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Guide to what your Peers Really Think about Being a Student at Ball State
- ccdial
- Nov 29, 2023
- 13 min read
Ball State University is a special place to many people. It is where you can learn so much about yourself and others. It has a vibrant community that offers a unique experience from living with friends, campus life, after-hours activities, and college student culture. All of these aspects make up a complete college experience. To help you navigate your journey at Ball State, we’ve gathered insights and perspectives from your peers to give you an honest and candid look at what it’s really like to be a student at Ball State University.
Navigating college life in the dorms can be very scary. But, living in the dorms is a great experience where you can find your independence, learn to compromise with roommates, and most importantly where you make lifelong experiences. To make that transition easier, we gathered many fun testimonials and stories from the dorms that were given to us by Ball State Students.
Moving off campus with friends is a very common thing to do after living in the dorms. It might seem like it’ll be easy, but there are more things that come with it than you might think. Understanding the tips to follow to create a positive experience when living with roommates is key. We have provided the main tips and ways to navigate living with others to help you have the best experience possible with roommates.
Social life is a very important part of the college experience. At Ball State this stands true. There are many good ways to build relationships with other students. This can include eating meals together, going on trips together, and going out together. Campus offers many different spaces to hang out and get to know one another. Looking off campus there are many opportunities to spend time with people at off campus houses or in the village. The village is an area right by campus that has shops, restaurants, and places to have a fun night out. There are also many spots to explore within the city of Muncie.
The main location for students to have a fun night out are in the village. There have been many different bars and restaurants that have moved in and moved out of the village in its time. In the 2000s for example there were many different bars to test out, but currently there are two main bars that students attend. These are Brothers and The Chug. The history of social life at Ball State has a lot of depth to it and shows the potential that there is for the future.
As a college student, you have to keep up on the latest trends on social media and within your peers. Social media has a huge impact on people, especially college students. The online trends become so popular in real life, whether it is walking around campus or becoming an inside joke in your friend group. One of the most popular trends this year is the ick trend. College students really emphasize their use of the ick trend and how it affects their relationships.
Dorm Life
As a freshman, there is nothing that is more stressful than moving into the dorms.
College dorm life is a unique and transformative experience for many college kids. Dorms are not just places to sleep; they're communities that are filled with energy and chaos. From late-night study sessions to parties, dorm life creates friendships and memories that can last a lifetime. The dorms are a place where you learn to navigate the intricacies of communal living, compromise with crazy roommates, and develop a sense of independence as you make decisions about your daily routine. To make that transition easier, below are some fun testimonials and stories from the dorms that were given to us by Ball State Students.
Dorm Stories
“Fire drills at 2 p.m. while I was KNOCKED.”
“I used a bed to kill a spider.”
“We had like 12 different fish die in one night between 7 different girls.”
“Took a couch from the dorm trash room.”
“Watched a police officer chase a goose outside my window.”
“We shoved over 15 people into a small room”
“Pulled off a sink at Stuwest and water went everywhere and cut my hands”
While the dorms are a fun place to live, you have to keep in mind that this could be the first time you really have to share your space with someone. Living with a roommate can be an exciting adventure, a chance to forge new friendships and share the burdens of daily life. However, not all roommate experiences are filled with laughter and fun memories. Some college students get lucky and have great college roommates that they will talk to after graduation and years down the road. But, other college students aren’t so lucky and have the craziest stories as to why their college roommate was terrible. These stories serve as cautionary reminders of the potential challenges you might encounter while having a roommate. Join us as we dive into the roommate horror stories given to us, where there are clashes of personality and bizarre habits.
Roommate Horror Stories
“Cutting their toenails from their loft bed.”
“I had a roommate who would scratch up all the nonstick pans and then keep leftovers in the fridge still in the pan.”
“Roommate got evicted because of the cops getting called, and them searching our house. Due to a domestic dispute.’”
“One of my old roommates tried to smash a mirror over my best friend and was known for peeing on her other roommates' toothbrushes if they made her mad.”
“Visited my hometown and made out with my best friend who had a girlfriend.”
“Dragged my best friend off of the bed she wasn’t using while my bestie was sleeping.”
As scary as reading those roommate horror stories is, don’t stress out! College is full of fun times that you’ll remember forever. To make sure you have a great college experience, below are some tips from Ball State students who have already gone through the nerve-racking times that you are about to. Remember, they were once in your shoes too.
College Tips
“Join a club or organization to keep you sane and in the know.”
“School before socials.”
“Never choose an 8 a.m. and better study.”
“Time management.”
“GO TO CLASS!!! ALWAYS GO!!”
“Make your living space as cute and comfy as possible!”
“Be nice, even if you don’t like your roommate. You still have at least the rest of the semester with them if not the year.”
Navigating college life in the dorms can be very intimidating. But, ultimately the dorms are where you can genuinely embrace the college experience, create lasting bonds, and make memories that define this exciting phase of life. Maintaining good and strong friendships with your roommates is a very important part of how to make your college experience amazing.
Friends to Roommates
Once you get that dorm experience and meet friends that you feel will be long term, you might want to move off campus and get more or new living experiences with them. This can create positive memories that you will ultimately cherish forever. But, having roommates is a unique experience for everyone, and how housemates navigate living together can look different or unexpected than you might think. There are many ways that you can incorporate into the way you live with others to keep a positive house atmosphere, and this guide will help give you some ideas to living in a happy and peaceful house with roommates.
Effective Communication Skills
An important way to keep a positive ambiance in the household is to have communication with the roommates that is effective. Some examples that effective communication could look like are:
Speaking up about any concerns within the home.
Asking any questions you have for the roommates.
Taking accountability for any mistakes you might make.
Engaging in active listening with roommates.
Respecting the boundaries roommates might have/voicing your own.
For some people, it can be overwhelming to make sure you have good communication skills, and for others it could just come naturally. Whatever the case may be, the best way to gain the qualities of effective communication is to actively practice them. Having roommates is fun, but it won’t always be a positive experience because humans have emotions and those can change the atmospheres of households. When you incorporate good communication skills, it will bring understandment and keep the household peaceful more often than not.
More information about communication with roommates!
Boundaries in the Household
Having boundaries is very important not only for navigating life in general, but especially when having roommates. Things might come up that you may not be comfortable with, and voicing your concerns is key to figuring out what works well and what doesn’t. For example, if you feel like a roommate isn’t giving you enough alone time and you are starting to feel unhappy about it, set that boundary by telling them you would like more personal space. You might be thinking that can come off as being mean, but being respectful and having a nice tone of voice is key to creating that boundary in a direct, but respectful way. Some reasons to set boundaries to create positive and comfortable living situations can be:
Respecting differences within the roommates.
Respect for belongings.
Having guest policies.
Maintaining sanity.
Boundaries can be intimidating for some people, but having them is what will bring a successful household with roommates in the long run. Everyone has their own differences and thoughts, so voicing what you feel will help you be more comfortable with your housemates, and can create the desired experiences everyone wants to have.
More information on boundaries with roommates:
Lifestyle Differences with Roommates
When moving in with other people, it is very common to have different lifestyles in the household because everyone came from different types of households before. To be truthful, this can make or break friendships between roommates. It all depends on how you want to navigate and adapt to those differences with each individual. If you are wondering how to navigate those differences, the first step is to communicate. Talk about what is normal for you, and what you aren’t familiar with when living with others. This also plays into why communication is important in homes. You will always run into lifestyle differences with almost everyone you meet, so it all circles around navigating those differences to keep a good, genuine, and accepting vibration with everyone in the home. The main tip would be to expect the unexpected so you can navigate those differences in an understanding way.
More ways to work through lifestyle differences:
Roommates in college are so common and can be fun, so these tips are helpful in giving yourself some ideas and expectations of what it can be like living with friends off campus. It all depends on how you go about it. Now, let’s move on to the social life at Ball State, where we compare the history of nightlife versus what nightlife is like today.
Ball State Social Life
Ball State University is a campus that thrives on social interaction and meaningful connections. After a long week students often turn to a night out to destress and spend time with friends. The main options for students are in The Village on W University Ave, which is a walkable distance from campus and many residential areas. Students also visit house parties, smaller hang outs, and fraternity and sorority life events. As each generation of students come to Ball State there is a new iteration of social life to explore.
History of Ball State Nightlife
In the early 2000s there were many different options for a night out, unfortunately that is not the same case today. Visit Purdue or IU and it is easy to see how many options Ball State is missing. As mentioned previously, The Village used to have many different options for nights out. From 2000-2013 there were about six bars, each with their own unique offering. The oldest opening in 1970 was The Chug followed by Dill Street in 1991. Between 2003 and 2011 three more bars opened, The Locker Room, and Cleo’s. The variety of bars made The Village an exciting destination for a night out.
All of the different bars had their own atmosphere and vibe. Dill Street was a cozy, welcoming establishment. It had a relaxed atmosphere, affordable drinks, and live music. With two stories you had the option to join the dance floor or watch from above. The Chug, originally known as Chug-a-Mug was a favorite of locals and students. The Locker Room was a sports bar where people gathered to watch the latest games. Cleo’s was the peak of nightlife in The Village. It had exciting music, vibrant lights, and a dance floor to tie it all together. They hosted themed parties and events to make every night special. D Luxe was known for an upscale feel. It catered to those looking for a nice cocktail and great conversation. Each business brought a different opportunity for a night out in The Village.
These bars were all locally owned and worked in unison to create an amazing nightlife experience for Ball State students. Each bar had its own unique vibe that made it special. Everything quickly changed when Brothers Bar and Grill opened in 2014. This was the first commercially owned bar to come to The Village. According to testimonies given by those in Muncie at the time, Brothers came into The Village and undercut the prices at the local bars. This led to Dill Street and The Locker Room closing within a couple months of Brothers opening. After these bars shut their doors, Brothers raised their prices. This allowed Brothers to secure an audience with their low prices and run out competition at the same time. While this is a great business decision, it does not support an exciting environment for Ball State students looking at The Village as a going out destination.
Today’s Nightlife
The main options available for today's students are Brothers and The Chug. Brothers is a midwest bar chain that started in the 1990s. It has a sports bar vibe including bar food, drinks, and tvs filling the space. There is space for a dance floor as well as outside seating. The Chug is a local Muncie establishment that feels like you’re in a vintage dive bar. It has pool tables, classic bar games, and more. The Chug tends to play more country music and throwbacks, while Brothers focuses on pop, wrap, and dance music. Both bars have themed nights and drink deals to keep each weekend exciting.
Although these are two great options, Ball State students would benefit from added variety in our nightlife scene. It would allow students to find their place and environment that they feel the most comfortable. This creates excitement to support local businesses instead of larger chains. The Village had a sense of community even though the businesses were in competition with each other. This mutual support and collaborative nature is missing in The Village community. The next generation of business owners and entrepreneurs will have to work hard to develop the nightlife scene at Ball State.
Want a deeper look into the history of The Village? Check it out here.
Ball State Media Trends
The latest and most popular trends at Ball State University.
Being a young college student, you have to keep up with the latest trends and pop culture. At Ball State, and many other universities, there are universal trends everyone talks about. Some recent trends this year include get ready with me, the vogue challenge, Celine Dion lip-sync challenge, and so much more. Today, one of the biggest trends on social media and Ball State is the ick trend. I think most of us are familiar with this trend and have a lot of icks on your personal list. The definition of an ick originated in the 80's as a word to describe something gross, repulsive, or yuck. Over time, the term ick has evolved and now has meaning that describes what it is like when a partner feels repulsed or turned off by their partner. Recently, the new digital age has shedded a new light on the term, making it explode as a trend across social media. The ick trend came from one of the contestants on the popular show, Love Island in 2017. This term was coined and became popular on the future seasons of the show. This spread of the term made its way to TikTok, where it exploded as a new trend.
Check out this article of the beginning on the ick!
Social Media's Role and Perception
Like everything else, social media has elevated our culture and perception of most topics and has the ability to make almost anything viral. More specifically, TikTok has blown up so many people, trends, clips, and ideas and the ick trend caught that wave. TikTok breeds the idea of the ick trend and encourages others to talk about their icks in their relationships and to share their stories. This viral environment amplifies the overall impact of this trend.
Navigating The Ick
Now that the ick is so apparent and relevant, there has to be a way to navigate the act of it in a relationship. It is easy to be head over heels in the beginning of a relationship, but it is also important to be aware of what causes an aversion to your partner. It is so important to understand what gives you the ick and ways to avoid getting attracted to people that do or have that ick. When you first do get the ick, take time to reflect and understand why this is occurring. If it is a small little incident that makes you cringe, there is always an opportunity to talk to your partner and communicate why you didn't like something or why it repulsed you. If your partner doesn't understand or continues to give you an ick, you can take that as a sign to move on. The ick is a natural instinct or reaction that comes from your gut, and you can try to understand why you get that feeling or you can find a new partner.
Ball State Students' Icks
We asked our very own Ball State University students their icks and the answers did not disappoint. Reach out to us and leave a comment on your personal icks and tell us the story behind it! Here are some of the icks of our peers:
"Smoking (vapes and cigarettes)"
"When you can hear someone's music through their headphone/earbuds"
"People who always have their auto caps on"
"When guys wear flip flops"
"When someone doesn't open your snapchat for DAYS"
"Bad breath"
"Swinging on a swing set"
"Men jumping or riding a bike"
"When someone has food on their face, don’t notice it, and keep talking"
"Wearing belt loops at the bar"
"Men chasing/running after a ping pong ball (especially if they are half bent over running)"
"Poor posture"
"Dry texting"
These icks are very unique to each individual but can be seen from a universal lens. A lot of the icks we heard from students were very similar to each other or had a common theme. What do you think? Do you have one of these icks, too?
Check out this TikTok of students like ours talking about their icks!
The recent trend of the ick has absolutely exploded the past few years and has taken social media and relationships by storm. The ick is an undeniable feeling one may get in the beginning of a relationship or future partner. This fascinating newfound aspect has reshaped what we think going into a relationship. With the help of the internet and social media, we are able to see the dynamic of the topic and the ability to share and relate to others' stories. The journey of the term has evolved and been adopted by almost everyone. The ick was an undiscovered term that we all have but now are able to throw a label on our feelings. It was so interesting to learn how miniscule mishaps have given people the ick and given everyone reasons to weed out their partner. As time goes on, we can keep continuing to evolve the term and trend. Now… What gives you the ick?
College is a crazy time in life with so many different things happening. So much happens in such a short period of time from new living situations, staying up with the newest trends, and spending time with friends. College is only four years, but can truly be life changing if you take advantage of all the opportunities. Savor all of the time you have and make as many memories as you can.
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