In
the fall 2011 term for freshmen, Drexel dealt with many complaints and
unexpected transformations, while also successfully helping freshmen transition
and accommodate to the new situations of the year. The current residence hall
program at Drexel not only establishes a comforting environment for students,
but also incorporates upperclassmen students to help in maintaining this environment.
In the fall of 2011 specifically, Drexel had to make changes to provide for an
overflow of students: “An overflow housing plan could include the conversion of
double-occupancy bedrooms to triple-occupancy bedrooms, the conversion of
residence hall lounges to bedrooms and other strategies” (University Housing | Drexel Business
Services). Due
to the overflow housing situation at Drexel this fall, Drexel had to turn
Towers, a traditional two bedroom setting, into a three bedroom setting. Through
research performed by David Zimmerman, a scholarly economist, he concluded that
“having a roommate in the lowest 15% of the verbal SAT distribution is
associated with a reduction in GPA of 0.088 points” (Zimmerman). The additional
student in a Towers Hall room was extremely unexpected and could potentially exacerbate
Zimmerman’s conclusions; furthermore, many of the incoming freshmen were not
aware the change was going to occur until a month before school began. It was
initially a surprise and many people had their doubts, but Drexel has successfully
transitioned students to the new environment. Although the future effects of the
addition of a roommate have yet to be determined, the resident assistants in
each building and floor have helped in the transition process: “Through
intentional events such as building-wide dinners and floor trips into the city,
first-year students begin to feel connected to the campus and city in which
they now live” (Students).
Specifically
in Towers, the resident assistants have planned many unique floor bonding activities.
One of the most interesting activities was a fourth floor date with the ninth
floor. This event involved getting dressed up and going to dinner at Chili’s as
a two-floor group. Altogether, the entire experience assisted in creating new
bonds and friendships throughout the residence hall. If not for the resident
assistant’s help in executing this plan, the students in Towers would not have
experienced the bonding activity. The resident assistants at Drexel help “build
supportive and educational environments” (Students). Although this is only a
single example of a student activity, these small activities end up amounting
to more relationships with other students in the building, leading to a better living atmosphere on campus.
Not
only has Towers successfully transitioned students through the overflow housing
issues, but other residence halls, such as Millennium, also create better
living environments for Drexel students through effective activities. The most
recent example of this would be the de-stressor week after midterms. The
resident assistants of Millennium planned a week of fun activities for
Millennium students to de-stress after finals. These activities included
finger-painting, a large Twister game in the lobby, a movie night, and a
silly-string your RA night. Altogether, the event not only allowed students to
bond with other students, but also allowed students to get to know the resident
assistants better. Living in Millennium, which is the main residence hall for
honors students, can at times be frustrating because it is difficult to meet
people since not everyone is social. Through activities such as de-stressor
week, the residence hall assistants and Drexel’s housing program have created a
helpful and open environment for all students.
Although
the University has had issues with overflow housing and many students have
complained about their living conditions, the efforts Drexel has taken to make
the living environment better on campus has been noted. The residence hall
program at Drexel has been an influential component of making the transition
experience for freshmen much easier and more fun.
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