Hello, Flyers! This week, the staff teamed up to bring you all our best advice for the different types of housing we have lived in. From Founders to Houses, these are the things we think you should know.

Dorms

If you’re chilling in your room, leave the door open! A friendly floormate passing by to say a simple “Hi” can be a mood booster or a nice study break. - Elizabeth

Marycrest

Ah, life in Marycrest. The five-star resort of dormitories. Hot meals served in the lobby daily, close proximity to all of the important places on campus, and your very own microwave/mini fridge combo. There are just a few things to keep in mind:

• Always remember you do have to wear pants to get food (shoes too).

• The walls are paper thin so bring a nice noisy fan to drown out the sounds of your neighbors watching "Breaking Bad" at 2 a.m.

• To avoid attracting strays be sure to close your door around 1 am on the weekends.

• Last but certainly not least, remember to use the dining hall and the more spacious rooms to get your friends to come to you (less walking is the best walking). - Steven

The Flex meal plan is the way to go; take full advantage of it. Eat all of the Monster Cookies you can, and definitely try the smoothies and milkshakes. You can borrow vacuums from the front desk, but they don’t work very well. I highly recommend befriending someone who will let you borrow his or her vacuum. - Karen

Never let someone talk you out of having ice cream for dinner. It’s the perfect treat in the middle of winter when it’s 7 p.m. when you’re already in your pajamas. Take advantage of your larger-than-normal room with a ridiculous amount of storage. Trust me, the people living in Founders are jealous. - Lauren

Marianist

Getting Marianist sophomore year felt like a prison sentence. It actually turned out to be the best spot on campus. You are right in the middle of everything, it takes two minutes to walk to class, and you have the best view of the campus (depending on your room). Plus, it's nice to have somewhere to grab snacks at midnight in your slippers. - Megan

Stuart

If there is any chance of rain on the forecast, make sure you take an umbrella/raincoat with you to class. You do not want to get caught walking up Stuart Hill without protection. - Brett

Founders

It may be the smallest dorm and only one with no food, but it’s newly renovated and now has an elevator. You get close with everyone on your floor: hang out in the halls - your rooms are too small to anyways. DON’T bring a lot of stuff, there simply isn’t room for it. You need clothes, shoes/accessories, and school supplies, nothing else will fit. All decorations should be for the wall, because again, that’s the only spot with space. Buy blue sticky tack for the posters and double up. - Natalie

Don’t stay shut up in those tiny rooms! Get out into those big hallways and get to know your neighbors! Also, carpeted floors hide the dirt. Make sure to vacuum! They might look clean, but the last thing you want is for a friend to sit on the floor and find themselves surrounded by your and your roommate's shedded hair. The walls are thin, so be respectful and keep the noise to a minimum on school nights. There is a vending machine on the ground floor, just in case you just need m&ms and the weather is too horrid to venture outside! - Emma

VWK

Get an extra fridge if you can!! It helps a lot. Clean the food area frequently, it gets gross quickly. (People had rats last year...gross). Be respectful of noise level because you can hear the floors above you. It’s fine on the weekends, but hearing hardcore rap blasting at 1 a.m. on a Monday night = not cool. You’ll probably never get a two-sink bathroom again in your life, so enjoy it. - Natalie

VWK is easily one of the best places to live as a sophomore. It has its charms, and my one piece of caution to you is that this building is a labyrinth. You will get hopelessly lost at times and that’s okay. It still happens to the best of us. - Katlin

Cherish the times you go to get food made by somebody else while still in your PJs—those days don’t last long enough. - Sarah

Campus South

This is the year of the biggest bathroom of your life. Sure, it’s got two showers and two toilet stalls, but there’s still room for a dance party of six in front of the mirror. Enjoy it while it lasts. - Elizabeth

Houses

There is nothing better than the feeling of your first UD house. Bring lawn chairs, and sit on the porch as often as possible. People watch in the neighborhoods. Soak it all up in that house because there is NOTHING that compares to having your own house. - Kate

Moving out of our first house at the end of junior year, we began to realize just how much stuff we accumulated simply because we had the space. It was a pain to move out and try to store everything or take it home. Moral of the story: you don’t need 30 Vinny’s cups each. - Sarah