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Icebreakers for your New Dorm

The bad news is that when you first show up at your college dorm as a freshman, you’re probably going to feel alone, isolated and in unfamiliar territory. The good news is that everyone else feels exactly the same way! In the first couple days at your freshman dorm, it’s a perfect chance to start fresh and get to know some new, interesting people. One of the easiest ways to do that is by bringing some “icebreakers” into play, such as the “spin the wheel game” or “Desert Island.”

Let’s take a look at some of the ways the resident adviser or you and your fellow freshmen can break the ice in a fun way:

Adjective Action Name Game

This is a great game for a group of no more than about twenty people. The first person says an adjective that matches the first letter of their first name. They also have to come up with an action. They then say the adjective and their name (“Awesome Andy”) and then perform the action (jump in place). The next person must repeat the adjective and action and then come up with ones of their own. The third person must re-enact the first and second person’s as well as create their own and so on. The last person must do every single adjective and action in the group!

Deserted Island

If you’re a fan of “The Office,” you’ve seen this one played. Pretend that you’ve all been stranded on a deserted island. What five books, DVDs and CDs do you want with you as the only ones you’ll ever have for the rest of your life. You can learn a lot, and have some good laughs, over the answers.

Spin the Wheel

For this fun game, you’ll need a giant wheel on which to write wacky, funny or revealing tasks in each space on the wheel. Then, as you have everyone in the dorm or floor gathered, have each person introduce themselves and then spin the wheel to find out what task they have to perform. The tasks should be less about embarrassing one another and more about getting to know one another while also making everyone feel comfortable around one another.

Beach Ball Icebreaker

Similar to the Spin the Wheel game, you get a beach ball and write specific, revealing questions in each space on the ball. Each person takes a turn throwing the ball and when they catch it, they must answer the question that their left thumb is touching. That question could be, “What is your favorite meal?” or it could be “What is your favorite movie line?” Have fun with it!

Good luck breaking the ice!

Patrick Whalen is a part of an elite team of writers who have contributed to hundreds of blogs and news sites. Follow him @2patwhalen.