Author: Pia Bocanegra
As the Cornell housing lottery is slowly approaching, there’s a lot to think about in regard to housing for the next academic year. With Greek housing and Collegetown apartments mostly out of the question, the choices left are: West Campus, co-op’s, Program Houses, and Collegetown residence halls. Gone are the carefree freshman days when Cornell would do all the work. This time around, rising sophomores have real responsibility and are forced to take part in the bloodbath that is housing lottery. Here’s the rundown on the Who’s, When’s, and Where’s— from someone currently gearing up to fight.
When?
Many say that it’s the time slot that can make or break your housing experience next year. I, for one, got one of the worst time slots you could possibly get: Day Two, 9pm. There I was, staring blankly at my laptop with all my dreams of living in a West Campus suite crumbling, unsure what my Plan B was going to be. Therein lies the fundamental flaw of Cornell’s housing system: those of us with timeslots on the second day are left with not-so-great housing assignments or, even worse, will end up in a program house we don’t belong in. Because of that, time slots are highly valued assets. It’s been rumored that some with second day time slots are paying those blessed with earlier time slots to block with them–all in a desperate attempt to secure a decent housing assignment.
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Who?
As James Frey and Jobie Hughes once said, “A place is only as good as the people you know in it. It’s the people that make the place.” The Cornell housing lottery is no exception. There’s a lot of pressure to pick the perfect roommates. Ideally, you would live with your best friends in the best dorm; in reality, this probably won’t happen.
Between a large Greek community and the popularity of Collegetown housing, the number of potential roommates narrows down. Many of the friends I thought I would block with plan to live in their sorority or fraternity house, or have leased an apartment in Collegetown. The uncertainty of not knowing who you’ll be living with next year simply, well, sucks. However, there’s bound to be many others stuck in the same situation—you just have to make an effort to find them.
Even if all your friends want to block together, you still have to consider your time slots. Being in a group with four other friends who all have day two time slots may not be the best idea, because the chances of getting a West Campus suite of five are zero to none. However, maybe having all second day slots isn’t too bad; where you live doesn’t really matter as long as you’re together, right?
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Where?
Let’s just say that you land a Day One time slot with your ideal group of friends. The next stressful decision you have to make is location. Your building has to have the right vibe, the right crowd, and the right price. With that said, every housing option has its pros and cons. For example, though West Campus is perhaps the most desired option in the housing lottery, it comes with a steep price tag with its mandatory Unlimited Meal Plan. Such trade offs lead you to wonder: Is West Campus overrated? Is climbing Libe Slope every morning worth it? Are Collegetown residence halls like Cascadilla or Sheldon Court just as nice? I can’t answer these questions—at least, not yet. For those who have the luxury of choosing their housing option, it is important to choose the hall that is the best fit for you. Unfortunately, some of us may not have that choice. Keep in mind that every housing option has its perks. Think about it: if you end up living in Schuyler House (halfway to the Commons), at least you won’t have to pay for a bus pass.
Ultimately, the outcome of the housing lottery shouldn’t dictate your future happiness. Whether all the stars align during this process or none of them do, I’ve found that your college housing experience is what you make out of it. Trust me, the worst thing you could possibly do after going through this bloodbath is allowing the fighters bring you down.
