Getting Diapers / Pacis / Cding / Whatever In College Accomodation

[ForbiddenFruit]

I've been on a run of bad luck last few weeks, but yesterday afternoon, things seemed to take a wonderful turn for the better, looks like I may even be able to get my driver's license after all (at least, I can take an exam to renew for a third permit).

I was looking at some places yesterday for college accomodation (I go back on 1st September, classes Mon 3rd). One had been let out the day AFTER I rang to say I was going to look at it, one landlord wouldn't pick up his phone, and one was too far. So I walked to the campus from the student apt that I have as a fallback - about 30 mins at a leisurely pace with no bag. Seems feasible.

Anyway, my folks were picking up some linoleum for flooring and asked the cashier about accomodation out of the blue, and we were directed to a woman who lets out rooms in a couple houses she owns. I had a look, and not only is it €150 a week (room, kitchen with washing machine, TV and internet included) but it's not even a five minute walk to the building where I have most of my lectures, so...yeah. I gots me a place to stay, last-minute save it looks.

Though I can't fault the location, there are a few things that make it imperfect. The landlady says she has a rota about cleaning, which is a plus because some order in my life would do me a world of good, however, I'm wondering if she might be a tad strict and if her inspections includes the bedrooms. 3 others there are returning tenants, however, so that must mean she's not that bad. Regardless, I think my answer to "Your place or mine?" would have to be a pleading "Yours"

Now, the place is...not particularly 'cramped' but 'occupied'. There's 2 floors, and I'm on the bottom. There are 2 or 3 rooms on the bottom floor and 3 or 4 above. On the top floor there are 3 current tenants, all third year girls (I'm in second). The other 2 rooms remaining after I move in may or may not be filled. IIRC there are 7 total, so at most, six plus myself. Last year there were 3 and me. I don't think it'll be much of a problem in and of itself, but with possibly double the neighbours and them not being first year homebirds I won't have that much alone time in the house or many weekends alone.

There are two bathrooms, one upstairs, one downstairs. So, theoretically I could have the downstairs one all to myself most of the time if the other bottom floor room isn't occupied, although since the kitchen / living room is downstairs, anyone watching TV, cooking, cleaning, washing their clothes or wanting to get better internet reception without resorting to doing 'the Lion King' is likely to use that one. Again, don't think that might be much of a problem, depending on where I'd change and store my waste.

So far, so good, it seems, dependent on whether or not room inspections happen rather than just "has the kitchen exploded yet?" However, I had a peep in the room, and didn't manage to take it all in and memory's going fast, but I distinctly remember the rooms being...small. Not to the point of claustrophobia, and in terms of floorspace it was probably a little bigger than what I had last year. But at the same time, there just doesn't seem to be as much storage.

Last year I had three drawers that were in my bed's base and a cupboard that faced outwards to the space under my desk (admittedy that one was kind of obvious and ended up being used to store tinned food). This one, from what I remember, had a little wardrobe (about the width of a normal person's breadth), a desk, and a couple little cupboards. Maybe a shelf or two as well. From the looks of it I'll be putting my foodstuffs in the (much bigger) kitchen and not having two damn dozen tins at a time rather than in my room.

So...it looks like I don't have that much room to store stuff, and few of them concealed. Between this and the larger number of flatmates, it may be a bit more difficult to 'do things' without buying a lockbox (and that doesn't look suspicious at all, no siree. Plus, knowing me, I'd probably misplace the key). Last year I had a couple of pacifiers, and whenever my parents came round I'd panic and hide them in the kitchen - ending when I binned them on a walk to college in a panic. A taster of binge-purge.

This year I kind of want to explore a bit more, but there seems to be a lot of barriers to trying crossdressing, diapers or very much anything AB related. I used to think I could put it off for years, but, well, the desire's there and I want to make something of this year. I used to think I could hold off on coming out until this Christmas, but I ended up doing it last month.

Any advice from others who've been in accomodation and keeping things secret? Many thanks in advance!

[rusty pins]

Sounds like you have found a place that is convienient to school, which ultimatly is the important thing. Yeah, the bathroom thing may not be the best, even without your "special" usages of it! With 7 people and 2 bathrooms, it might be a little inconvienient at times with people always using it for showers, etc. You wouldn't want to miss any classes because someone else was using the bathroom at the same time you needed to get ready. The size of the room sounds a little small, but college rooms are really meant for studying and sleeping with some TV and relaxation times. Most college dorm rooms or college apartments are set up with room for 2 people, 2 small study desks and a small area for watching TV along with a couple beds. What I think is important in your case is having a private room with, I hope, a locking door! I wouldn't rent a room in a house with other tennants unless the door to my room had a lock on it! Not just for privacy but to make sure none of your personal items end up missing or in someone else's room!

Keeping the place clean is understandable! I've seen many college dorm rooms that were pretty bad as far as messy and not cleaned. A small room shouldn't be hard to keep clean but your landlord should provide a vaccume cleaner for tennant use if she expects you to keep the carpeting vaccumed. It also gets people in the habit of keeping their place clean for the future when you do have your own home. I think it is perfectly acceptable and understandable for you to be able to have a locking trunk or storage unit to keep in your room. Depending on how much room you have, it could be small to even roll under the bed or something the correct size to sit at the foot of your bed. Many college students have foot lockers or locking storage cases for some of their expensive and personal items. If the landloard has a problem with that, she isn't much of a landlord! A simple explination would be that it is for expensive and personal items such as electronics, jewlery and items you don't want to take any chance of someone else finding and taking for themselves. Put your "items" in the storage locker and keep it locked. Have 2 keys, one that you keep on your own key ring with your other keys (such as your room key, house key to your parents home, car key if you have a car, etc. Put the other key somewhere well hidden in your room, like in the closet, in a book on a shelf or even in the pocket of a sweater you never wear. That way you will always have a back up key just in case you lose one. The land lady can look through your room all she wants, but your personal items will be locked up. The only problem I can see would be if she wants you to open your storage locker to make sure you don't have drugs or pot or something illeagle. That would be within her rights in her home.

The thing about living in someone else's home as a renter, etc., is nothing will be perfect for you! You have to work at some things to make them fit into what you want to do. That may mean going along with the land lady's rules and finding ways that are safe for you and your "interests" so others don't find out about them. It may take some planning and trial and error to find what works best for you. Take things very slow at first until you are well aware of how things are going to go at that place. Find out what the land lady is actually up to, such as room inspections, her checking things out when you are not there, etc. FInd out what the situation is with other tennants at the house. How much interaction is there between you, the landloard and other tennants. How much privacy do you actually have? Maybe suspend or severly curtail your AB/DL activities for the first couple of months until you get a handle on things. Better safe than sorry.

[Yuna]

I am on a phone so I cannot reply to it all, but I also see no problem with a renter wanting to have items locked up. You also could buy a locking suitcase or just a soft travel case with a small lock over the zippers. These are good enough for diaper security and would attract little attention.

And I agree that you should get to know the lay of the land from the blabbing of your housemates.

GL!

[JustJoe]

Out of curiosity are you studying in Ireland or aboard. I'm up in Belfast myself.

In answer to the question, i find having a routine and rigiously sticking to it helps. For example if you do decide to buy diapers and your deciding to use them, then your going to have to either dispose of them or wash them. Never keep used diapers in your room because they will quickly stink up a small room (plus given your on the ground floor your probably not going to keep your window open at night or while your away for ventilation). This largely means very early mornings before anyone else is up if you want to maxism your chances or remaining under the radar... I you need motivation just tell yourself that your some sort of diaper ninja, working under the cover of darkness

Buying a little lock for a suitcase is a good idea if you want to store things seceretly or just safely for that matter. However from my own expirences of living in student accomodation, I've never had anyone enter my room without me inviting them first anyway. So again it falls down to the routine thing. If you've made sure to put away all of your things in the morning then your free to invite people back at any time of the day.

The only things which have ever nearly caught me out were things like supprise knocks at the door which i couldn't have planned for or those damned fire alarms. But with a kick of adrenline in my system I was able on each of those times to be a supprisingly fast changer.

All that being said, i did become very nerveous at times, for example there were some nights where all I would want to do was go to bed dressed in a diaper and nighty, sucking a pacifer and cuddling a teddy... then my flatemates would return from a night out drinking at 2 in the morning and knock on the door. To which i would either have to change and put all those things away then get them all out again and try to settle down again once I was done dealing with the housemates. or I would have to be anti socail and try to simply ignore the after party in the house which could go on for the rest of the night while i'm just lying there hoping the door doesn't get rapped again.

Well that's my expriences. I'm sure you'll make your own and learn from them.

[ForbiddenFruit]

Thanks for the advice - I think for now I'll just catalogue all I know and all I've learned and not dwell on it until I know more Don't want to stress myself out further with this until I go back.

I'm having a second look on the way home tomorrow so maybe I can poke around the room a bit more - but again, depends on how much I bring up.

[ForbiddenFruit]

Out of curiosity are you studying in Ireland or aboard. I'm up in Belfast myself.

NUI Galway - and might I ask, where do you get diapers? I've snooped around 2-3 pharmacies in Galway City Centre and the pharmacy meant for the students but I can't find anything.