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Information for First-Year Residents

WPI guarantees on-campus housing to all full-time first-year students that submit their application to the Office of Residential Services by June 1. When accepting a room assignment, each student signs a Housing and Food Service contract binding them to living on campus for the entire academic year. Housing assignments for first-year students are prioritized according to the date of deposit.

Demand for Housing

The demand for housing at WPI exceeds the number of spaces available for resident students. Experience has shown that a significant number of students scheduled to live in the residence halls either never show up or withdraw after the first semester. The additonal occupancy housing offers housing too as many students as possible and it keeps room rates down. A set number of rooms are designated as additional occupancy rooms at the beginning of each academic year. As spaces become available through withdrawls or "no shows" we will begin the de-tripling process.

Roommate Matching

On the housing preference form, each student is asked to check off their preferences in the following areas: smoking/non-smoking, sleeping habits, studying habits, and how they prefer to keep their room. We use this information to match up potential roommates and their preferences, because these lifestyle issues are traditional areas of conflict between roommates. This is the only system that we use to assign roommates. Reciprocal roommate requests are honored whenever possible.

Roommates - Getting Acquainted

All room assignments for first-year students are made on the basis of roommate preferences and matched responses to the Housing Application Questionnaire. Most students are informed of the name and address of their roommates before arriving on campus for the start of the academic year. Students are encouraged to contact their roommates prior to arriving on campus. This will give roommates the opportunity to decide who will bring such items as stereos or refrigerators.

For many of you, this will be your first experience living away from home. For some, it will be your first experience sharing a room. We want your residence hall to feel like home to you during the academic year. For this reason, it is important that roommates communicate with each other.

Certainly roommates do not need to be best friends, but our hope is that you will learn to feel comfortable living together. After you and your roommate(s) have moved in, it is important that you take the time to learn about each other--what you like or dislike, your personalities, backgrounds and sleep and study habits. This is important even if you have been friends for several years before coming to WPI.

Here is a sample of some of the questions roommates can discuss in an effort to get to know each other and begin to communicate. We encourage you to sit down with your roommate (s) and discuss the answers to these questions.

Roommate Agreements

Often students do not see the need to discuss or agree upon issues that seem minor to them but are in fact important to their roommate(s). The "Roommate Agreement" is a form that students will utilize, with the assistance of their RA, to discuss and confirm particular aspects of sharing a room/suite/apartment with their roommate(s). Discussion topics range from how neat do you want to keep the room to having guests in the room.

Got a Conflict?

After devoting some time to getting to know each other and negotiating lifestyles, roommate conflicts may be minimal. Keep in mind that compromise is critical. Living with others requires give and take in many situations. All roommates have an equal voice and the right to stand up for something important to them; however, each must be willing to be a bit flexible in order to reach a comfortable middle ground for all. If a problem arises, you are encouraged to do the following:

• Talk with your roommate directly: Deal with the issue immediately. It is more effective to assert yourself than to let several small issues build up. If the situation is difficult, or you are not sure how to approach your roommate, contact your RA.
• Contact your Resident Advisor: RAs can assist roommates in sorting through conflicts and in finding a comfortable resolution for all involved. Your RA may suggest a group discussion with you and your roommate(s). Often it can be helpful to have a neutral person available to help sort through issues.
• Communicate! Keep in mind that it is important to communicate with your roommate (s) throughout the entire year. Each of you will grow and change while living at WPI. Some of your opinions, thoughts or values may change and it will be helpful to share these changes with your roommate (s) so that compromises and living agreements can be altered appropriately. Communication is the key to happy and healthy roommate relations!

Roommate Bill of Rights

For some, living with a roommate may be a new experience. You will find that sharing a room with another person(s) requires communication, cooperation, and compromise. Relationships of any kind involve a bit of work, some give and take, and an understanding of each other. The rights listed below are a suggested basis for agreements between roommates. Time discussing these rights should be well spent and hopefully form the basis for communication between you and your roommate(s). To a large extent, your relationship with a roommate is dependent on mutual consideration of the feelings and needs of the other person. Please remember that with every right goes the responsibility to respect that same right when it is exercised by another person(s).

• The right to read and study free from undue interference in your room.
• The right to sleep without undue disturbance from noise, guests, roommates, etc.
• The right to expect that roommates will respect each other's personal belongings.
• The right to a clean environment in which to live.
• The right to free access to one's room and facilities without pressure from a roommate.
• The right to personal privacy.
• The right to host guests at agreed upon times, and with the expectation that guests are to respect the rights of the host's roommate and other hall residents.
• The right to be free from fear or intimidation, physical and/or emotional harm.
• The right to refuse requests without having to feel guilty or selfish.
• The right to feel or express anger.
• The right to make mistakes.
• The right to have one's opinions given the same respect and consideration that other people's opinions are given.
• The right to be independent.
• The right to have one's needs be as important as those of other people.
• The right to expect that any and all disagreements will be discussed in an atmosphere of openness and mutual respect, and that it is acceptable when any roommate feels it necessary, to involve a residence hall staff member in such a discussion.

What to Bring

Each student room is furnished with a standard allotment of furniture that is inventoried on a room condition sheet prior to the student's arrival. Residential Services encourages you to personalize your room, within stated guidelines, so that you and your roommate (s) can make yourselves feel at home. WPI does not have space to store any furniture assigned to a room when residents bring additional furniture to decorate their rooms. The furniture provided in floor and hall lounges is intended for the use of all students and is not to be moved without the permission of the staff.

Necessities:

Pillows, Blankets, Extra Long Twin Sheets (Our beds are 36" by 80"), Mattress Pad, Bedspread, Towels, Wastebasket, Desk Lamp, Removable poster mounts by Magic Mount .

Other Suggestions:

Computer, Telephone, Surge Protector or Power Strip, Radio or Stereo, Flashlight, Small bucket or basket to carry items to and from the bathroom, Fan, Iron and ironing board, Refrigerator that is 4.3 cubic feet or less or uses no more than 120 volts (2 amps of electricity), Posters/Decorations, Plants.

What not to bring

Pets (other than fish), Candles, Torchiere lamps with halogen bulbs, Toaster Oven, Hot plates or hot pots, Any appliance with an exposed heating element, Air-conditioners, Weapons of any nature including paintball paraphernalia, Incense, George Foreman grills or any hot-plate..

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Last modified: August 19, 2008 09:47:07