Advice For Getting Through the Chaos of the Housing Lottery
John Culver '11
Issue date: 4/28/09 Section: Features
"We understand that this can be a confusing process, especially for First-year students who have not yet gone through it before," read the Housing Lottery e-mail sent to students on March 23.
Confusing, indeed. A two-day fiasco that begins on Thursday, April 30, and ends (in emotional drainage) on Friday, May 1, the housing lottery brings eddies of ambivalent emotions.
On paper, the housing lottery selection looks only quasi-confusing, or more like organized chaos. Yet, once it all begins, chaos suppresses any attempts at organization. No preparation can ready you for this grand and special day; however, there is trivial and vital advice to be conveyed to our rising sophomores. Along with advice, I will try to offer a solution to the annual housing conundrum.
There are many pre-requisites (some more pressing than others) and statutes that inexperienced rising sophomores should be aware of, such as: "Per Connecticut statute: any student living in campus housing must be vaccinated against Meningococcal disease." Be sure to get that shot.
Another guideline requires that you have enrolled in classes. For the students who have unfortunately or, perversely, fortunately, been banned from the lottery process, sigh in relief because you do not have to take part in the bedlam.
But for those who will participate: First, do not forget to search meticulously for your housing number deep in the gizzards of Web site http://my.trincoll.edu. Remember, your housing number is subject to be tampered with and changed the day of the housing lottery, depending on the capricious housing lottery machine as quoted in the guidelines, "In addition, please be advised that the lottery numbers have been posted prior to the room rating appeal process as well as changes made due to judicial sanctions." Why is that? Nothing is certain or reliable in this mystifying process.
Grab a calculator, add your housing grade, average your housing number with your desired roommate(s) and be ready to not get the housing you want. Take note of your housing grade (on a letter scale D- to A+). Once again the rules and guidelines mysteriously state: "When considering your lottery number, please bear in mind that many residents have the same overall housing rating and at some point the element of randomness will enter into your lottery number calculation." Success by the means of first choice housing is rare, especially as a rising sophomore.
Confusing, indeed. A two-day fiasco that begins on Thursday, April 30, and ends (in emotional drainage) on Friday, May 1, the housing lottery brings eddies of ambivalent emotions.
On paper, the housing lottery selection looks only quasi-confusing, or more like organized chaos. Yet, once it all begins, chaos suppresses any attempts at organization. No preparation can ready you for this grand and special day; however, there is trivial and vital advice to be conveyed to our rising sophomores. Along with advice, I will try to offer a solution to the annual housing conundrum.
There are many pre-requisites (some more pressing than others) and statutes that inexperienced rising sophomores should be aware of, such as: "Per Connecticut statute: any student living in campus housing must be vaccinated against Meningococcal disease." Be sure to get that shot.
Another guideline requires that you have enrolled in classes. For the students who have unfortunately or, perversely, fortunately, been banned from the lottery process, sigh in relief because you do not have to take part in the bedlam.
But for those who will participate: First, do not forget to search meticulously for your housing number deep in the gizzards of Web site http://my.trincoll.edu. Remember, your housing number is subject to be tampered with and changed the day of the housing lottery, depending on the capricious housing lottery machine as quoted in the guidelines, "In addition, please be advised that the lottery numbers have been posted prior to the room rating appeal process as well as changes made due to judicial sanctions." Why is that? Nothing is certain or reliable in this mystifying process.
Grab a calculator, add your housing grade, average your housing number with your desired roommate(s) and be ready to not get the housing you want. Take note of your housing grade (on a letter scale D- to A+). Once again the rules and guidelines mysteriously state: "When considering your lottery number, please bear in mind that many residents have the same overall housing rating and at some point the element of randomness will enter into your lottery number calculation." Success by the means of first choice housing is rare, especially as a rising sophomore.
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