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STUDENT OPINION January/February 2017 StudentHousingBusiness.com 76 The Solitary Life For this Penn freshman, living in a single has been a blessing in disguise. By Eddie Cohen A At the University of Pennsylvania, all fresh- men are required to live in on-campus hous- ing for their entire first-year. There are many different possible forms of housing, including everything from the typical freshman dor- mitory experience, to apartment-style living. With so many options, it can be tough to decide where you want to live, and as I found out, ultimately where you want to live may not even matter. As an incoming freshman you are required to fill out a form with your top six hous- ing preferences for the first year. After this, the process is completely random based on what's available. Throughout the process of "selecting" where I wanted to live, I heard the same old phrase: "The Quad has the best social life." That was always the reason to live in the Quad — the promise of all the social buzz that is inevitable when there are 1,500 freshmen living in such close quarters. I, however, opted for the New College House. You could say it was a debate of history ver- sus mystery. The Quad is home to tradition, beautiful architecture and a reputation for providing the best freshman experience. All anyone knew of the New College House was based on floorplans posted online, showing spacious living rooms, private bedrooms and bathrooms, and a free flatscreen TV! I bought into the hype and the top four of the six pos- sible preferences I turned in were in the New College House. I didn't put much thought into my last two preferences, thinking I must get into one of the four rooms I had put first, and just put a double and a triple in the Quad, as I definitely wanted at least one roommate and the Quad was the go-to. Once the form was submitted, it was a waiting game to hear back and see where I would end up living. I remember the email vividly. It told me that I had not received any of the six options I had requested, and would instead be placed randomly into a dorm. Disappointed to not be in the New College House, I was eager to see where I had ended up. The result: a single in the Quad. Beautiful amenities, private bath- rooms and multiple roommates were what I had hoped for. Instead, I was getting a single room in an old building with a bathroom I'd have to share with 20 other students. I quickly found having a single to be a huge plus and, at this point, I wouldn't trade it for anything else at Penn. I don't spend a lot of time in my room, but whenever I'm in my dorm, it really is my time. The temperature and lights of the room are always to my prefer- ence; there's no sneaking around late at night so as not to wake up my roommate and there is no early morning noise from a rising room- mate. I can blast music, or turn everything off depending on my mood. Friends are always welcome, and I even had two high school friends visit with me for two days and a night. Unlike some other rooms in the Quad I didn't end up with a personal sink, so my trips to the bathroom are frequent, but my single is the size of most doubles, providing ample space for anything from extra furniture to dirty clothes when I'm too lazy to put them away. Having this sanctuary was a huge benefit my first semester and provided a place for me to escape the constant activity on campus. Even if you're a social person, you should consider a single room because living in a single hasn't been a hindrance at all to my social life. And unlike what I read online and heard from students, the Quad hasn't even been the hub of my social life. The first week of school there were many dinners and meetings for our hall to get to know each other and break the ice. In the long run, this didn't make much of a difference, but it was a nice start to the semes- ter to have people to eat with and get to know. I only have one close friend in my hall and just a few in my whole building. Soon after coming to Penn, I reconnected with people whom I had met at pre-freshman activities, immediately finding a group of friends, even though only one of them lives in one of the Quad buildings. In the Quad, I register most of my hours in a computer lab in my friend's building doing work or in other friends' rooms just hanging out. I never spend much time on the greens tossing a frisbee like you see in any college movie. Instead, my social life has been most- ly outside of the Quad, mainly at the New College House, where my closest friends live and where the nicest lounges, rooms, and din- ing hall are. Looking back on my first semester, I have appreciated the Quad for reasons I didn't expect to when I arrived. It definitely hasn't been my social hub, but I have loved the Quad for its exterior beauty and, as I call it, "interior functionality." It's a place to sleep, eat (the Quad has a dining hall open from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. during the week, the latest hours on campus), and spend some much-needed alone time. It's made me realize I don't need the nic- est bathroom or bedroom to be happy. Having a squirrel come visit my room and steal some granola is just one of many funny stories to tell of the "tough times" in the Quad. Sure, it would be nice to have a free flat screen and a beautiful new suite, but I don't need that. Even if it's the opposite of what I wanted, I've found my single in the Quad to be a great place to call my home away from home. Eddie Cohen is a freshman at the University of Pennsylvania. " Sure, it would be nice to have a free flat screen and a beautiful new suite, but I don't need that. Even if it's the opposite of what I wanted, I've found my single in the Quad to be a great place to call my home away from home. EDDIE COHEN University of Pennsylvania