Living on the Mount Freshman year can make or break you. Underclassmen dorms, Day and Flint sit upon the giant cliff that is the Mount, far away and hard to reach. With that, you face a list of pros and cons that loom over you, similarly to when it snowed this past year on Halloween ( that's a whole other story). The following list is what I learned as a Freshman living up on Mount Olympus.
1. The Stairs
You might as well consider your ascent up the stairs as a full fledged Exhibition. The stairs seem to go on forever and during the winter you might as well set up camp on one of the ledges. Remember kids, winter is coming.
2. The Distance
However great the friend, there's always hesitation when deciding if hanging out will be worth the trek. Having people over for pregames would always be a gamble if they could make it up the mount in their finest evening wear.
3. Any type of Intoxication
There is a reason why we have the "drunk stairs". Which, to be quite honest, are still pretty damn dangerous with a drunk girl and a pair of stilettos. Speaking of drunk... the car accident this past year that wrecked the stairs made the commute, that is usually 10 minutes already, just that much longer.
4. The Connective Corridor
While the bus system can be fantastic, I can't tell you the amount of times that I've seen fellow commuters sprint down the mount stairs, flailing their arms sadly as the bus drives away. Due to the fact that we're a little far away, in the winter time when the buses start to vary by a few minutes, it can really mess with your morning commute. Plus, who doesn't want to chase after a bus in about 2 feet of snow?
5. The Weather
When bad weather hits, When it snows on the mount, which is often because frozen tundra and all that, you are literally snowed in. Class? Forget about it! Plus, being on a mountain, the wind will become a cruel, cruel mistress.
But...there are some really great things about living on that mountain we all call home.
6. Your floor is literally your family
Since you are so far away from that thing they call, "civilization," you have no choice but to recede from your awkward freshman introvert ways. You are kind of forced to be friends with everyone on your floor because you're all you have. Which is actually pretty sweet! You learn to love most people on your floor and make some great friends at the same time.
.
7. Your RAs are the BEST people
Day Hall is notorious for having some of the best RAs on campus. Partly because they're so far away from society too.
8. "FoodWorks" and "The Junction"
Just beneath the mount in an underground tunnel lies these two beauties. "FoodWorks" is mini underground supermarket, which WILL become your safe haven. Red solo cups? They got 'em. "Ben and Jerry's?" You betcha. Conveniently next to that is "The Junction." In case you missed dinner because of a late class, or that fact that "Graham" closes at 7:30 p.m. most nights, this will become the best hang out ever. Suited up with all your late night snack bar cravings like milkshakes and mozzarella sticks, that place is perfection.
9. Connection between Flint and Day.
Let's say your best friends aren't on your floor, you're still connected to Flint! It's a whole other dorm filled with more people so you can always expand your social circle. Plus, you don't even have to go outside when the weather turns into that of Antartica.
10. The Memories
Anyone you talk to, despite the automatic response of hating how far away the Mount was, always reminisces about the best time they had up there. It's where you learn and grow, your freshman year and I don't think any of us would have had it any other way!
What do you think? Let us know what you thought about the Mount!
