Tag Archives: PUC dorm life

Questions To Ask Your Future Roommate 

If you haven’t met your roommate yet or would like to know more about them, we put together a list of questions to ask your future roommate as you prepare to live together.

What’s your sleeping schedule like? Asking about their sleeping schedule will let you know if it works out with your sleeping schedule. If you’re a light sleeper, ask if they snore, sleep talk, or stay up past midnight studying. 

Are there any rules you want to establish before moving in? During this process, be open-minded and considerate, and find solutions where you both can be happy. 

What’s your schedule like? Comparing class and work schedules will let you know if you have classes together, when they need to wake up, and when you can have the room to yourself.

How do you like to study? Like asking about their schedule, their study patterns give you an idea of where they get work done and how long they stay up at night. If one or both of you likes to study in your room, respect each other’s study habits and space. 

Do you take showers in the morning or/and at night? You might not think this is a relevant question, but it is to some people. Let’s say you’re ready to hop into the shower and get ready for the day but can’t because it’s occupied. The same goes for going to bed. It’s a simple question, so just ask. 

How organized or clean do you like to be? Even though you two have separate sides of the room, be considerate of how you tidy your space. If you keep your room clean, it might be hard to live with someone who doesn’t.

Do you have any allergies? Note their allergies or other health issues. This will keep you alert if you want to share food or if they need medical attention. 

What are your pet peeves? Get those pet peeves out in the open. You don’t know if you have a habit that could be your roommate’s pet peeve or vice versa. 

How do you feel about having friends over? See if you both are on the same page about having people over. No one likes to be uncomfortable in their own space.

What appliances are you planning on bringing? Check if they plan to purchase a fridge or microwave- so you don’t double on appliances. This could also bring up the question if they’re okay sharing items. 

What do you enjoy doing? Their hobbies, passions, and interests give you a sense of who they are and help you learn if you share similar interests.

What are your favorite foods? Food is always something to bond over. Knowing their favorite foods can help you figure out which restaurants you can possibly go to together or cook together. 

What kind of music and shows do you like? A basic question that lets you know more about your roommate and find something you both have in common. They can also introduce you to new music and shows too! 

It’s okay if you’re a bit nervous to ask some of these questions. Remember to keep an open mind and be considerate of their feelings and opinions. Having a roommate is a new experience, and these questions will help you get to know each other better.

Residential Life 101

There are tons of exciting and new things about going off to college. One of those is moving into a residential hall. Unless you went to a boarding academy (if you did you are pros already) this is likely your first time living ‘on your own’. You might be very excited about this or you might have a lot of anxiety surrounding the idea. Either way, you’re bound to have questions. Lucky for you, we have the answers! 

First of all, let’s cover how you even get a room assigned to you. It’s actually fairly simple because we’ll do it for you! Once you’re accepted, you’ll be asked to pay a $200 deposit and fill out a housing reservation form. This lets us know of your plans. Since rooms are assigned in the order they are received, it’s a good idea to do this ASAP! Room assignments are sent out in the summer. Something for you to look forward to. 

Now that we have that covered, what should you plan to bring with you? Each residence hall room contains two beds, dresser drawers, closets, desks and chairs, and one sink with a mirror. However, figuring out what else you’ll need to pack and bring to college can be difficult so to make it easier we came up with a packing list to help. Read our “Your College Packing List” post for ideas about what you probably should bring with you for your move up to PUC

Just because you’re not living at home with your family doesn’t mean you’re completely on your own. Each residence hall has a dean who lives in the building. They have a team of RAs or residence assistants, who work with them to ensure each student within their dorm is having the best experience possible. Their goal is for each student to feel like they’re part of the special Pioneers family. 

We asked RA, Alexis Keller to answer a few commonly asked questions about life in the PUC residential halls. 

What is an RA, what is your role?

An RA is a student leader in the dorms. We are there to provide educational, social, and spiritual opportunities for the residents! RA’s will do nightly “room checks,” stopping by each room to check-in and see how you’re doing. RA’s are also there to lend an ear (with confidentiality) if you want to talk about a rough day you had, a bad breakup, or if you need a shoulder to cry on, or just simply need to vent. Our rooms are always open if residents need a place to discuss any issues they are having, or just want to chill. Overall, RA’s are here to enhance your dorm life by being a resource for residents who have any questions/concerns, maintain a safe environment, create meaningful worship events, and plan fun social activities.

Will I have a curfew?

Yes, the curfew is 11 p.m. every night except for Saturday, where curfew is 12 midnight. This does not mean you have to be in your room, but simply in the building. Often residents will still be up in the various study areas of the dorm past curfew. There is also an extension to this curfew, which will be explained more during your orientation!

What social opportunities will I have in the residential hall?

There are many social opportunities in each residence hall! We typically do a big social event once a month, such as movie nights, pizza parties, pancake breakfasts, dorm Olympics, etc. Smaller social events will also happen on your own floor. Anything from a movie night, game night, tea time, and lots of others! Along with attending these social activities, you can put your own creative ideas to good use by working with your RA’s to come up with events that you would like to see happen in your dorm.

What spiritual opportunities?

Each residential hall has all-dorm worship that happens once a week with food, activities, music, and worship thought. Additionally, RA’s will have individual floor worship once a week where students can stop by for a quick snack and devotion. Along with the weekly scheduled worships, RA’s are available for one-on-one Bible studies with the residents. Even when we are not with our residents, we are always praying for them and their success!

What is one of the more challenging things about living in a residential hall and what are some ways you deal with it?

One of the more challenging aspects of living in a residential hall is learning how to live with another person in your space. Having a roommate or suitemate that is messy, has a different sleep schedule, different music tastes, or different living habits can be frustrating. It is important to always be communicative with your roommate as well as be willing to meet them halfway! College is a wonderful growing experience and these challenges can help you grow a closer connection with your roommate when handled correctly. You can always come to your RA’s to discuss any roommate disagreements and to talk about solutions and alternatives to make your living experience more comfortable and enjoyable.

What’s your favorite thing about living in the residential hall?

One of my favorite things about living in the residential hall is the sense of community. Through the various social and worship events, I get to know most of the residents in a more relaxed setting separate from the stress of school. Because we all live together, it is nice to be able to pop over to a friend’s room to hang out as well as to meet up with students within your major for study sessions.

 

Make the Most Out of Your PUC Dorm Experience

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.

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.

McReynolds 1

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)

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!