Every year I have had a different “room experience”. Luckily, they’ve all been good!
Year One:
I was in a Dascomb Hall open double. I had a roommate, a dual degree student. It was very nice having a roommate that was also in the conservatory because we were immediately bonded through a shared interest and passion. We were on the first floor, down the hall from the laundry, and directly across from the restroom. There were two beds, two desks, two chairs, a bookcase above the window, and built-ins (The built ins were cabinets, dressers, and a shared counter space). It was a great set up actually! I miss the built-ins…
In terms of roommates: at Oberlin, there’s a “roommate quiz” that asks about your living habits. It will suggest roommates based on your compatibility ratings. I believe me and my first year roommate were 89% compatible…so, pretty good! At the beginning of the year, our RA had us write out and agree to “roommate expectations”. It was basically a way to make us have the important conversation of how we want to share our space and how to handle conflict if it should arise. (Maybe I’ll tell you more about the housing process in a future blog!)
Dascomb was also in a great location. I’m in the con, which is just down the street from Dascomb. At Oberlin, nothing is too far of a walk, but even so—Dascomb was really central to a lot of campus hot spots. It’s on the edge of Wilder Bowl, so you have direct access to the green space, the library, and Wilder Hall (contains dining/grocery options and the mailroom). Also, Dascomb is “attached” to Campus Health and Campus Safety. It was really nice having those resources right there, especially as a first year.
Year Two:
I was in South Hall. Third floor. Divided double. My roommate was a classical voice friend! (Joke for the singers: we are different voice types, so there was no fighting!) Each room had the built-ins like I mentioned from Dascomb, a bed, a chair, a wall bookcase, and a desk. The inner room (the one that exited into the other room) had a bit more space, but one closet. The outer room (the one that led into the hall) had slightly less space, but two closets. We switched rooms half way through the year. The laundry room was in the basement and once again, I found myself across from the restroom.
My goal was to always stay on south campus, so I certainly enjoyed the location of South Hall. (However, South can have a reputation of being a bit grimy and I did not enjoy when it lived up to this reputation. I think it’s because there’s just so many people… Also, the lighting and carpeting clashed in a way that made the halls look dim) Everything I said about the location above (Dascomb) still stands except that South is one street over.
For me, it was very nice having a more private space, but still having the company of a friend. (I was never one of those people who just absolutely craved a single). In terms of ensuring your space feels your own and safe and not like your roommate could come in at anytime, there’s lots you can do! Create some system with them where you call/text/knock/have curtains/etc. Have these important conversations up front! Before they are an issue!!
Year Three:
I am currently on the third floor of North Hall. It happened…I’m on NORTH CAMPUS. AKA the opposite of South Campus…but! I (begrudgingly) admit that it was actually a blessing in disguise. It’s a long and terribly sad story, but I haven’t biked since I was about eight years old. And this was a fantastic excuse to get on a bike again and see if riding a bike is like…well, “riding a bike”…AKA see if I remembered how. I did! And I love it. I genuinely love it. I was super nervous at first specifically because I was on north campus (which is where a lot of athletes are [which I think is because it’s near the athletic field and Philips Gym. Btw! The same thing goes for South campus and the con—lots of con kids there!]) and I was sort of self conscious. Especially as a chubby girl on a bike for the first time in over a decade. Knock on wood, I am yet to crash and am having a great time! Now back to North or “Langston”:
North is near the largest dining hall, Stevenson or “Stevie”. It is made up of all singles (with the occasional quad) and is pretty quiet. Definitely the quietest “dorm vibe” I have experienced. It really is nice having your own space. I’ve learned that I’m someone who really enjoys just hanging out in their “home base”. Like I have some friends who say that they are never in their dorms. I am not like that. And believe me, I am outside of my room plenty. That probably just makes being in my room even better. (This tangent was an extremely sneaky way of saying that, if you are afraid you will get lonely, make sure there’s lots of reasons to leave your room! Also, living across campus from where most of my classes are makes it feel more convenient to just stay out rather than go back to my dorm. So that helps too!)
The room has a bed, closet, dresser, desk, bookcase, and a chair. (But no built-ins… :( ) It’s a good bit bigger than the South divided double. I really like it! The laundry room is on the first floor and for the first time, I am not directly across from the restroom. (Which I was not sure if I should take as some sort of omen or not?) The restrooms are the nicest I have experienced so far—all single occupant! This is my first time being in a dorm without AC, but nothing a fan can’t fix yet! (And if I’m feeling anxious about it, I just plan on being somewhere else during the hottest part of the day)
That’s my round up so far!
