<p>The only reason someone should be previously given a single is due to some health concern. Other than that, you can never decided room configurations until all arrive. Furthermore, having been a proctor for SSP this past term, I did my best to make sure that parents were not involved in any room decisions. It serves as a beneficial learning experience for students figuring out the ways of communal living, and, when one parent gets involved, that tends to set off a domino effect and leads to all parents getting involved creating quite the headache. Also, I would avoid getting the dean involved so early in the year and would suggest contacting the proctor first. </p>
<p>As for the boyfriend situation, Iâve always thought it a lame excuse. Iâve lived in common rooms and had a boyfriend all at the same time. Is the boyfriend local? If so, she can easily go to him, and if not, 2/3 weekends a semester hardly merits a single.</p>
<p>Nonetheless, I anticipate the situation will resolve with said girl getting a single, nonetheless, my best suggestion would be for you daughter to suggest that they wait before making such a hasty decision since they donât even know the actual room sizes of the room and other minute, yet necessary factors to consider. </p>
<p>To close off, I guess your daughter must have a Wigglesworth penthouse since that room configuration is quite rare. They got very lucky housing indeed, and perhaps, they might consider the potential for a room switch mid-year just to allow things to be equal. Perhaps (thinking pessimistically), the girl will be single by then. Also, whatâs not to say that any of the other three will not be in a relationship by then. All in all, just have them all wait patiently.</p>
<p>MSMDAD: I agree that itâs best not to get involved and I definitely wonât. I will tell D to email them, if she hasnât already. And, I too think that the BF will be out of the picture in no time. Thanks for responding</p>
<p>Marite: I know that my D wants her own room, but she would never have been as audacious and forward as R1. That said, I know that she would be agreeable to a bunk, but only after a fair discussion of who gets the singles. This seems like the right thing. If she draws the short straw (figuratively or literally), sheâd gladly accept whatever she gets. Thanks for responding.</p>
<p>Smoda: I like your daughterâs advice. You are rightâthis girl was beyond forward and audacious. My D definitely wants to have a face-to-face discussion about this. And, Iâm all for âletting it slipâ to the proctor :-). But, itâs Dâs decision.</p>
<p>Huinsider: Thank you for the response. My D is in Canaday, by the way. And, said boyfriends attends school in another state. This is why I donât even understand why having a boyfriend would merit R1 needing a single. As for contacting the Dean or proctor, I think D will definitely keep it between the roommates. Thanks again!</p>
<p>Smoda61, Is move-in day on Thursday? I am asking because if it is, I predict that it will be an absolute zoo! I hate to scare you, but ânormalâ weekday traffic in Cambridge is not good, and I canât imagine what it will be like for a weekday move-in. In the past, participants in pre frosh week activities (FOP, Dorm Crew, FUP, etc.) were given their dorm keys the evening before move-in day (Friday). We took advantage of this and found parking close to Mass Ave. (BTW, you donât have to feed the meters after 6:00 p.m.), and moved most of her stuff in the evening before most other frosh. This meant that we avoided the long queues that others had to endure on move-in day.</p>
<p>S has heard via FUP that he will receive his dorm key Wed evening. I think we may take ^ this advice and try to move in stuff for him even though he will be tied up in closing activities for the program. We will arrive in Boston Wed anyway. Thanks for the heads up. Now I have to go back and read that earlier posting about roaches. :(</p>
<p>MSMDAD - Yes, move-in day is Thursday starting at 7:00. Now, as for pre-orientation kids getting their keys early and such, I know that my daughter had heard from two of her roommates, who are supposed to be doing FOP, that they would not be on campus until Thursday PM about 5:00. I donât know if FOP is different or D has misunderstood.</p>
<p>Old Leverett is close to the river so many of us have come to understand that many of the river houses have a higher amount of cockroaches due to their proximity to the Charles. However, I did have quite a few friends on all different floors doing PRISE this summer and none of them seemed to have had the same problem with an abundant amount of cockroaches. Was your daughter in one of the entryways closer to the trash room or river? Nonetheless, I think that the summer heat brings out more cockroaches than are seen in the winter term. All in all, though, I have no problem admitting that cockroaches are periodically popular in some of the houses term-time</p>
<p>smoda61, FOP might be different. I know that Dorm Crew and, as reported by curious77, FUP participants can pick-up their room keys on Wednesday.</p>
<p>I can well understand not getting a Dean or proctor involved unless there is no other solution. But your D might say that she wants to stick by the rules and will ask for drawing lots when they get there. Suppose all four girls claimed boyfriends! </p>
<p>We got to meet the parents of Sâs roommates at the end of moving-in day, and several of the parents were grumbling about the pushy roommate (whose parents were utterly oblivious). But they and we did not contact the dean or proctor.</p>
<p>Mitzy: My daughter had a similar situation with one roommate pushing for a single, though this happened on move-in day. All of the parents left the suite so that they could work it out. They finally decided to switch during the term so that each student had the single for an equal amount of time. It was definitely a hassle moving all of their stuff (girls!) each time, but they did it. </p>
<p>Perhaps your daughter could agree to R1 starting with the single as long as there is a set rotating schedule. That might show some âgiveâ on her part. My daughterâs theory was that it would be nice to have a single toward the end of the year, as by that point, one would probably really be ready for more privacy.</p>
<p>Regarding convocation: The year that my daughter started at Harvard, parents were invited. We enjoyed it a great deal. She did participate in the group picture. Suffice it to say that you can see her with a magnifying glass. Maybe.</p>
<p>Regarding move-in: Get there very very early. There are lines for each dorm and they release a few cars at a time to head for the Yard. Be at the front of the line. You wonât regret it.</p>
<p>My daughter did not do FOP but we watched FOP students return all throughout move-in day. They were easy to spot with their backpacks!</p>
<p>One more thing. It is not uncommon for some students to agree (as Marite said) to use the common room as a bedroom and give up the common room space. This is often done in the houses. </p>
<p>My daughter was also on campus this summer. No roaches. Phew.</p>
<p>FUP and dorm crew are on campus, FOP is not. That may be the reason for the different schedules. With all this about single rooms, I am glad S is in a suite with 4 kids and two bedrooms and a common room. I donât think any of them would have the nerve to ask for a single. I have read on these boards that most students do rotate when there is one single in the suite. Older S, at a different college, was in a suite with one single and one double shared by three boys. They are on quarters so it was easy to rotate into the single each quarter. If this girl canât understand fairness then someone should instruct her about it, perhaps the proctor.</p>
<p>Marite and Twinmom: Thank you for your responses! I have to spoken to my daughter and she also thinks that it might be best to let R1 have her single, and then rotate with my daughter getting a single in the second semester. I agree that having a single during the second half of the year would be much better for privacy reasons.</p>
<p>Mitzy: Seems to make sense. At that point your daughter will have a better idea of the other girlsâ personalities. IMO, itâs always better to speak in person as tone is often misinterpreted in print. Best of luck to your daughter; sheâs in for a great ride.</p>
<p>One other point: Do not assume that sharing a room is problematic. Many great friendships are born this way; in fact, at many schools getting a single is not ever an option. One nice thing about Harvard is that there is always âother spaceâ to retreat to in that there is a common room to spend time in if one roommate wants to go to sleep early, etc.</p>
<p>The issue of concern seems to be more of R1âs current pushiness/self-centeredness. Some students are raised in homes where they never have had to share. Thereâs a lot of growing up (hopefully) that goes on in college, and she may not even realize how her request was perceived, especially as R2 and R3 agreed to her request so quickly. Iâd encourage your daughter to wait to pass judgment on R1.</p>
<p>Mitzy: That does sound like a difficult situation. I would be angry, but I wouldnât want to get into a fight with my roommates even before I got on campus! Hopefully, it works out for the best for your daughter!</p>
<p>This is a bit off the topic of the current posts, but I had a question about advising at Harvard that I couldnât find the answer to. It doesnât have to do directly with advising, actually, but I was just wondering when we get to meet with our advisors/proctors about classes and things like that when we get to Cambridge.</p>
<p>Is it during the first week, when the Opening Days are going on, or is it during the shopping period?</p>
<p>You can meet with your Proctor anytime they are free to talk. I shared a floor with mine and weâd often talk about classes and school things while shaving. Youâll schedule an appointment with your advisor, so that meeting will be based on their schedule. I believe I had mine at the beginning of shopping week, and then a second meeting at the end.</p>
<p>My D1 was in a six-person suite with a common room and four bedrooms - two singles and two doubles, one of them quite small - freshman year. They switched rooms every three months so no one was stuck with the least desirable situation for long. It seemed like a pretty reasonable way to handle things. But I assure you, even though room configurations seem critical now, in the whole scope of the four years at H itâll be a non-issue.</p>