After getting back from spring break, I found myself scurrying about in a frenzy trying to get back in the groove of doing things. No more vegging out in front of the computer, no more slacking off and doing nothing. It was time to get down to business. Getting back from break meant the start of crunch time and the stretch of the road that leads to the end of the year, and it’s definitely not a time to slack off!
However, amidst all the post-break chaos, there was yet another evil lurking: housing for next year.
The concept of the housing lottery is pretty simple and straightforward. You decide what kind of dorm you want to live in next year, fill out the form and you’re good to go. Is it that simple? In a perfect world, yes, but in this world, no, definitely not. There are countless things that could very go wrong and some things that make getting the room of your choice difficult.
I know, being a current junior, that we basically have it made when it comes to the lottery this year. That’s not to say we juniors will get everything we want, but we technically have the most points out of anyone. And if you’re like me and live in Southside, then you get an extra half point. This will help greatly in getting you that coveted single on the quad or help with your chances of getting that nice loft in Phase. However, as with all things in the world, there is only so much of one thing. In this case, there are only so many places you can live, and then you have to rely on your luck to see where the lotto puts you with respect to the other 4,000 students waiting to get housing.
While the housing lottery system itself hasn’t changed since my freshman year, I’ve noticed that the way people feel when filling out the forms have. I don’t know if anyone else agrees with me, but the housing lottery this year seemed extremely stressful, when it really shouldn’t be. I have the points – the only thing I’d have to worry about is drama over putting together a good plan of action for housing. It’s stressful enough trying to get a roommate or to find enough members for a suite that the idea of not having enough housing just shouldn’t be a problem. However, with the increases in class size year after year, I’m afraid it is going to be a problem and probably is a problem right now.
Word is that Admissions hasn’t been accepting more people than they used to, despite the rumors, but that more people just choose to come here for school in general. And if there are more and more people coming in, then it would mean there needs to be additional residential dorms built. It would be ridiculous to turn every room on campus into a triple. I remember when I was a freshman in Sue B., we had two study lounges: the quiet one and the general one. Last year, the quiet study lounge became a triple, and this year it’s a quadruple!
Since more and more people seem to be coming here, we need more dorms! If the Brooks Landing site proves to be an attractive option, this should be a useful remedy. It won’t help with finding a roommate, but it will help with giving all the students more options and a more comfortable living space.
Kiang is a member of the class of 2008.
