First residence hall experience

The first thing that grabbed my attention in the residence halls were the personalities on the door. Be it in the thematic name cards placed by RAs, the notes scribbled on the dry erase boards, or any additional images placed by the students, the doors were an immediate first impression that I remember long after I became acquainted with the residents. This was on upper campus when I was still a commuter and was visiting my friend. However, when I began moving my things into the apartments, I was surprised at the stark contrast between the constant activity and enclosed feeling that I got in the residence halls compared to the quiet and openness of the apartments. Both locations have their merits, certainly, but the differences were more pronounced as the year progressed. While I could hear people singing in the shower in the dorms, my music in the apartments (from other residents) was limited to the sound of my next door neighbor's alarm. Similarly, unlike the dorms, the frequency of other students knocking on your door just to drop by was not as often. For this reason, I do not know much about the other students on my floor except their names and I doubt they know much else about me. I do not mean to suggest that apartments are some dull, boring place to live. Indeed, I really, really like them because they are almost like the next step for upperclassmen in terms of residence—the transition from the comforts of a college campus to the “real world.”