Moving into a residence hall for the first time is an adventure. If you’ve never lived in a dorm, it can be a little overwhelming at first. We have guides and informative handouts that help you get ready for the transition, but sometimes it helps to talk to someone who’s actually gone through it. So as a grizzled veteran of residence hall life, I’ve written down a few of the tips that made my time at PUC even better.

Dorm room or oasis? You decide. (Winning Hall)

Drop the Bass (gently)
I don’t particularly care for Mariah Carey’s music. But thanks to the guys who lived above me during my freshman year, I can sing “I Want to Know What Love Is” from memory if the situation calls for it. I think we can be honest in saying there’s going to be a little ambient noise in a building inhabited by a couple hundred people. But I think we can also agree to be considerate. So keep an eye on your speaker output, and just say no to air horns.

Inferno? Infer-Nope.
Like many other culinary enthusiasts, I too enjoy the smell of sizzling veggie meat in the morning. But the smell of sizzling residence hall is significantly less pleasant. For that reason, leave the griddles and toasters at home. The official school policy prohibits any item with an open heating element, but microwaves are still fair game. Each residence hall also has a kitchen with all the appliances you’ll need to cook like a grownup.

Feel free to decorate to your heart’s content. (McReynolds Hall)

Don’t Turn Your Roommate Into A Gloom-mate
There’s an art to gracefully sharing a living space with another human being. For example, consider taking out the trash before the banana you threw away a week ago starts to develop a nervous system and basic reasoning skills. That’s common sense (I hope), but there are a lot of less obvious opportunities for habits to cause tension, such as sleep schedules or decorative preferences. It pays to check in with your roommate every now and then to see what’s working and what might be worth changing. And seriously, get that banana to a dumpster.

Get With the Program
Every residence hall has its own rhythm. This includes hall worships, Dorm Olympics, and various other social activities. It can also include when everyone starts to quiet down at night, or when everyone tries to do laundry. Study the ecosystem of whichever residence hall you live in so that you can get the most out of your time. Laundry, for instance, will take you three times longer if you try to do it on Sunday nights along with everyone else in the building. Your RA will be able to tip you off for the small details like that, as well as the bigger events so you can be better involved socially and spiritually during your time at PUC.

Students visit during the annual Dorm Open House. (Andre Hall)

There’s a whole book to be written about getting the most out of your residence hall, but hopefully this gets you started. If you’re looking for a quick list of things to bring, check out the Residence Hall 101 section from the PUC Start Guide. Being able to live on campus adds incredible depth to the college experience, and as long as you can avoid torching the carpet or single-handedly causing a mold infestation, we can’t wait to help you move in!