So like all college freshmen, I made a mistake. Before winter break, I decided I would do the smart, protective thing: lock my closet with a padlock. After packing up all my stuff for my month at home, I fastened my purple padlock to my closet, zipped up my backpack, and was about to head to my last final. Then it hit me… I didn’t remember the code for my lock.

Of course, at the beginning of first semester, I used my padlock to lock my closet regularly. However, as the semester went on, that habit quickly faded. So here I was, about to go ace my Microeconomics final, and I had locked the remaining contents of my closet from everyone–including myself. I went searching for the sheet with my combination on it for about ten minutes until I realized it was in my purse… the purse inside my closet.

After pointlessly trying about fifteen different combinations, I gave up and packed the last few things into my car before my final. I went back to Kansas for break and decided I’d deal with the locked closet dilemma in 2012.

Thankfully, OU is blessed with a wonderful maintenance staff that takes care of all the college freshman who don’t know a wrench from a hammer (okay I’m not that bad…) But anyways, after calling the maintenance number posted on the door of each Tower bathroom, two maintenance guys came to my aid within a few hours.

They were efficient AND friendly. One of the men laughed at my stupidity (laughed WITH me, not at me, I might add) while the other man said “Don’t worry, we’ll get this for you.” He proceeded to pull out the biggest pair of pliers I have ever seen in my life, snapped the metal bar like it was a twig, and handed me the padlock. He told me it wasn’t the first time a student locked up their stuff and it wouldn’t be the last.

Of course, this mistake is something I laugh at now, but I was definitely panicked in the moment. Luckily, I am fortunate to have a maintenance staff ready to help. With my handy-man dad 6 hours away, I couldn’t be more thankful! So girls who don’t know how to fix a clogged drain, change poor water pressure, or even break off a padlock… don’t worry, OU has you covered!