Room Draw Recap and Tips

By: Mary Grace Donaldson
Posted In: Opinion

On a fateful afternoon in either February or April, the student masses gather in the upstairs hallway at the Rodgers Recreation Center armed with IDs and official-looking postcards. Hearts are racing. Mosh-pit lines are forming by way of pushing and shoving. Cell phones are dying from overuse. Shouts resound through the hallway. Tears are shed.

No, it’s not an angry mob. It’s resident student room draw.

Current freshmen, what I just described to you is the harsh reality of the situation. Don’t expect your first room draw to be a cakewalk. Take stock of yourselves. Find your roommates far, far ahead of time. Tour the rooms available to you. Whatever you do, don’t even think about losing that all-important room draw postcard.

But.don’t even think that the plan you enter that long, long hallway with is at all the plan that you’ll walk out with. In my three years of room draw, I’ve seen and heard it all.

People have, indeed, accomplished the impossible by walking out with the exact room or building that they wanted, with the exact person he or she walked in with. I think I’ve seen that happen.well, once. Not even a glimmer of the original plan hung in the balance of any living situation that I ended up with.

There are many options available to freshman consisting of doubles, triples, singles, and quads. If you have one of the early times, try for Wallace. Take advantage of your own private staircase. I also highly recommend Carnlough Cottage. While the trolley comes positively nowhere near it, it’s a pretty short distance to the library and Wakehurst. It’s a cozy little spot with a great common room and multiple bathrooms. Another sophomore dorm is Watts Sherman which has a great common room and kitchen area.

Fast forward to junior/senior room draw.

The biggest issue with junior/senior room draw is the fact that all housing (except for Conley Hall and one or two other options) is apartment style. You don’t just have to fill a room anymore. You need enough people in your group to fill a whole unit. This is the biggest source of drama at junior/senior room draw as there is always that one group who has a person drop out at the last minute, or someone is desperately in search of a roommate and before you can say yes or no, a triple becomes a quad.

These units are, in every sense of the word, scattered all over campus. Some are right near Miley, with easy access to food, academic buildings and of course, the trolley. Others are at the very end of campus, but are equipped with a trolley stop just two steps out the front door. Then there are the Victoria Avenue houses, right smack in the middle of campus.

Now that I have shared my array of knowledge of residence options, allow me to present you with tips for room draw day:

Be sure to arrive at least one hour before your room draw time. Freshmen, I know it may seem excessive, but once you get there, you’ll understand why this is a good idea.

Bring food with you. It could very well calm you down. A bottle of water could be useful as well.

Dress comfortably and without excess layers. Sweat presents itself in the most uncomfortable way possible when you combine tension, a small space and far too many bodies crowded around. It may be a bit chilly outside, but you’ll be happy to not be sweating through your North Face.

If you can’t attend room draw, be sure to not forget to give your future roommates or housemates both your room draw card AND your Salve ID. If they don’t have those things, Residential Life will NOT give you a room.

Don’t anger the fine folks at Residential Life. They dread this day as much as you do.

Try your very best to not lose your cool in the middle of the circus that is room draw.

And of course, best of luck to you, especially freshmen who are new to this. May the force be with you!