Princeton University Dorms: A Comprehensive Guide for Freshmen

Ah, Frosh Week. It's a bright spot in the lives of all Princeton students, a sweet collective calm before the furious academic storm of a school year. Freshmen wander across campus in gaggles, collectively lost despite maps in hand. Upperclassmen hand over overpriced textbooks. Students pant as they lug ratty couches up stairs. There is something special in those bright and early days of a new school year, and it's not just the wild abandon of freshmen getting drunk on the possibilities of college.

The opening week of college can be challenging: it's the first time away from home, there are awkward silences, maybe your roommate smells, and it can be hard to get a beer. To make this transition easier, here's a guide to help you get through it and come out on top.

Part I: Dorm Life

Congratulations! You got into Princeton, but so did everyone else here. Settle down and realize that this is your new home, and soon it will start to feel like it. Hopefully, you've settled into your awkwardly shaped room.

Getting Around

Are you lazy sometimes? Princeton's got you covered. You can catch a ride to wherever you're going instead of walking there on TigerTransit. Don't panic if wild animals (squirrels, raccoons, etc.) break into your room. We've heard of many such incidents. Don't chart all routes to class from Frist. While it may seem easier to go from Rocky to Frist to McCosh Hall, it's not. And, please, no big maps in public. And stop wearing those lanyards.

Dorm Etiquette

Oh, you're an athlete? Alright, dude, do everyone a favor and buy some air freshener. Because no one wants to smell your mildewy gear in an unventilated dorm room. Doing laundry? Be nice to your RCA! They have snacks. And if you got a weird one, then… Don't do anything to/with your hallmates that would potentially make seeing them awkward, because, you'll be seeing them. Don't be that guy. Don't be that girl, either.

Read also: Decoding Princeton Admissions

Fire Safety does inspections every so often, usually knocking only once before abruptly barging in, so 1) make sure you're not naked when they come; 2) make sure if you are naked you tell them that before they open the door; and 3) don't have any of these things in your room unless you want to get slapped with a ridiculous fine (okay, how is putting up a poster on a door in any way a fire hazard? Easy on the half-naked girl posters, guys. We'll say two is alright, but three is definitely pushing it. We get it.

Getting Involved

As freshmen, you probably have a lot of time on your hands. While you can booze away the idle hours (college!), other interested parties recommend getting involved in activities, which isn't such a bad idea. Go to open houses, attend lectures, and most importantly, go to the Student Activities Fair, going on this Friday in Dillon Gym. There's a LOT of student groups to choose from, so whatever your interests, you're bound to find something up your alley. Just…

Residential Colleges

In case you haven't heard of them, there are six residential colleges. You'll be, you know, residing there. They're becoming kind of a big deal on campus, thanks to the powers that be. We're sure you've heard a lot about them from your orientations and your RCA, so we won't bother with the administrative details. Here they are, for your perusal, complete with almost-totally-arbitrary food-rankings:

Butler: Okay, again, Wilson and Butler are in many ways one and the same. The big difference, of course, is that Butler has a brand new set of dorms, known as Wilf Hall and the affectionately named Buildings A, C, and D (Any donors out there? This is your chance.). We can't speak too much about these, seeing as they're brand new. All we know is that there are gardens on top of them. And since Butler shares a kitchen with Wilson, things just got a lot rosier for Butlerites. But they're still called Butlerites, their dining hall is the weird-looking Robert Venturi-designed Wu Hall, and…Nassau Street is really, really far away. Food ranking: 3rd --but on its way up (with Wilson)
Forbes (no one seriously calls it "The Inn"): Yes, it's far from everything. No, the brunch isn't good as people say it is (in fact, it's the same food as everywhere else). Suck it up. But really, everyone in Forbes gets to know each other really well, and, yes, "have a tight-knit community." You'd sort of expect that when everyone leaves together for class 15 minutes early in the morning. There are advantages, of course: your room may have a personal bathroom, you never have to go outside to get to the dining hall (so you can literally spend the entire day indoors and in pajamas if you can live with yourself like that), and to make up for the sub-par food, there's a generous selection of, uh, cereal and salad. And there's chocolate fondue on Sunday mornings. P.S. Don't eat the pizza. Ever. Food ranking: 4th
Mathey: I'm going to be honest here; I have no idea where Rocky ends and Mathey begins. They look the same, they share a kitchen, all the buildings are interspersed with one another. That's about all I can say for that. The only thing that distinguishes the two in my mind is that Mathey has Blair Arch (campus's largest one), which is impressive, sure. As for the food, since Mathey and Rocky share their kitchen, it also gets top honors, by default. Food ranking: 1st (with Rocky)
Rockefeller ("Rocky"): Do you like pretending you're Harry Potter? Dreaming about running into Hermione? Should have gone to Brown! But if you chose Princeton anyway, Rocky's the place for you, but hopefully not too many freshmen are into reenacting acts of wizardry. (Because Whitman actually has Harry Potter night, and it's as sad as you think it sounds.) Rocky does indeed have some of the most stunning buildings on campus (check out the dining halls and Holder Courtyard if you haven't yet), and some of the oldest to boot. Plus, Holder and Witherspoon are widely considered to be some of the poshest accommodations on campus. So if you landed one of these, enjoy it, you lucky bastard. As for the food, we'll have to give it top honors, as it boasts an impressive selection of fresh salads, well-made daily pasta and typical grill fare, a pizza oven, and some of the tastiest entrées on campus (calamari salad, anyone?). Also: Amazing waffle fries, I believe on Wednesdays. Food ranking: 1st (with Mathey)
Whitman: Shiny new Whitman is still fresh off the Acme Gothic machine, and seems to have been a success with its first two years of students. It boasts tons of roomy singles, and includes a nice selection of doubles and triples for your next room draw. It has a decent library (but with no books that I can recall), a warehouse-sized dining hall with somehow limited seating, and a broad range of facilities like the University's Writing Center and printing stations throughout the college. Plus, there are some amazing falafel wraps at the grill sometimes that you have to try. Food ranking: 2nd
Wilson: Ah, Wilson. In so many ways the unloved stepchild of the Princeton residential college family. Its buildings all look different, ranging from gothic revival to modern ugly. And its common room and library are kind of… Let's face it, they're ghetto. But! Room locations are all pretty centrally located on campus, which means Frist is close, and other dining halls are all within a five-minute walk. But after this summer's Wilcox renovation, you won't have to! The new dining hall is more cafeteria than dining hall, but the food is stellar. Why does the frozen yogurt taste better here? I guess you could say Wilson's like the scrappy runt of the pack, which gives it some character and makes it kind of cute, but still makes it a scrappy runt. Food ranking: 3rd --but on its way up (with Butler)

What to Bring

Essentials

Linens: You should bring pillows, blankets, a mattress cover and linens for an extra-long twin bed, towels and washcloths. In both cases, you can order them in advance and pick them up when you arrive on campus in the Fall.
Mattress cover
Laundry basket or bag
Laundry detergent
Bathrobe
Hairdryer
Toiletries
Shower caddy
Shower shoes
Towels and washcloths
Power strip with built-in breaker
Camera
School supplies
Desk lamp (no halogen lamps)
Alarm clock
Bicycle
Backpack
Electric fan and/or HEPA Filter

Some dorms on campus do not have air conditioning, so be sure to bring an electric fan with you!

Cleaning Supplies

Cleaning supplies (broom, dustpan, window cleaner, all-purpose cleaner). The University cleans the public spaces in all dorms, including the hallways, common rooms, and common bathrooms, but you are responsible for cleaning your room and your private bathroom if you live in a suite. Having cleaning supplies on hand-a dust mop, glass cleaner, general purpose cleaner, and paper towels-will help you keep up with it.

Personalizing Your Space

Your room is furnished with an extra-long twin bed, dresser, desk and chair, small bookcase, and waste and recycling cans. A closet or secured wardrobe is also provided for each person. You and your roommates may configure the furniture in your room any way you like, with the exception of the wardrobe which must remain in its original secured location. All of the furniture (including bunk bed ladders and rails) must remain in the room for the year, although the mattress may be removed and stored by Facilities (609.258.8000).

Feel free to bring furnishings and decorations to personalize your room, with the exception of candles and incense. But since window sizes vary, we recommend purchasing them after you arrive on campus. Likewise, since room layouts are so different, carpets and rugs are best purchased after your arrival. Room dimensions and window sizes cannot be provided ahead of time.

Bunking Your Bed

If you want to bunk or unbunk your beds, the procedure depends on your residential location.

If you live in Butler College or in any of the unaffiliated upperclass dormitories, you can adjust the bunking and height of your bed yourself. Besides Butler, this applies to 1901, 1903, Brown, Cuyler, Dod, Feinberg, Foulke, Henry, Laughlin, Little, Lockhart, Patton, Pyne, Scully, Spelman, Walker, and Wright Halls.
If you live in any of the other residential colleges, you should submit a Basic Work Order or call the Facilities Service Center by calling 609.258.8000 during regular business hours (Monday through Friday, 8:45am - 5:00pm). You must wait until you arrive on campus to make this request; bed bunk-related requests cannot be filed during the summer for a fall-term resident. Please do not file a work order for bunking or unbunking a bed prior to your arrival on campus.

If you unbunk your beds, the unused ladder, rail, and set of bunking pegs must remain in the room for the year.

Additional Information

Princeton guarantees on-campus housing for students for all four years. First- and second-year students are required to live on campus, and nearly all juniors and seniors choose to live in on-campus housing. All residential colleges house students from all four class years as well as some graduate students. The residential colleges offer a welcoming environment and a host of social and intellectual opportunities throughout the academic year. Entering first-year students are randomly assigned to a residential college: Butler, Forbes, Mathey, New College West, Rockefeller, Whitman or Yeh College. First-years typically take on the identity of their college with pride early in the first semester. Each first-year has a junior or senior residential college adviser who is on hand to answer questions and help with the adjustment to college life. Freshman seminars and writing seminars often meet in residential college classrooms. Colleges also organize dances, barbecues and movie nights. They compete against each other in intramural sports such as soccer and volleyball. New Freshmen - As an incoming member of the freshmen class, you will live in one of the six Residential Colleges during your freshmen year. Your class is separated into seven residential college sections so that each section reflects the demographic profile of your incoming class as a whole. Each section is then randomly assigned to one of the six Residential Colleges. After your name is assigned to a Residential College, the Residential College staff as well as the Housing Department staff review the Residential College Interest/Activity Sheet you filled out online with your Housing and Dining form. While there is no guarantee that all of your preferences an be accommodated, every effort will be made during the process to make an assignment based on the content of the information you provided. The Princeton University Graduate Housing Office will send the contract for an apartment or a dormitory if you apply by the application deadline. Housing assignments are based on availability; your offer will be for a space within a dormitory, annex, or apartment. The cost of housing in the local area is varied depending on your lifestyle and proximity to campus.

Read also: Princeton Transfer Guide

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