“So, it was nice to meet you! Where are you living?”
“I’m in FroSoCo!”
“Ohhh, I’m sorry to hear that. Isn’t it really quiet and far? Aren’t the people really intense and nerdy?”
I have had this type of conversation with several undergraduates here at Stanford. FroSoCo stands for Freshman Sophomore College, and it is the name of a dorm located in Sterling Quad on West Campus. I don’t blame people who hold these stereotypes about FroSoCo; in fact, I once held them too. It’s easy to fall into the trap of believing things that people tell you often. But a lot of things people believe about FroSoCo are simply, well, untrue.
Myth: The people in FroSoCo are all nerdy STEM students.
Fact: Not everyone in FroSoCo is a STEM major taking intensive science or math courses. Although there certainly are many of those students, I have personally met a handful of humanities majors in FroSoCo, including an English major who lives on my floor! I, myself, am not sure whether I will pursue a STEM major or a more humanities-oriented major or maybe both!
Myth: FroSoCo residents never want to party, so it’s always really quiet.
Fact: While FroSoCo doesn’t host “parties,” on-call nights include movies, video games, dance choreographies, karaoke, baking, crafts and more, and it definitely gets noisy! Also, a lot of people in FroSoCo party — just not at the dorm! They go out to the row or other locations where parties are happening.
Myth: FroSoCo is really far away from everything on campus.
Fact: While FroSoCo is kind of tucked away on the west side of campus, a bike ride makes the commute reasonable. FroSoCo isn’t that much further from the main quad than other dorms, although it is definitely very far from the all-frosh dorms. I don’t get the feeling that FroSoCo is isolated and far-removed, but maybe that’s just because of the sense of community that pervades FroSoCo.
I’ll admit when I first found out I was living in FroSoCo I had mixed feelings. What would it be like? Would I be able to make friends with people? Would I fit in? Now, my third week here, my doubts have mostly subsided. Obviously I am still adjusting to new things, but FroSoCo is nothing to fear or stereotype. Just like any community/dorm on campus, FroSoCo is incredibly diverse. There are some people who prefer to study all the time and avoid partying, and there are other people who party every weekend. Some people hate the humanities and love STEM, and others have never taken a STEM class before. One thing that I do think is unique about FroSoCo, however, is its sense of community. I feel like I am part of a sort of family here — everyone is mostly kind, caring and accepting. People here seem to care about each other’s well-being, and it’s an incredibly vibrant community of students and staff.
Contact Vilina Mehta at vmehta19 ‘at’ stanford.edu.