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Introduction

So..you’re thinking about living on campus again? First of all, it would be a great choice. But I don’t have to convince you, just ask all of the leaders, scholars, and others just like you returning to our halls. Anyway, you’re here because you want to learn about your housing options and how to pick your place to live. And if you’re worried all of this will be complicated and confusing, don’t worry, we’ll give you the basics of what you’ll need to know. While you’re here, you can even learn about the mixed gender and gender inclusive housing options. Let’s get started.

Phase 1: Pre-March Deadline

You’ll have a little homework to do prior to Room Selection.

Step 1

Go through the Room Selection Website. This site has all of the details about room selection. We know there’s a lot of information there, so we’ll give you the important highlights in this training.

Step 2

There are two basic questions you’ll want to ask yourself: Where do I want to live? Who do I want to live with?

Let’s start with the “Where” part. Take a few minutes to explore the different communities and housing options. While you’re doing that, our experts offer a few questions to keep in mind:
• What do I know about the building? Have I ever been there? Do I know anybody who does live there and do I know what rooms in these buildings are preferable?
• Where is it in relation to important buildings: my classes? The Dining Hall? Parking? The Shuttle-UM stop?
• What would be my second, third or fourth choice? Have I been there
• What type of room do I want (single, double, triple, quad, semi-suite, suite, apartment)?
• Which side of the building do I want to be on (facing the street, or facing the quad)?
• Where on the floor and in the building do I want to be (lower floor, higher floor, near elevator or near stairs, next to the bathroom or far away from it, do I want two windows)?
• Do I know how much the different housing types cost? What is the cost of where I’d like to live?

The "Where": Our Communities

Our campus has 2 distinct areas: North Campus and South Campus. North Campus is comprised of Denton, Cambridge, and Ellicott Communities. South Campus is comprised of North Hill, South Hill and Leonardtown Communities. (label naming each community appears as voiceover lists them).

The South Hill Community offers suite and apartment-style housing with different room configurations. Special note should be made of Cecil Hall, which is an all-female traditional residence hall.

Although it’s across Route 1, the Leonardtown Community is part of South Campus. This community offers apartment-style living.

The North Hill Community is home to several living-learning programs, but there are rooms available to everyone. It offers co-ed, traditional, low-rise housing with rooms ranging from singles, doubles, triples and quadruples. Prince Frederick Hall also offers 2-bedroom semi-suites.

The Denton Community offers co-ed, traditional, multi-story housing with rooms ranging from singles, doubles, triples and quadruples. Oakland Hall also offers 2-bedroom semi-suites.

The Ellicott Community is home to programs in the Honors College. It offers co-ed, traditional, multi-story housing with rooms ranging from singles, doubles, triples and quadruples.

The Cambridge Community is home to College Park Scholars. It offers co-ed, traditional, multi-story housing with rooms ranging from singles, doubles, triples and quadruples.

The "Who"

Again, our experts offer a few questions to consider:
• Who do I want to live with? Just because the person is a good friend, does that mean they’ll be a good roommate?
• How many roommates do I want to live with?
• If someone I want to live with isn’t available or eligible, or if they cancel this summer, is there anyone else?
• Am I, or someone I want to live with, interested in Mixed Gender or Gender Inclusive Housing?

Step 3

Everything we’ve covered so far is a lot to think about, but this next step is one of the MOST important: You will need to submit your Returning Student Agreement by March 30 at 4:00 pm. Don't be late; this is your best chance to receive priority for campus housing for next year.

On your Returning Student Agreement, you will be able to indicate your interest in Mixed Gender or Gender Inclusive Housing. You will also make your first decision about whether to return to your current assignment or to shop around campus to select a new location.

Remember how we mentioned Mixed Gender and Gender Inclusive Housing earlier? If you decide on this option, you’re required to take the Mixed Gender and Gender Inclusive Housing Training right after this one.

One more thing, be sure you are in good financial standing with the campus. In other words, PAY YOUR BILLS. Any student with a Financial Block on their registration when it’s time to submit a Returning Student Agreement will not be eligible to participate in Room Selection and, if they submit a Housing Agreement, will be placed on the campus housing waitlist.

Once you submit your Returning Student Agreement, all you have to do is wait for your priority number.

Phase 2 Post-Deadline

Once you get your priority number, you will probably wonder what it even means. Think of your priority number as your place in line. When it’s your turn, we’ll match you up with your best available housing preference.

Step 4

Depending on what you choose on your Returning Student Agreement, your next steps will vary.

If you decide to return to your current room:
• Stay in your exact same space
• Pull-in an eligible friend to live with you

But keep in mind your actual choice will be confirmed through personalized instructions from the Assignments Office.

Let’s explore these choices:
• If you choose to stay in your exact same location, congratulations! You’re pretty much done with the process.
• Let’s see what happens when you Pull-in an eligible friend to live with you.
  • If you elect to return to your current bedroom for next year, and a vacancy exists in that room at the start of Room Selection, you may name a "pull-in" of another eligible on-campus resident. Basically, if there’s an open space you can “pull-in” someone to live with you.
  • If you elect to return to your current semi-suite, suite, or apartment, and a vacancy exists in any of the bedrooms at the start of Room Selection, you may name a "pull-in" of another eligible on-campus resident.
  • Please be sure to read the details about Pull-ins on the Room Selection website.

If you decided to shop around campus to select a new place to live you will participate in Preference Based Shopping and use your Priority Number to select a new location anywhere on campus. So what’s Preference Based Shopping? It’s a process where you will use an online system to list out all of the places you would like to live. Then, behind the scenes, our system figures out all of the magic of determining your assignment based on priority number, room availability, the number of people you want to live with, etc.
• Remember when you had to think about who you would like to live with and where? Now it’s time to put that to use.
• If you decided to find a new place by yourself, things are pretty simple for you. Just fill out your Preference Based Shopping form.
  Our experts offer a few questions to consider:
  • Please be flexible and list many preferences. This way, our system can find the best match for you. Refer to the homework you did when exploring the different communities and housing options.
• If you decided to move with someone else, or form a group with up to five additional friends, you’ll have to do a few more steps. Basically, you’ll need to find a group leader and make sure the group leader submits preferences for the group. Please be sure to read the details about Group Moves to Semi-Suites, Suites, and Apartments on our Room Selection website.
  Our experts offer a few things to consider:
  • Please be sure to talk to your group before the Preference Based Shopping period and throughout. It is extremely important everyone communicates with each other when you or your group mates’ plans change.
  • You can be in more than one group! While you’re limited to one group of each size, you can actually be in a group of 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, and list preferences for each size group.
  • Please be flexible and list many preferences for each group you are a part of. This way, our system can find your best match. Refer to the homework you did when exploring the different communities and housing options.

Step 5

Wait for your assignment. Our system will work behind the scenes to best accommodate everyone’s preferences. Now, if you’re not happy with your new assignment, there’s something called Room Exchange. We won’t get into it here, but you can visit the Resident Life website later for more information.

Unless you’re interested in the Mixed Gender and Gender Inclusive housing options, you’re finished with our Room Selection training and you can scroll down to see a list of resource links for all the information we covered here. If you’re interested in learning more about Mixed Gender and Gender Inclusive housing options, please continue on with the training.