<p>Interesting to read about the freshman roommate machinations - my D at H went through a very similar experience with a selfish, boyfriend-toting single-grabber. Now I also have a freshman at Yale, and it was a pleasure to find out that Yale assigns freshmen to their specific room in each suite, so there is no controversy! (I find myself looking for things that Y does better than H - haha - this seems to be one so far)</p>
<p>Bay - probably true. H has custodial responsibility over the Old Yard which is like the Holy Land of American intellectualism. The downside is that they have to find a way to use all those old buildings that werenât designed with the residential college model in mind.</p>
<p>Mitzy, how does your D know the other suite mates agreed to letting the one girl have a single? Are they familiar with the rules which say room/ bed decisions have be made on the 27th and mutally agreeable to all? I would not be surprised if they were given the same line your D was about the other agreeing to her demands. I were your D, I would call them and have a 3 way conversation, get their thoughts first, and take it from there.</p>
<p>Quick question for anyone who can help:</p>
<p>I wanted to purchase an Airport Extreme from Apple, which is basically an internet router that also lets your print wirelessly, access your harddrive, etc. without being plugged in. I called Harvard, and although they offer it on their tech website, I was told that they arenât allowed.</p>
<p>I donât want to hack the internet or anything like that, just access my printer and external hard drive wirelessly. Does anyone know if a) this is an informal rule (like, say, the âno microwaveâ rule) and people can bring them so long as they donât tamper with anything or display it? And, b) will an Airport extreme even work on campus? Again, this might seem like a strange question to ask, but I have friends in two other colleges that also have the same restriction, but have used an Airport with no harm and with no penalty. So if you know, or perhaps know of another solution that isnât an Airport, Iâd appreciate it.</p>
<p>Thanks!!</p>
<p>Thanks for the responses everyone. I just hope that this issue can be worked out in a way that pleases everyone. From what Iâve read here, the rotation of singles and doubles sounds like a possible solution to R1âs pushiness.</p>
<p>@ ws59: D found out about R2 and R3âs responses because the conversation took place in a mass email where R1 ccâd everyone (I hope Iâm using the right term)</p>
<p>LOL - If she wants the single to herself all year she should compensate the other roommates. </p>
<p>And, Bay, I have long thought Yale handles rooming better than Harvard - have sometimes wished son had chosen Yale instead.</p>
<p>I hope you donât think he should have chosen Yale over Harvard for the way in which they conduct rooming! I think entering students (and parents) often take the rooming situation far too seriously. The students get to live in some of the best (and most historic) dorms in the country. Their roommates will be bright, talented men and women. The prospects of a good or bad freshman year rarely hang on the hook of a good or bad roommate.</p>
<p>Well, I am happy S was at Harvard and not Yale. On paper, he had the most in common with one roommate: the one who turned out to be obnoxious and did not form part of the blocking group. I canât imagine S being stuck with him all four years! Each of the others had one year to learn to live with one another, assess their personality quirks and decide whether they wanted to stay together another three years.</p>
<p>For clarification, Yale does not assign roommates for all 4 years. Like H, the freshmen live together in dorms on the Old Campus (like Harvard Yard), but are assigned to their respective freshman dorm building according to their permanent college assignment. All of Dâs freshmen roomies will be in her same college all 4 years, but not necessarily be her roommates again. For soph year and above, students choose their roommates from among those who will also be in their same college, but they may or may not be the same roomies from freshman year.</p>
<p>Also, I am very glad that my oldest is at Harvard. She is very happy there. I just canât help comparing as I go through this.</p>
<p>I am very glad that my daughter picked Harvard. Her freshman roommate is still her very best friend, and her blockmates form a group of friends that shows every sign of staying close for life. She loves her Harvard experience way more than any attachment I feel for any of my alma maters, and itâs the fabulous friends she made there that account for that.</p>
<p>I suppose it depends on each individuals. Coureurâs D and my S made lifelong friends in their blocking group.
The funny thing is that when Harvard gets criticized because of an apparent lack of âschool spirit,â it is attachment to blocking groups and individual Houses that are blamed. Yet, thanks to his Freshman year, S is also friends with students (now graduates) from his entryway who went on to live in different Houses.</p>
<p>White_Rabbit, Although I agree that some of the dorms at H are historic, I would differ with your characterization that they are the âbestâ. To be very frank, and to give new students and parents another perspective, I would say that I was taken aback by the frosh dorms at Harvard. I had expected much more and when I walked into my DDâs dorm for the first time, I thought there was some kind of a mistake. I did not expect for the room that she was in to be so small and for her to have to sleep in a bunk bed. I was also taken aback by the lack of closet space (none) in her suite. All of her stuff had to be stored in a dresser/chest or underneath her bed.
So, yes, the dorm was historic (JFK lived there), but it was by far not among the best that I have seen. Donât get me wrong, DD had a wonderful experience her frosh year with her roomies, but I would, again, not classify the dorms at H as being the best.</p>
<p>I suppose most of my experience is with UCLA and Berkeley, where many freshman live 3-4 in a 200ish SQ FT room, if even that big. Whereas, my freshman dorm room was a 300+ SQ FT double.</p>
<p>Have to agree with MSMDad on the freshman housing. It is random. Some rooms are beautiful and some of barely closet-sized (with lack of closets.)</p>
<p>Also agree with Marite - some of my daughterâs closest friends from her entryway went on to live in different houses. She loves her blocking group too.</p>
<p>My son was in a four man suite - one double, two singles and the common room. Like Mariteâs son, heâs very easygoing and started the year in the double. The double was so small it could only contain the bunk beds and two chests - and they had to share the small closet. By necessity, they put their desks in the common room. The guys in the singles chose to keep all of their functions in their single rooms. Mid-year, the boys who had chosen singles were the ones who wanted to shift - thought sharing a room but having their desks in the common area was the superior arrangement. All shifted and were fine - although all four believed first semesterâs arrangements were the best.</p>
<p>All four chose to block together and added four girls from upstairs to their blocking group. I have no doubt they will continue their friendship throughout the four years. Unfortunately, they just received their upperclass housing assignments and they were divided into two groups of two on distant entryways. All four agree that while they have been rather unlucky in the actual dorm/house assignment they have been quite fortunate in their roommate assignments - by far the most important factor!</p>
<p>reflectivemom- good to know the tiny double bedroom with desks in the common room was deemed superior by your son and his buddies. My frosh will be in a similar situation (bunked double with common room) and I have been a little concerned about the tight quarters and noise level in the common room. Though we have been wondering if there is headroom to sit up on the top bunk. :)</p>
<p>Quick question âŠ</p>
<p>Are the laundry machines in the yard (my daughter will be using the ones in Stoughton I believe) regular machines or are they high efficiency?
We want to know if what kind of laungry detergent to buy - either regular or HE.</p>
<p>Hi Southbaymom, my son just used regular detergent. Some of the freshman dorms do not have laundry rooms. my son lived in Matthews but since it doesnât have a laundry room he used the one in Weld. The machines are just like the ones in the laundramats</p>
<p>Best of luck for a successful new year to new incoming Freshmen. :)</p>
<p>This is a fun and exciting time for all of you. My son loved his freshman year and made many great friends. Dorm size and configurations, food in dining halls, and everything else that you might think is a big deal really isnât that big of a deal. The friendships that you make will last a lifetime. It all works out in the end. Relax and have fun!!!</p>
<p>curious77, DD says that both in Weld and Canaday you could sit-up on a top bunk without worrying about your head hitting the ceiling. </p>
<p>I, too, would like to extend my very best wishes to the incoming freshmen and their parents. Parents, please let us know how the transition goes. And, as guitars101 said, relax and have fun.</p>