Living in a residence hall is an experience unlike any other you will encounter in your life. If you’re an incoming freshman next fall, here’s some tips to enjoy your residence hall experience to the fullest when you get to campus.
For many of you living in the halls this year, you’re moving off campus next year. So, how can you make the most of the rest of your experience?
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- Photo by Amy Nelson ’20
Be involved
Getting involved in your residence hall is one of the best ways to meet new people, connect with your hall staff and become an active member of your new community!
Your hall RA’s work hard throughout the year to provide students with fun and informational activities to keep you busy and provide you with opportunities to meet other students. So, go to them.
Hall council is another great way to get involved. Whether you are a hall council officer or just a loyal attendee to meetings, you can have a direct impact on what residence life looks like on our campus.
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- Photo by Amy Nelson ’20
Build relationships with your hall staff
Your hall staff consists of many different people invested in making your residence hall experience comfortable and simple. They were chosen to be on staff because they care about students and they’re here to help you!
Take a moment to stop to talk to your GMW, pop into your RA’s room for a chat, and be sure to greet your DA’s.
There are so many people in a residence hall, whether they are working or living there. You might as well talk to them because you never know how valuable those relationships might be in the future.
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- Photo by Amy Nelson ’20
Take advantage while you still can
When (if you do) you make the decision to move off campus, you miss out on a lot of the opportunities that a residence hall provides you.
When you live off campus, you don’t have a whole string of rooms full of people to befriend. You can’t grab your neighbor from downstairs to go grab dinner at the cafeteria. You don’t get to have fun events planned out for you.
So, while you’re still in the residence halls or if you’re going to be moving into the halls next year, embrace the opportunities you have and branch out. Leave your door open every once in a while, go to hall events, knock on your RA’s door, and meet new people.
Make the most of your residence hall experience while you still can! You never know what might come of the activities you choose to be involved in, the relationships you build and the memories you will make in the residence halls.