Dingle [Noun]: A designated double dorm room occupied by only one person.
Let me start by saying that this is not a pity piece, nor am I in any way trying to claim that having a dingle is worse than having a roommate. In my two years as a college student so far, I have been lucky enough to have two dingles; one in Loomis my first year and now one in South this year. Both years, I was assigned a roommate over the summer, but each time, they were moved out before school started. So I have embraced the dingle lifestyle to its fullest potential. While being in a dingle is awesome, it can get pretty lonely and isolating. Also, if you aren’t careful, you can grow paranoid about getting a roommate because of a lack of housing communication skills.
It’s hard to explain the sense of isolation one feels in a dingle, especially in those first few months as a first-year. The extra space and the empty bed make you feel on edge, like you’re encroaching on someone else’s space, even though it’s wholly your own. You don’t dare touch it for the first two weeks because who knows if housing will spring a roommate on you? God knows they won’t tell you if they do.
Over time, you get used to the uneasy discomfort in your room and grow to appreciate the dingle lifestyle. But it’s still a lonely one. I’m sure people who had dingles or singles their first year can relate to the FOMO of not having a roommate, because during New Student Orientation, anyone I talked to in the dining hall or on the quad was usually with their roommate. I felt I had to work twice as hard to connect and make friends. This year, the sense of isolation is different, as most of my friends are rooming together. It’s strange hearing your friends reference inside jokes you weren’t there for. This can make you feel alone, but a wonderful thing happens when you have to put in the work to maintain friendships. Loneliness is only a burden if you wallow in the isolation of the dingle.
Another aspect of dingle life seldom discussed is the issue of extra furniture. I have personally made the extra bed into a makeshift couch. I also combined the extra desks to make a mega desk. Some people wanted to move the bed and tables out of the way, but were unable to because all furniture must stay in the dorms, so whatever ‘open space’ you thought you had is filled with desks and tables you don’t want. Anything you change must be unchanged at the end of the semester. Last year, my RA told me I probably wouldn’t get a roommate, so I didn’t have to move the stuff around. Then, at 10 p.m. the next night, a random RA told me to rearrange the room because I would most likely get a roommate. So I had to re-loft the bed and move the dressers, all for nothing because I didn’t get a roommate. It’s bizarre that housing refuses to let people with dingles know even the possibility of getting a roommate. And if you do get a roommate, you will find out by surprise. I know people who showed up after winter break, and a Winter Start student was in their dorm, but housing never told them they were getting a roommate. Housing then tries to monetize that fear by emailing you that for a modest $750, you can buy out a roommate and keep your dingle.
But again, this isn’t a pity piece, and I’ve complained about having a dingle enough. It would be tasteless to go into all of the upsides of dingle life, such as not having to change in another room or awkwardly changing with them in the room. I can control the temperature of my room without anyone’s input. I don’t worry about waking anyone up if I come home late and I don’t have to worry about being woken up by a late entry. No one ever touches my stuff. I get the full fridge to myself. Best of all, I never fight with my roommate. But it felt cruel to go into detail and explain how lucky I am.
The dingle movement is growing and chances are, more people will enjoy the dingle lifestyle in the coming years. Members of the class of 2027 expressed shock at the number of dingles last year, and now this year, I am also shocked at how many people I come across who have had or are in a dingle. My whole friend group has either had one or is currently in one, so we named our group chat The dinglers. What was once rare as a unicorn is now more like a zebra: still exotic but not mythical. I’m not upset; the sanctity of a dingle never made me feel special, so I don’t mind if the rarity decreases. But as more and more people get dingles, they need to know that you can’t be ruled by isolation and paranoia. You may have to work twice as hard to make friends and you may always worry that your dingle will be snatched from under your feet at any moment. But that’s the price you have to pay for the insane benefits of dingle life. So look out, Colorado College, a dingle is coming soon to a dorm near you.