From booking travel to soliciting feedback from residents, planning a frosh dorm trip is no small task. Preparation starts early, and a wide range of logistical considerations have to be taken into account.
“Each event presents different challenges, but there can be struggles with getting transportation. Also planning for the right amount of people can be a challenge — we all know Stanford ‘flake culture,’ and it’s often hard to book logistics knowing folks will inevitably drop out,” Lantana Resident Assistant (RA) Riley Carolan ’26 said.
The length and destination of dorm trips depend on several factors, including resident interest and budget. University funding differs based on residence size, and RAs have the freedom to determine how they spend dorm money. Larkin, a frosh dorm, organized a trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium and found Stanford grants to cover their costs.
“A large factor was applying for grants, because we didn’t want to take everything out of our house funds,” said Jesse Grayson, a Larkin RA. Grayson added that educational grants “softened” the cost of the trip.
Though RAs are responsible for planning, staffing and executing dorm trips, Resident Fellows (RFs) can provide crucial support, especially when planning trips for frosh dorms.
“Our RFs are incredibly kind and supportive,” said Nadia Ansari ’26, a Lantana RA. “Collaborating with them usually looks like us giving regular updates starting from ‘I have this idea’ all the way to ‘we are fully confirmed for this Saturday for 20 people.’”
Grayson echoed Ansari’s perspective.
“We have some really fantastic Resident Fellows who have been great at helping us plan,” Grayson said. “They gave us a really good framework for being able to know what’s realistic to spend money on and how to allocate things.”
Dorm trips provide a unique opportunity to build new connections, make lasting memories and foster community. While Carolan reflected fondly on her sophomore year Yosemite trip in Mirrielees, Ansari highlighted the privilege of spending a free day off campus.
“On these dorm trips, you have many opportunities for people to cross between groups and interact with who they don’t normally interact with, all while having some kind of shared experience,” Grayson said. “We’ve done a lot of hikes, and that’s a fantastic opportunity where it’s inherently social.”
In Lantana, Ansari said that “mystery trips” — which included pottery-painting and boating this year — were a major goal for the RAs. “As an upperclassman, I have definitely enjoyed the planning and surprise side more,” Ansari added.
For Carolan, a highlight of her experience as an RA has been “the spontaneous conversations [on buses or chairlifts in Tahoe] with residents and getting to know everyone better outside of the dorm.”