Want the inside scoop on Siena’s freshmen dorms? We’ve got you covered! In our freshman dorm series, we’ll share our tips, tricks, and insider info for living in each of the freshman halls! Second up: Ryan Hall!
What we love about Ryan:
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The shelves! Ryan Hall is unique because it has two shelves that run along side the room that can be highly useful. They’re perfect for books, decor, fun pictures.
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Ryan Hall’s location is prime for freshmen year. It’s located right next to one of Siena’s dining halls, Lonnstrom, and is also next to the SSU, which is home to Casey’s, one of Siena’s eateries where you can get salads, wraps, coffees, bagels, and more. Ryan is also in the middle of a bunch of other dorms like Hines, Padua, Hennepin, and Plassmann. (Sidenote: Lonnstrom Dining Hall is named after one of Siena’s professors, Dr. Lonnstrom. However, you will mostly hear students calling it “Saga” because years ago the students called it “Saga”, and the name stuck!)
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The new printer! Siena students expressed that they wanted a printer in the residence halls, and this past year, the Student Senate made it happen! As always, be sure to have a small personal stock of paper for those “juuuust incase” moments when the guy who lives two floors down prints out about 500 copies too many of his essay, leaving the printer paperless.
Places in Ryan we love:
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The study rooms are another great aspect of Ryan. They’re perfect for, well, uh, studying. But they’re also good if you need to make a phone call away from your dorm.
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The lounge on the first floor is yet another superb place in Ryan. It is home to a giant TV and a ping pong table. This is perfect for when the Bachelor comes back on and you want to have a viewing party!
Insider tips for Ryan:
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Ryan has two closets in each room, but be sure that you don’t overpack. The first few weeks of the fall semester are warm, but once mid-October hits, you’re going to be reaching for your long sleeve shirts, cardigans, and leggings. However, don’t bother packing all of your heavy sweats and clothes. A good rule of thumb is that you can switch out your warm-weather clothes for cold-weather clothes when you go home for Thanksgiving.
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LAMPS! We can’t emphasize the importance of bringing extra lighting to Ryan! One of the not so great parts of Ryan is the poor lighting in the dorms. Luckily, this is easily remedied by bringing things like standing lamps, desk lamps, and/or battery operated string lights. Note: the only type of string lights that are acceptable to have at Siena are battery-operated ones! You cannot have plug-in string lights because they’re a fire hazard.
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It takes a little while to master the art of communal bathrooms and incorporating them into your morning routines. A quick tip that will help you along with your transition – use the ledge next to the window to hold your items. It’ll reduce your morning struggles of trying to make sure that your face wash, toothpaste & brush, makeup, and whatever else don’t all end up in the sink or on the floor.
Just like in any dorm, be sure to keep your door open so you can meet new people! Don’t be afraid to knock on your neighbors’ doors and introduce yourself. You never know… your best friend could be living in the other wing just waiting for you to stop by and talk to them!
Ryan Hall might be the beginning of your life at Siena, so enjoy every second of it! These four years will be memorable and exciting, but also trying and eye-opening. Embrace it, own it, and remember that the Siena community will always be there for you and your incredible journey!
If you have any other questions that you want answered about Ryan Hall or freshmen life in general, be sure to comment them on the Ryan post on our Facebook page and make sure to look out for our other upcoming articles on freshman life at Siena!
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