It’s February. Valentine’s Day has come and gone with no love lost, the weather is vacillating between
outrageously cold and bizarrely warm and midterms are the only obstacle standing between you and glorious Spring Break. Well, except for one little thing: room selection.
Unless you are perfectly content living in a cardboard box on the corner of Green and Pennington – prime real estate, I know – room selection has probably crossed your mind at some point these past few weeks. Whether you are a seasoned veteran or a novice room seeker, we all could use a little refresher when it comes to the housing lottery. Sit back and relax, Her Campus is about to take on MyHousing Management.
To live on or off campus – that is the question
By this point in time, you should have made the decision about whether to stay in the TCNJ bubble or venture out into Ewing. I hate to break it to you, but the deadline to apply for housing has long past. There are pros and cons to both sides. Studies have found students who live in campus housing are happier and more satisfied with their overall academic and social experience. It makes sense: you are more likely to trek out to the Library, campus events, study groups and – gasp – class if the journey on foot is under ten minutes, not over twenty. Especially in the rain, the cold and the snow.
Even so, living off-campus has an appeal: the chance to be a grown-up living in the real world! You cook, you host parties, you pay rent, you commute and you are independent for the first time in your college life. It is a lot of responsibility, and for some of us, it’s much easier to put that responsibility off for another year or two until we graduate.
The Time-Slot Announcement
So you submitted the application, forked over the $100 deposit and have crossed your fingers and toes that the housing gods are smiling down upon you. To put things in perspective: out of approximately 1400 rising junior and senior housing applications, there are 1200 bed spaces to offer. That means the remaining 200 will have the option of either receiving a housing deposit refund or placing themselves on the wait list.
Spare yourself the hair-pulling and nail-biting, and simply log onto MyHousing Management to discover your fate. Rising sophomores can view their timeslot after 4 pm on Monday, February 21 and rising juniors or seniors after 4 pm on Tuesday, February 22.
If you have a timeslot, breathe a sigh of relief. If not, consider your options.
It’s not the end of the world if you don’t get a lottery number – the housing wait list has a pretty darn good success rate. Everyone who was on it last year received housing by September and while there is no guarantee that those who want campus housing will get campus housing, it’ll do no harm to sign up for the wait list. If you’d rather explore off-campus options, there are still some properties available but you have to act fast!
Sophomore Choices: The Good, the Bad and the (not so) Ugly
I loved living in:
Decker: “because, as silly as it sounds, I love having a bathroom in my room! No more long, awkward walks down the hallway clinging to my towel, hoping I don’t give anyone a show. I do not miss the days of communal bathrooms,” says Alexa Rozzi, fellow editor-in-chief.
ABE: “because the rooms have character. This isn’t some cookie-cutter dorm. Plus, the bathroom to person ratio is pretty good and the walls are thick enough that you can have ‘study sessions’ without disturbing your neighbors,” say Allen roommates Sarah Walsh and Amanda Hess.
Norsworthy: “because it has the atmosphere and charm of a colonial dorm, in close walking distance to Eick, the Library and the academic buildings. Its maze-like design makes doing laundry an exciting adventure in itself,” says Rhett Williamson, junior Chemistry major.
Eickhoff: “because it’s the center of campus and everything is so convenient. Plus you don’t have to leave your dorm on a snow day and you can go to breakfast in your slippers if you want,” says Sonia Ratcliffe.
New Residence: “because the rooms are spacious and you share a bathroom with just one other person. Can you say hotel style? Plus it’s just a hop, skip and a jump from the Library and Eickhoff,” this writer says.
Centennial: “because I actually like the social aspects of having a communal bathroom. There’s nothing quite like the convos shared while at the sinks, or hearing others blast music while showering. Plus, I don’t have to buy my own toilet paper or clean the toilet myself (yuck!),” says Jamie Primeau, our very own campus celebrity editor. By the way, check out Jamie’s swell Centennial editorial over at the Signal.
Upperclassmen Choices: Welcome to the Big Leagues
I loved living in:
Townhouses: “because it’s like living in a little community, but with your own room! By far my favorite on-campus housing option,” this writer says (again).
Apartments: “because it’s much more spacious than other housing options. Also, we have the great convenience of actually cooking our own food and not having to rely on Eickhoff,” says Rahool Dave, junior Philosophy major.
Eickhoff: “because it’s so close to everything. The rooms are also huge, which is a big plus. The air conditioning and your own bathroom don’t hurt either,” says Danielle Rothman.
The Roommate
In the words of The Real World, “this is what happens when people stop being polite, and start being real.”
We’ve all seen the previews of Blair Waldorf, I mean, Leighton Meister as the deranged roommate in the creatively titled film, “The Roommate.” None of us want that. Pick your roommate wisely because you will be sharing a living space with them for the better part of eight months. That’s quite a long time if they snore, bring home “study partners” every night or enjoy play video games until 3 a.m. Before agreeing to share hearth and home, ask three questions of your prospective roommate:
• What time do you wake up and go to bed?
• What are your thoughts on overnight guests?
• What is your most annoying habit?
If you can live with their answers, go for it.
“So, um, I’ve been thinking…”
How to tell your current roommate you don’t want to live with them
You made it through one year together but there is no way you’ll do it again. Maybe she’s a huge slob, talks on the phone non-stop, eats your food, wears yours clothes, blasts music or has her boyfriend over every night. Even worse, she might be the best friend who turned out to be the worst roommate.
Whatever the reason, sharing an “itty bitty living space” again is just not in the cards. So how do you tell them without hard feelings?
Be honest. Inform your roomie upfront that living together is not the best option for next year. Don’t go into painful detail about how they chew gum like a cow or steal all your food, just explain your plans and leave it at that.
Forewarning. Don’t wait until the last minute, then you are asking for tears. Make sure they have enough time to find someone else, or perhaps recommend people you know of that currently don’t have roommates either.
How to get the room
Once you nab a timeslot and have interrogated your cohabitation prospects, you should request them as a roommate through the application on MyHousing Management. They’ve got to accept or else you won’t be able to pull them in when it comes time to pick the room.
For Decker, Townhouses, Phelps and Hausdoerffer, you can pull in four people for a total of five – but each of you has to request and/or accept each other as roommates. The rest of the dorms are standard doubles (mostly) and so that means you can only pull in one other person (your roommate!).
It may seem complicated, but Housing posted a nifty web demo explaining EVERYTHING you need to know.
By the way, if you are being pulled in, all you have to do is log onto MyHousing to choose your meal plan and electronically sign the housing contract. This MUST be done with 24 hours of room assignment – or the cardboard box will be a reality.
Words of Wisdom from Housing
“The best advice I can offer to students stressing out about the housing lottery is: don’t. You are only stressed because you believe something negative might happen. Instead, think about it as a challenge, and remember that challenges are not always bad; they are opportunities for intellectual and social growth.
Whether you get that single in Allen or get placed off the housing wait list, whether you end up being best friends or mortal enemies with your future roommate or suitemate, use your experiences for self reflection and analysis.
If you enter next year with an open mind and a bit of perspective, you’ll be able to overcome any challenge you face and you’ll be wiser and more mature for it. Remember the astute words of Fiona Apple – you’ll make the most of it, you’re an extraordinary machine.“ – Director of Housing, Ryan Farnkopf.
There you have it. Best of luck, collegiettes!
If you have any questions, contact Housing: drop by Eick 114, e-mail housing @ tcnj dot edu, call 609-771-2301 or become a fan of TCNJ Housing on Facebook.
Photo Credit 1: Kate Stronczer
Photo Credit 3: Jen Kozlowski