<p>Any of my fellow CCers at school in a humid zone (basically all of the US that isn't the upper Northeast or the West Coast or the Mountains) know what it's like to live in a dorm that doesn't have A/C. Nothing says "I'm getting my $1000/mo worth" like living in something comparable to public housing.</p>
<p>Anyway, it's been getting hot in Maryland and I'm getting desperate. My roommate and I have a single tower fan running 24/7 in front of the window which is always open, but it doesn't help. We've actually been keeping the overhead light off because it reduces the temperature by a tiny bit.</p>
<p>So what alternatives are there to using an A/C unit?</p>
<p>Do you know what the temperature differential is between outside and inside?</p>
<p>Do you have a high ceiling with a window that goes near the ceiling? Perhaps opening the window from the top would help the hot air near the ceiling escape allowing cooler air to come in from the bottom. I don’t think that there’s a lot that you can do about the humidity if the window is open. If humidity is more of a problem than the actual temperature, then closing the window and getting a dehumidifier might help.</p>
<p>It can get pretty hot and humid in the Northeast too but we probably have fewer days of that.</p>
<p>Centrifuges - the spinny things used in chemistry labs to mix stuff in tubes up - definitely generate some refreshing breezes…I noticed when I was sweltering the other day in my lab class. I hate labs enough on usual days, but more so on especially nice ones :(. </p>
<p>May sound stupid, but if you’re looking for something “out of the box”, it gets the job done :).</p>
<p>Er, on a more normal note, if it’s just a matter of not being allowed to use AC units in your windows…have you considered getting a doctor’s note? 
Maybe the AC helps with your severe, near fatal, traumatic, seizure-inducing allergies? <em>nudge nudge</em></p>
<p>I’m right outside of Philadelphia right now, and I’m sweltering in my single. You would think that with room and board over $4500 per semester that a/c would be an option…</p>
<p>I just looked at your area and it does look uncomfortable but it goes down to 61 degrees later tonight. It would be far more efficient to install a central air system and I would hope that schools down south have those. Perhaps there are dorms that have AC on your campus?</p>
<p>Go outside and get a giant leaf, give it to your roommate, and have him fan you while feeding you grapes. Problem solved.</p>
<p>List of hall amenities at the University of Maryland, College Park. Some have AC, some don’t. I guess you should select a place with AC for next year.</p>
<p>[Residence</a> Halls at a Glance](<a href=“http://www.resnet.umd.edu/hallsatglance/]Residence”>Halls at a Glance | Department of Resident Life | University of Maryland)</p>
<p>If you have two windows set one with the fan blowing in and the other blowing out. If you only have one window, then keep your door open to let new air in. Otherwise you just create a low/high pressure zone where the air won’t be able to keep a continuous flow.</p>
<p>I really like Flipper’s answer. I have to second that.</p>
<p>We only have one window.</p>
<p>What irks me is I’m pretty sure there are Section 8 houses that are not only cheaper than my dorms but also have more amenities.</p>
<p>Granted you also have to deal with bullets flying through your walls but that’s life.</p>
<p>What was the process for residence hall selection? Did you get to specify preferences or was it by lottery?</p>
<p>Pretty sure it was random for freshman year. After that you can choose. Based on various factors you’re placed into a group and the group with the lower numbers (there are 9 total) pick first. I think preference is given to people who have been on campus longer.</p>
<p>Honestly I don’t really understand the process but I don’t sweat it too much because worst comes to worst I can just go off-campus or commute (my home’s like a 25 minute drive away).</p>
<p>It was 100+ degrees in boyfriend’s dorm last year, I was vomiting and fainting the last time I visited him that semester. Fans, circulation, and blackout curtains. Keeping the sun out of the room is critically important and can make all the difference in the world-- when boyfriend had a room in that same building on the side where the sun hits in the evening instead of in the afternoon his room was comfortable all year long. And don’t leave any electronics on needlessly.</p>