Most university students' rooms worldwide have a key characteristic: messy rooms with books, clothes, and other belongings everywhere, reflecting the chaotic lifestyle of students. Many young men, especially bachelors, struggle to maintain a clean and organized living space alone or with family. The author interviewed three Bangladeshi students, each at different stages of their university life, about their experiences of struggling with keeping their rooms tidy and how they cope with this challenge.
Shadman, a law student at Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB), is in his junior year and lives with his family in Dhaka. Despite living in a family home, his room is often a mess, a source of mild concern for his family. When asked how his parents react to the state of his room, Shadman replies, "My parents don't get mad. They understand why my room keeps getting disorganized. They just keep pushing me to clean up more often."The balance between academic pressure and personal habits seems to be a major contributor to his disorganization.
Shadman admits that his room becomes messiest during exam season, owing to the rush to find belongings while balancing a heavy workload.
"Before exams, my room was at its highest height, being messy. I look for my books, outfit for the day, and other necessary stuff, but for lack of time, I hurry and can't properly take them out of the cabinet or shelf, and I end up messing up my room," he explains.
This disorganized scenario is frequent among university students living with their families. Although parents may help maintain some order, the duties of academic life frequently take priority over keeping one's space clean. Shadman mentions exhaustion as another reason his room is messy: "I get exhausted after a long day at university."
Meanwhile, Shahriaar Shakib, an engineering student at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Assam, India, had a vastly different experience when he first moved away from home. Having grown up with his parents organizing his space, Shahriaar faced a steep learning curve when managing his dorm room alone.
"I had very little experience organizing any space since my mother was always there for me," he recalls. The smallest tasks, like washing blankets or cleaning sneakers, became challenges he had never faced before. The shift from living in a family environment to being entirely self-reliant was a major adjustment for him.
However, the environment of living in a dorm, surrounded by other students with varying levels of cleanliness, profoundly influenced Shahriaar's habits. "In dorms, there are all types of students," he explains, "Some never clean their rooms after moving in, while others clean their rooms twice a day. When I enter the rooms of those who clean daily, it feels good to see their stuff organized, neat, and clean. I want others to feel the same when they enter my room."
His determination to maintain a clean space became a source of pride, especially as his organizational habits developed. Shahriaar acknowledges the positive impact of living independently: "I have gone from having no organizational habits to maintaining a neat, clean, and organized dorm room. My parents are proud of me, and that's what matters the most."
Across the country in Chattogram, Tanvir Auntu, a fourth-year engineering student at CUET, faces a different challenge. Living in a rented mess with other students, the shared living environment constantly tests Auntu's ability to keep his room organized. "In a mess, it's pretty common for people not to care much about keeping things tidy," Auntu shares, "And I face the same situation. My flatmates often live in a messy and unhygienic environment. Their lack of concern for cleanliness sometimes influences me." This environment can be particularly challenging for someone who procrastinates on cleaning. Keeping his living space neat without structured reminders from family often gets delayed until necessary.
Despite the challenges, living away from home has also fostered a sense of responsibility in Auntu. He notes, "I now do things I never had to do at home, like making breakfast, washing clothes, and organizing my living and study space." However, managing his time between his engineering studies, tuition, and household chores has proven difficult. To address this, Auntu tries to organize his room on weekends when he has more time, though the clutter often builds up during the week.
A recurring theme among all three bachelors is the need to strike a balance between academic commitments and keeping their living space clean. Whether it's Shadman's effort to stay organized amidst his law studies, Shahriaar's self-reliance in his dorm in India, or Auntu's shared mess environment in Chattogram, the challenges these young men face are common to students worldwide. However, they have all found methods to cope, although to various degrees of success.
For Shahriaar, the key to overcoming disorganization lies in discipline and routine. "Procrastination is the main enemy," he advises, sharing how he developed a weekly cleaning routine to stay on top of things. Auntu, on the other hand, relies on the weekends to restore order to his room, while Shadman tries to keep his space neat during holidays when he has more time.
Bachelors, particularly university students, have messy habits due to various circumstances, including academic pressure, procrastination, environmental influences, and, in certain cases, a lack of experience organizing their own space. Despite these challenges, the urge to keep a tidy room persists, whether to make their parents proud, create a comfortable living environment, or bring some order to their hectic lives.
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