“Dear Brooke, the housing lottery is coming up and I have no idea what to do or what buildings I can pick. Please help!”
The housing lottery. It’s exactly that.
But before I start off this “how-to” column, I would like to point out that while this process might be based on pure luck, just know that whatever building you end up in, you will be happy as long as you approach it with an open mind.
This current school year, I was placed into the absolute last building my roommates and I had in mind, but we honestly couldn’t be happier with where we ended up. With that being said, here is a simple, to-the-point, concise guide on what this whole operation consists of.
The first step is logging onto my.fairfield.edu and completing the housing application on the “Housing Director”. Once this is submitted, your housing lottery eligibility should be confirmed.
Next up is picking roommates. But, depending on what hall you plan on living in, the number of people in your group can vary widely (when the housing options are discussed below, you can decide how many friends you need from there). If you have a large group of friends that you know you want to live with, you still have to figure out who will be your direct roommate. So, I suggest not only factoring in how well you get along but comparing your living styles too, as it’s one of the biggest factors to keep in mind. I have a few friends that I absolutely love, but never in a million years would want to share a room with.
Once you have your group all situated, you will have to visit the “Housing Director” icon again. On the left-hand side, there will be a list of folders, but this time, you will need to click “select roommate”. From there, input who you will live with. However, don’t forget that the request needs to be mutual. If only one student adds a person as a roommate and the other does not include them, the request will not be accepted and you will be placed into a random lottery.
Next, you and your group will be entered into the lottery and in the next few weeks, you all will receive a time slot. Out of the entire group, you will take the average number to represent your pick time. Students will then select housing on the specified date and time (sent via email) starting with the lowest group number and ending with the highest.
So what houses can you pick? Great question! If you are a rising sophomore, the standard housing options have always included the “village”. Some of these choices within the village include Kostka Hall and Claver Hall which consist of two-person bedrooms conjoined with another two-person bedroom via bathroom aka “jack and jill” style. One thing to note is that only Kostka hall has laundry facilities, so those of you who live in Claver will have to walk to another building in order to wash your clothes.
The other dorm hall in Southside is Faber Hall which includes two living styles: four people in one room (with a bathroom) or a suite-style option. The suite is set up so that you walk into a larger bedroom that has enough room for living space where a small hallway leads you to a bathroom and the smaller room for an additional two people.
A new twist to the housing lottery is that another village residence is now a part of sophomore options: Meditz Hall. Since this is usually an upperclassmen building, residence life has turned this building into a program you must apply and get accepted into (no information has been provided yet, so keep a lookout in your emails for a future message from IRHA or residence life). If you are accepted, the styles consist of six or eight person rooms with a kitchen, living area and bathroom.
In the quad, there are three other options as well. Loyola Hall, which has two-person bedrooms with communal bathrooms. McCormick Hall, another dorm-style residence hall with two-person bedrooms and communal bathrooms, but they have hardwood floors giving them a very homey feel. And Langguth hall, which was built in 2018, consists of four or eight person style suites with two-person bedrooms and a personal bathroom. However, this is a part of the Ignatian Residential College programs (leadership, creative life or service for justice) which means in order to live here, you must apply for a specific program of choice and get accepted.
For rising juniors, as most of us know, our choices continue to consist of the townhouses, Mahan Road, Meditz Hall or Dolan Hall.
Now that you know all of the steps to the housing lottery, there are just three more important tips you can’t forget. Watch the clock. It happens more than you think, but some people actually oversleep or forget what their housing selection time is. So, make sure you triple-check your slot and set an alarm for ten minutes prior. Secondly, before selection day, try to estimate where you will end up depending on your pick time. And because not everything goes your way, prepare to have three backup rooms in case your first few are taken. Lastly, try to have all of your future roommates together so that you can mutually decide what room will be your new home.
Nevertheless, just try not to stress! I always say that everything happens for a reason, and I have never been proven wrong. I feel so fortunate to live in the hall and room that I do when I was originally dreading moving in. Now, I absolutely love it because all of my neighbors and I have become great friends (I probably wouldn’t have met them without living near them), I have a kitchen and a laundry room right next to me and countless lounge options that I always study in. Any room can be made a home with the right decorations, people and attitude – trust me, whatever room you get, you will be just fine!
Are you seeking any advice? Email Brooke at brooke.lathe@student.fairfield.edu or direct message our Instagram @fairfieldmirror to be featured!
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