I’m a second year student and I have a confession to make: I was very uncertain about my decision to live in res this year.
Over the summer, while all my friends gushed about their housemates and talked about their furniture shopping plans and meal prep ideas, I stayed silent. I avoided the topic as much as possible and didn’t tell people that I was staying in residence unless they explicitly asked me.
I was not proud of my decision to stay in res. This was mainly because people tend to associate upper years in res with “antisocial nerds” who can’t find people to move out of res with. In some cases that is true, but most of the time it’s completely false.
I am very happy to say that after a month of living in res, I’m 100% content and very grateful for my decision. Here are six reasons why being an upper-year is res is amazing.
1. No dishes, no cooking, no stress.
Cooking for yourself is all fun and games until your schoolwork begins to pile up and you realize that doing dishes is honestly more painful than studying for an exam. Dining hall meals might not be great, but there are always plenty of options to choose from and you don’t have to spend hours on end grocery shopping.
2. There are quiet floors filled with great people.
Upper year res is a lot quieter than first year res. If you are a big napper like me, you love it because you can nap any time of the day and not be disturbed. Oh, and the people are absolutely amazing! You get to meet people in all different faculties and years.
3. No buses!
You never have to worry about a bus never showing up because you can get to anywhere on campus by foot. You can wake up 20 minutes before your 8:30 and still show up on time.
4. There’s bi-weekly bathroom cleaning.
If scrubbing a toilet and cleaning the shower is what adulting is, I’ll wait another year or two before I start.
5. You are welcomed at other people’s houses.
I am not sure exactly what it is, but I think most people who are living out of res feel bad for the people living in res. You receive pity invitations from everyone to crash at their house if you ever feel the need to.
6. Being constantly surrounded by first years makes you feel mature and wise.
If you are an upper year who has visited one of the dining halls, you know what I’m talking about. Being surrounded by first years is honestly a magical feeling. Even though they are only one year younger than you, you feel as if they are babies. All of a sudden, it feels like you are full of wisdom.
Long story short, if you don’t think you are ready for the off-campus life yet, then don’t move off campus! There’s no rush to grow up.