I won’t lie, when I first found out that I was going to be living in Old Dorms, I was not happy. But now, as the year is wrapping up, and I’ll be moving out in the next few weeks, I couldn’t be happier that I can call old dorms my home. Sure, it has its ups and downs, but I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.
So, to the future first years that will soon be living here next year, I envy you. I’ll admit I cried the first day I was here. But now that I know what I’ll be leaving, I know there’s about to be some tears shed over everything I love about my home away from home. Here are just a few things I love about Old Dorms.
1. The lack of air conditioning
The first few weeks were absolutely brutal, and occasionally, I felt like I was walking into a sauna the second I walked through the main door. Please do yourself a favor and invest in box fans and a tower fan; you will not regret the investment. But as you’re meeting new people, what better way to break the ice than bonding over how uncomfortably hot it is all the time? After all, friends who sweat together stay together.
2. Living so close to classes
Location, location, location. This is where we undoubtedly win. There’s no better feeling than knowing you can make it to a class on time even if you wake up at 8:45 for your 9 a.m. Sorry, suite-style dorms.
3. The constant ant infestations
For some unknown reason, certain areas of each dorm seem to get hit harder than others with these. Buy some ant bait. If you do get them, I promise they will be of monstrous magnitude. Nothing brings you closer to your hall than comparing just how bad your infestations are. It may be pretty disgusting, but hey, it’s just another way that UVA is preparing us for the real world and making us self-sufficient.
4. The Quad
Old Dorms are tightly packed, giving us a nice common quad area. Whether you want to play catch, study in the sun, or just socialize, this spot is a go-to when it’s nice out.
5. The lack of elevators
While living on the third floor is not desirable on move-in days if you don’t have an elevator, the lack of elevators is a great way to force my lazy self to get just a little bit more exercise. I promise, the freshman 15 is very real. Any amount of exercise helps.
6. There aren't common rooms on every floor
I honestly don’t know if I would know half of my friends from my building if we had more than one common room. It may get a little packed sometimes, but this is where I met some of my first friends. Whether you want to do your work, socialize, or just meet some more people from the building, this is the spot.
So to all of you incoming first years that will be assigned to Old Dorms, make the most of it—I think this place is pretty special. Old Dorms have a way of making your dorm feel like your home, and the people in your building feel like family. So make an effort, say hi to everyone you see, and love every moment you have here—it goes by faster than you can imagine.
