FIRST year at the University is exciting for a lot of reasons. Not only is it one's first taste of real academic and personal freedom, but also the sense of community one gets from arriving on Grounds as a full student is really something else. I am proud to say that I loved my first year at the University, but if there is one thing I miss the most, it is the sense of community we all had as first years living in dorms.
As first year ended, we all knew it would not be the same; we would all be living in different areas, no longer brought together by our common living arrangements. Gone would be the days in which a majority of one's friends has a meal plan; gone the days when one could walk down his hall and socialize with his hallmates each night of the week; and gone the days when everyone lives, for the most part, within close proximity to his classes. As a second-year student living in Brown Residential College, however, I find myself happily surprised by the sense of community still fostered in upperclassmen housing.
For some individuals, myself included, the thought of entering upperclassmen housing is not exactly a positive one. There are concerns because not everyone will be the same and because upperclassmen housing assignments just will not be the same. Thankfully, I have found this fear to be irrational as upperclassmen housing is actually a reasonable next step for those not quite ready to move off Grounds for fear of losing the sense of community we have come to cherish at the university setting.
Currently, all incoming students are mandated to live on Grounds in first-year housing, which is probably for the best. Not only does it allow the members of the new class to get to know each other, but also it allows new students the time to adjust to their new lives as University students.
After that, friends move into apartments, some move into their fraternity or sorority houses and others move into upperclassmen dorms. With my experience moving into and living in the Brown Residential College, I am happy to say that this sense of community, though seemingly lost as a class, still is being fostered among those living in upperclassmen housing.
In Brown, for example, we have some special privileges in that we all interact with each other through many social events that one does not often see in first-year housing. One of my favorites is called Free Food Fridays, and it is pretty self explanatory. There is free food each Friday for Brown residents, offering the chance to get together and enjoy food with your fellow residents.
Another huge aspect of Brown is Tucker lounge, which is where many Brownies can be found hanging out throughout the day. Of course, Brown is not the only residential college on Grounds as the University has the International Resident College, or IRC, and Hereford Residential College. Maryam Ahmad, a second year College student who lived in Gooch/Dillard first year but now lives in Weedon, a house in Hereford, does not understand why people find living in a hall-styled setting to be so antisocial. "Halls are really social. Everyone ends up getting to know each other and people are super friendly," she said. Because everyone lives together in a building or hall, and also because of the fact that residential colleges contain many upperclassmen, getting to know each other fairly well by meeting and interacting with people on your halls is actually quite easy. It is not always possible to have the same social interaction when living in rented apartments or houses.
This is not to say that on-Grounds upperclassmen living arrangements are perfect for everyone, nor is it to say that living off Grounds should be avoided. Rather, I believe people should take the time to do what is best for them. Some people would rather live in an apartment, and others might want the ease and convenience that comes with living on Grounds. For some, living off Grounds can be a great way to grow as a person since it gives one the chance to live more freely as an adult, caring for an apartment and working out living arrangements.
For those who feel the need to move off Grounds in order to be more social or involved in the party scene, though, it is worth noting that doing so is not always necessary. On-Grounds upperclassmen housing can be just as social, if not more so, even without the major parties that happen on Rugby Road. Partying is not the only way to have fun at the University, and for those who miss the sense of community created by the first-year experience and want a bit of it back, I believe that upperclassmen housing may be the answer.
Bradlee Palmquist is a Viewpoint writer for The Cavalier Daily.
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