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.