Acclimating to a new environment can be fearsome for many, including myself. Coming to college having lived my whole life around family members it was terrifying to think I would be “living on my own”, with two complete strangers as a first year student. I lived in a triple during my first year, in a Jack and Jill living style. There was a set of two triples with a total of six students in which we all shared a toilet and shower. Within each triple there were two sinks, two closets and three individual beds. If you are placed in a double as a first-year, you will be accessing the communal restrooms shared by everyone in the residence hall. Living in a triple was interesting because we all had similar bedtimes and lived well together due to the accuracy of the extensive housing questionnaire you take during the summer before your first year.
Part of my wall for my decorated wall and earring collection in Clark hall
My second year came rolling around and I lived in a single room in Clark hall that had its own balcony and a sink. I had applied for a living learning community during the spring semester of my first year when the housing application opened up. I was excited to be a part of the Spanish hall. Scripps residential life has different living learning communities that seek to foster community within each dorm hall; which include but are not limited to the sustainability hall, wellness/substance free hall, language halls (Spanish, German, French, Italian), and STEM/pre-health hall. Living in the Spanish hall meant us as residents were joined by an international student from Spain sharing space with us. As a language hall we had monthly meetings and learned about the Spanish language and different food in Spanish speaking countries.
My junior year I held the Community Coordinator position in Toll hall which allowed me to live in a single room that had its own private restroom. As the toll Community Coordinator, I was responsible for planning and hosting events that focused on the importance of individually taking care of our bodies through destressing, so we are more present and able to build community when sharing space with others. One event that we planned was to make your own Halloween goodie bags during the month of October for our residents.
Housing for my beautiful plants, but also known as the balcony in my single
My second semester of my junior year I requested to live at Scripps student off-campus housing because I wanted to be able to cook my own meals and have a more private apartment experience. I lived in a studio and became the Community coordinator for that space, where I helped plan events like seed and sow. During the spring time we provided pots, soil, and milkweed seeds so that students could plant their own butterfly pollinating plants and watch them grow!
Scripps off-campus housing studio apartment
Having access to my own space has truly allowed me to focus and get my work done on time which has been a blessing for me. The last time I had my own room was when I was five years of age, but thankfully I have been able to have my own space where I have been able to decorate to my taste, cook nourishing meals, tend to my plants, and make it an environment filled with love!