With housing coming up, it’s important to address that it can be stressful for everyone, no matter what year you are. Rising freshmen are concerned about getting placed on Upper versus Newton (or the always-forgotten CoRo), rising sophomores want an eight-man with their best friends, soon-to-be juniors fight to acquire the perfect off-campus house, and seniors are dying to come back to campus to live in a cute little Mod community. I totally understand the anxiety that comes with housing. However, I’ve made it this far with almost no stress about my living situation and I’ve had a pretty great experience.
In my freshman year, I really did not want to DM people through the Boston College class of 2026 page—I wanted to keep my dignity (no hate to those who did that, you’re braver than me). I didn’t know anyone coming into BC, so I decided that going random would be easiest for me. I was placed in a triple in Williams with two girls I had never met before in my life. Of course, it’s a bit awkward at first, but it doesn’t take long to get used to someone when you live with them 24/7. One of them is still my direct roommate and one of my close friends at BC.
For sophomore year, I had a few plans to get an eight-man that fell through, so my direct and I decided to sign up for the Sophomore Living Experience in Walsh. A lot of people think this program sounds like it has the potential to go wrong, which it definitely can, but it’s possible to end up with a bad roommate situation no matter where you live. Sometimes living with your best friends can put a strain on your relationship. The friend groups that got an eight-man may be having more roommate issues than the people who were put together randomly. Friend groups can also change quickly, especially in freshman year, so everyone in that eight-man might not be besties by the time they actually move in. I’ve found that I prefer living with friendly acquaintances rather than pre-existing best friends because there is often less drama and fewer expectations.
Walsh is also not as bad as everyone makes it out to be. Sure, it can be loud and high energy, but even as an introverted person, I rarely mind the noise. Even if the conditions are not the best at times (i.e. vomit stairs and a constantly broken elevator), we bond over it. Living in Walsh feels quintessentially “college,” which is an experience I wouldn’t trade for anything. The Sophomore Living Experience has been a great opportunity for me to live on Lower, conveniently right next to the Plex, in the biggest dorm on campus. I absolutely love my eight-man, and I have become good friends with many of the six roommates I was randomly placed with. It’s not always the case that you’re gonna be best friends with everyone you live with, but that’s totally fine!
None of my housing has been very well planned out. I’ve essentially gone random every year I’ve been here. Continuing that trend, in junior year, I plan to sublet from someone for the fall before I go abroad, and that will be another opportunity for me to meet new people. It may seem anxiety-inducing to have such inconsistency with who I’m living with, and yes, I do occasionally get stressed about my living situation, but I have enjoyed that every year at BC has been a completely different experience and has allowed me to connect with people I may not have met otherwise.
Housing is important, but I encourage everyone to take a step back and think about the worst-case scenario. Living with someone doesn’t equate to being friends with them. You can live apart and maintain your friendship, and you can meet new people through your living experience who may become really good friends. It’s impossible to predict what problems may arise in any given living situation, so I recommend trying to go with the flow and trusting that whatever situation you end up in has the potential to be great.
poli sci and history major who chronically rewatches movies/tv shows that were popular in middle school to feel something
