At the beginning of every year, students get the opportunity to choose where they will live next semester. Whether it be living on campus or off campus, students have plenty of options to select their next nest. 

Abby Roesch, the Assistant Director of Housing Occupancy and Systems of The Residential Life and Housing Office, has plenty of experience guiding students regarding housing options. According to Roesch, the four residence halls that house freshmen are Deglman Hall, Swanson Hall, Graves Hall and McGloin Hall. Except for Deglman Hall, the freshmen residence halls are suite-style. 

Sophomores live in Kenefick Hall, Davis Square, Heider Hall and McGloin Hall. Roesch said Davis Square has “private rooms within a suite,” whereas Kenefick Hall and Heider Hall are both “shared room apartments.” Kenefick and Heider Halls have efficiency rooms, where two roommates share one living space that does not have a separate room for beds. There are also corner rooms in Kenefick Hall that feature a living space separate from the area where the beds are. 

While there are plenty of options for underclassmen, juniors and seniors can opt to live on campus in Opus Hall, which is “a private bedroom style hall similar to Davis.” There are also some sophomores living in Opus Hall, and it hosts study abroad students. Living with study abroad students can be a unique experience. Opus does not require a meal plan, utilities are included in the cost and it is low maintenance.  

Obtaining an Opus Hall residence can be tricky for some students because it is competitive. For instance, there is the chance some students can be waitlisted to get into Opus Hall because of the demand.   

Students who wish to learn more about the dorms can use The Residential Life and Housing Office as a resource. Students must apply for housing through the housing portal, which is located on “The Nest” under “Students-Housing, Dining, and Residence Life.” After accessing the housing portal, students can click on the “Academic Year Housing Application” to get started and fill out the necessary steps to complete the application. After finishing the application, click on the “Roommates” tab to find roommates. Under the “Roommates” tab, students can click on “CONTINUE,” and they are rerouted to “Roommate Group Formation.” 
Students can then search for roommates by details, profiles and suggested roommates. By clicking on “Suggested roommates,” for example, the housing portal transfers students to a list of potential roommates that share similar profiles with them. Students can see a match percentage for each student that is suggested for them, and the match percentage is based on profile similarity. 

A housing profile details each student’s responses to certain living situations and interests. Students can message other students on the portal asking if they are interested in becoming roommates for next year. However, not everyone listed on the suggested roommates may have applied to be in the housing process for next year.