freshmen will tell you: It's all about time management.
Nicole Hoogeveen and Rikole Santin admitted they had no inkling how busy they would be as college students and roommates, but calculating four of the five Ws: what needs to be done, where it needs to be done, why it needs to done and most importantly -- when it needs to be done -- have consumed their lives.
The "Ickies" -- the nickname Santin's mother bestowed on the roommates because they are sometimes called Riki and Niki -- reclined on the futon under a loft bed in their cozy Briar Cliff University door room and reflected on their first month as college roommates.
Santin and Hoogeveen did not know, or even know of, each other before they were assigned as roommates, despite the fact they were both slated to play volleyball for the university. They spoke about their adjustment to living in (cozy is a kind word; cramped is more accurate) close quarters.
"We didn't have enough fans," Santin said, pointing to three of them in the room.
"I don't know if we could have enough," Hoogeveen added, referring to the unseasonably hot September day.
"We had to buy a broom," Santin said.
"I don't think we realized how dirty this small room would get," Hoogeveen said.
"We also had to pick up some disinfectant wipes to tidy up a bit," Santin noted.
Other than those items, the Ickies haven't needed to run to the store because they forgot shampoo or deodorant.
"I didn't bring any nail polish," Hoogeveen said, after reflecting a moment.
"I did," Santin perked up. "But we can't wear nail polish for volleyball, so we were pretty excited we could do pedicures the other day."
Sharing and insights
But even if Santin had left stuff in Palmer, Neb. and Hoogeveen in Sioux Center, Iowa, the two insisted they would share.
"I'm not brand-driven so that wouldn't bother me," Santin said.
"If we need to, we use each other's hair straightener or curling iron," Hoogeveen noted. "It's not a big deal."
But with close proximity comes insights.
"Nicole studies a lot," Santin shared with almost an air of disbelief.
"I can't help it if I'm studious!" Hoogeveen retorted in defense, then tattled, "Rikole never studies!"
"It's true," Santin fessed up. "I don't study much."
"I don't know how she does it," Hoogeveen said in her own moment of disbelief.
Then Hoogeveen's eyes lit in preparation to segue into another revelation.
"Rikole talks all the time," she said, while Santin rolled her eyes, but Hoogeveen was on a roll.
"It amazes me how much she talks!" Hoogeveen continued, eyes wide open and clearly sensing Santin's discomfort. "In fact it never ceases to amaze me..."
At this, Santin nudged Hoogeveen to end the revelation and both girls giggled in delight.
Both confessed to staying up late, but have adjusted to sleep patterns. Santin has to read to relax before bedtime. Hoogeveen just falls asleep when she's tired.
Interaction
The girls have been consumed with volleyball practices and games since mid-August and that will continue until mid- to late- November. With Santin in pre-law and Hoogeveen in nursing, the two acknowledged they knew they wouldn't have classes together.
"But other than classes, we do enjoy spending time together," Santin said.
"We shower at the same time and do laundry at the same time and eat meals at the same time," Hoogeveen said.
Not breakfast though.
"Never breakfast," Hoogeveen insisted. "I have an eight o'clock Monday, Wednesday and Friday so there's no time."
If this all sounds like a mutual admiration society, these two teenagers admitted there were guidelines to being a good roommate.
"You have to be flexible," Hoogeveen said.
"That's a good one," Santin affirmed.
"I think it's good to go with someone you don't know," Hoogeveen continued.
"Oh, I 100 percent agree with that!" Santin added.
"I think if you know each other and are friends, when you live with each other, it's a whole different world," Hoogeveen noted.
"What you discover is that when you're with someone all day, all night long, you hear every sniffle, everything," Santin observed. "I think if you start out as strangers, you get used to it. If you start out as friends, that can get on your nerves and then you're not friends."
Entrenched in college
Neither girl has gone home yet, but the parents of both have come to volleyball games.
"I call my folks everyday because when my older brother went away to college, he didn't call and that was hard on my mom," Santin said.
"My folks are at every volleyball game and I talk to them a couple times a week," Hoogeveen said, then added for emphasis, "which is enough."
The parental surfacing included the Sept. 12 volleyball game against cross-town rival Morningside which was also Santin's 18th birthday. The event was celebrated after the game, "a disappointing loss," with pizza and cake in Briar Cliff's cafeteria, "because it was too late to go anywhere," Santin pointed out.
Both girls raved about the college experience, but were specific about what made it so great.
"The best part of college for me is that I have met so many different, diverse people," Santin said. "That's forced me to learn more about myself."
"For me, I've been taken out of my comfort zone," Hoogeveen said. "I think you start to find yourself when you're on your own and find out things about yourself you didn't know before."
But with all the joys and self-realization comes a price time.
"There is never enough time!" Hoogeveen said. "Never enough time to go to class, eat, sleep, do homework!"
"Oh, I've discovered my time management skills need a lot of work," Santin said. "I know I need to make good decisions and not procrastinate, because that's just trouble."
"There's so many distractions," Hoogeveen noted, as Santin nodded her head. "You want to hang out with everyone, but you know you have to balance schoolwork with that."
"For 17 years, my folks cracked the whip on me," Santin said. "Now, it's all up to me."
Nicole Hoogeveen and Rikole Santin admitted they had no inkling how busy they would be as college students and roommates, but calculating four of the five Ws: what needs to be done, where it needs to be done, why it needs to done and most importantly -- when it needs to be done -- have consumed their lives.
The "Ickies" -- the nickname Santin's mother bestowed on the roommates because they are sometimes called Riki and Niki -- reclined on the futon under a loft bed in their cozy Briar Cliff University door room and reflected on their first month as college roommates.
Santin and Hoogeveen did not know, or even know of, each other before they were assigned as roommates, despite the fact they were both slated to play volleyball for the university. They spoke about their adjustment to living in (cozy is a kind word; cramped is more accurate) close quarters.
"We didn't have enough fans," Santin said, pointing to three of them in the room.
"I don't know if we could have enough," Hoogeveen added, referring to the unseasonably hot September day.
"We had to buy a broom," Santin said.
"I don't think we realized how dirty this small room would get," Hoogeveen said.
"We also had to pick up some disinfectant wipes to tidy up a bit," Santin noted.
Other than those items, the Ickies haven't needed to run to the store because they forgot shampoo or deodorant.
"I didn't bring any nail polish," Hoogeveen said, after reflecting a moment.
"I did," Santin perked up. "But we can't wear nail polish for volleyball, so we were pretty excited we could do pedicures the other day."
Sharing and insights
But even if Santin had left stuff in Palmer, Neb. and Hoogeveen in Sioux Center, Iowa, the two insisted they would share.
"I'm not brand-driven so that wouldn't bother me," Santin said.
"If we need to, we use each other's hair straightener or curling iron," Hoogeveen noted. "It's not a big deal."
But with close proximity comes insights.
"Nicole studies a lot," Santin shared with almost an air of disbelief.
"I can't help it if I'm studious!" Hoogeveen retorted in defense, then tattled, "Rikole never studies!"
"It's true," Santin fessed up. "I don't study much."
"I don't know how she does it," Hoogeveen said in her own moment of disbelief.
Then Hoogeveen's eyes lit in preparation to segue into another revelation.
"Rikole talks all the time," she said, while Santin rolled her eyes, but Hoogeveen was on a roll.
"It amazes me how much she talks!" Hoogeveen continued, eyes wide open and clearly sensing Santin's discomfort. "In fact it never ceases to amaze me..."
At this, Santin nudged Hoogeveen to end the revelation and both girls giggled in delight.
Both confessed to staying up late, but have adjusted to sleep patterns. Santin has to read to relax before bedtime. Hoogeveen just falls asleep when she's tired.
Interaction
The girls have been consumed with volleyball practices and games since mid-August and that will continue until mid- to late- November. With Santin in pre-law and Hoogeveen in nursing, the two acknowledged they knew they wouldn't have classes together.
"But other than classes, we do enjoy spending time together," Santin said.
"We shower at the same time and do laundry at the same time and eat meals at the same time," Hoogeveen said.
Not breakfast though.
"Never breakfast," Hoogeveen insisted. "I have an eight o'clock Monday, Wednesday and Friday so there's no time."
If this all sounds like a mutual admiration society, these two teenagers admitted there were guidelines to being a good roommate.
"You have to be flexible," Hoogeveen said.
"That's a good one," Santin affirmed.
"I think it's good to go with someone you don't know," Hoogeveen continued.
"Oh, I 100 percent agree with that!" Santin added.
"I think if you know each other and are friends, when you live with each other, it's a whole different world," Hoogeveen noted.
"What you discover is that when you're with someone all day, all night long, you hear every sniffle, everything," Santin observed. "I think if you start out as strangers, you get used to it. If you start out as friends, that can get on your nerves and then you're not friends."
Entrenched in college
Neither girl has gone home yet, but the parents of both have come to volleyball games.
"I call my folks everyday because when my older brother went away to college, he didn't call and that was hard on my mom," Santin said.
"My folks are at every volleyball game and I talk to them a couple times a week," Hoogeveen said, then added for emphasis, "which is enough."
The parental surfacing included the Sept. 12 volleyball game against cross-town rival Morningside which was also Santin's 18th birthday. The event was celebrated after the game, "a disappointing loss," with pizza and cake in Briar Cliff's cafeteria, "because it was too late to go anywhere," Santin pointed out.
Both girls raved about the college experience, but were specific about what made it so great.
"The best part of college for me is that I have met so many different, diverse people," Santin said. "That's forced me to learn more about myself."
"For me, I've been taken out of my comfort zone," Hoogeveen said. "I think you start to find yourself when you're on your own and find out things about yourself you didn't know before."
But with all the joys and self-realization comes a price time.
"There is never enough time!" Hoogeveen said. "Never enough time to go to class, eat, sleep, do homework!"
"Oh, I've discovered my time management skills need a lot of work," Santin said. "I know I need to make good decisions and not procrastinate, because that's just trouble."
"There's so many distractions," Hoogeveen noted, as Santin nodded her head. "You want to hang out with everyone, but you know you have to balance schoolwork with that."
"For 17 years, my folks cracked the whip on me," Santin said. "Now, it's all up to me."
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