Spring is upon us, and that means great weather and the infamous Housing Draw. Yes, that’s right. In the midst of living it up, we all have to take a few moments to pause and think about next year and figure out where exactly we (literally) see ourselves in the fall.

As the freshmen around me start freaking out and trying to plan out their living situations, I can’t help but be reminded of my own interesting experience with the Draw last year. As contrived as it may sound, the Draw brings out the best and the worst in people, and going through it once has left me much more composed this time around. So for those of you who have never gone through the Draw before, here’s what my experiences have taught me:

 

1. Do not be afraid to tell someone you don’t want to draw with them.

This is a big one. Oftentimes, the Draw can be difficult because of a lot of the assumptions made. Your current roommate might be under the impression that you two are going to be living together next year, while your best friend might have already started making collages to decorate the future room she thinks you’re going to be sharing. Don’t lead your potential roommates on. If you don’t want to live with them, then just tell them that. Sure, the news may sting at first, particularly if it’s a close friend, but if they truly are your friends, they’ll get over it. Sometimes, living with your best friend isn’t the best idea anyway. If you think sharing close quarters could end up jeopardizing your friendship, then better safe than sorry. A few weeks of awkwardness now are a small price to pay once you realize that the alternative is nine months of unhappiness next year.

 

2. Be prepared to not get the housing that you want to get.

When I was a freshman, I wanted to live in Toyon. If you’re currently a freshman, chances are, you want to live in Toyon. Just about everyone wants to live in Toyon, but Toyon can only house 158 sophomores. Considering that the Class of 2015 has 1,709 students in it, this means that the majority of you won’t get to live in Toyon. Guess what? That’s okay. There’s really no such thing as bad housing, so when you get your housing assignment, don’t overreact if it isn’t the place you’re looking for.

 

3. Know the person you’re drawing with.

I know it sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised by how often people don’t really know their future roomies. Dorm rooms are tiny, and sharing that tiny space with someone else means that bad habits tend to rear their ugly heads. So make sure you know your drawmates. You don’t have to be best friends with them, but your relationship should probably be deeper than the ever-popular “Oh my gosh, I totally love her!” and “She’s great!” statements. For all you know, that “great” roommate of yours could have an annoying partying or snoring habit that will drive you crazy next year.

 

4. There’s no harm in having a large draw group.

Your draw group can be as small as just you, or as large as eight. I drew with eight people with last year, even though some people warned me against it. What it came down to for me was that I had a great group of friends, and I couldn’t just pick and choose whom I wanted to live with, so I decided to live with all of them. There’s no guarantee that you’ll get into your dorm of choice whether you’re by yourself or with friends. I didn’t end up where I wanted to this year, but I do come home to my seven best friends everyday.

And finally…

 

5. Remember that campus isn’t as monstrously large as you think it is.

I can attest to this. I currently live in Sterling Quad and don’t have a bike. This means I walk everywhere: to class, to the Row, to Tresidder and even all the way over to the stadium. Now, before you gasp in horror, allow me to let you in on a little secret: it doesn’t take more than 15 to 20 minutes to walk just about anywhere on this campus. My friends tend to leave for class five minutes before it starts; I leave 10 minutes before. So even if you get stuck on the opposite side of campus from your friends, calm down, take a deep breath and remind yourself that you’re still within the boundaries of the Stanford bubble.

So don’t worry; submit your housing forms, and may the odds be ever in your favor.

 

Want Ravali’s help with your draw-ma? Email her at ravreddy “at” stanford “dot” edu.