<p>After spending a significant amount of time researching and interviewing, my daughter, a rising freshman, and another rising freshman requested to be roommates on June 1. Going far away from home for the first time, it was incredibly comforting for her to know who she would be living with. They communicated all summer, they purchased appliances and other room items together, got to know each other and were really looking forward to their arrival at Vandy in August. Today, to her dismay, she received her assignment -- a triple with two strangers. The other girl, obviously, didn't have her request honored either. I do hope this was an honest mistake (not the only one, as someone told a similar story on the Vandy '17 facebook page) that can be remedied before school starts. I've so far been happy with everything about Vanderbilt, but she hasn't even arrived yet, and the frustrations have already begun. I hope it's not a sign of things to come. I've contacted the housing folks, but too late for a response today. Has anyone had any experiences like this with Vandy housing?</p>
<p>Ah well, although it doesn’t appear on the housing FAQs regarding roommate requests, elsewhere they clearly state they don’t guarantee anything when it comes to housing assignments. They also say they don’t entertain requests from folks unhappy with their room assignments until two weeks after the start of classes, when such changes (which I imagine are rare) would be disruptive and possibly difficult logistically. And that’s just lovely. It’s all starting out at Vanderbilt so wonderfully. It’s sort of weird to think they put my daughter and her friend in with folks they didn’t request or know, when they could have just as easily put them together…I’ll still call on Monday, though I’m not hopeful.</p>
<p>Yeah not sure why this happens on occasion… Who knows. It’s unlikely it will get fixed, considering pairing the two back up would also mean changing roommates for the other two girls and changing their rooms. Definitely worth a shot though.</p>
<p>While it’s unfortunate it didn’t work out, don’t worry! Who your roommate is means very little in the grand scheme of things. In fact some girls go through this extensive selection process and end up being enemies with their roommates, heh. Many students go random and there’s nothing wrong with a random roommate!</p>
<p>How disappointing. That does seem odd since there are so many others that went random. I hope you get it worked out, but if not, she’s still ahead of the curve by having a friend on campus!</p>
<p>She interviewed potential roommates?</p>
<p>Well, yeah, interview is probably too strong and formal a process…she reached out to kids (and vice versa) via facebook (there’s a page devoted to such things) and exchanged emails and eventually phone calls. </p>
<p>And I agree, choosing a roommate in advance doesn’t guarantee a good experience, and having a random assignment doesn’t guarantee a bad one. There was just a minute there when it seemed to make no sense not to pair two kids together who wanted to room together (six of one, half a dozen…etc.), especially since I’m assuming that most kids actually go the random assignment route. </p>
<p>One scenario that might make sense is that when they got to my daughter, every single double was filled, and every single triple was filled with two people, and all they had left were single spots in triple rooms and were unable to meet her request. Even here, though, part of me wonders, assuming that some of those kids in triples were random and therefore wouldn’t care which triple they were in, would it have been beyond imagining for them to swap one of those random triple kids with my daughter’s requested roommate and have them be two members of a triple? Another part of me wonders if they really try very hard at all to honor requests. Who knows? I never will. She’ll cross her fingers and make the best of it.</p>
<p>It might be better for your D to keep the assignment she has. Since she already has a good friend at Vandy, this will be an opportunity to meet some new girls, both in her room and hall and in her friend’s. If they room together, they may be less likely to reach out to meet new people. Don’t worry about it–it will be fine. And the triples are huge (at least in Hank Ingram House), so that’s nice. The triples on my D’s floor were where people tended to congregate before going out at night.</p>
<p>We contacted the housing office today, and the long story short is that, in deference to the third member of the triple, they don’t put two people who requested to room together in triples to prevent an odd-person out situation… or something like that. They did place them on the same floor, however, so that’s nice. In any event, the housing folks were very friendly and understanding, but it’s essentially a done deal, pending a later request, which my daughter has already discounted. She has made the mental adjustment and is looking forward to her imminent arrival at Vandy. </p>
<p>Funny, lenny2, back in the dark ages when I was at college, the triples also turned into the gathering places.</p>
<p>That really sounds like the best of both worlds. They’ll still have to get to know others, but they’ll still have each other nearby. I’m sure it will be great.</p>
<p>Lenny2;</p>
<p>I have a question for you. I know your D was in Hank Ingram. Our D was assigned the 7th floor of Ingram, which is the only space that we do not have a floor plan for! It seems that it might be half the size of the other floors, because it only has 3 shared bathrooms rather than six. Could you possibly ask your D if she remembers anything about the configuration of the 7th floor and why its different? Thanks so much.</p>
<p>Vandyswim where did you find a floor plan for Hank Ingram?</p>
<p>Momthreeboys;</p>
<p>They are on the Facebook page for Hank Ingram House 2017 Group. The 2nd floor and 6th floor plans are there, the RA that posted them said that the 2nd floor is completely different from any others, and then 3-6 are the same–so you can use the 6th floor plan and find a room based on numbering. The seventh floor is half the size of the others.</p>
<p>Hope this helps…</p>
<p>Thanks Vanyswim…unfortunately it’s a closed group for students only and my son doesnt have a Facebook page anymore. The kids around here have moved on to twitter and instagram. I think once all the parents starting sending friend requests it lost its appeal to them!</p>
<p>After my sons room number it says “a”. What does this mean? Is it the side of the room?</p>
<p>I’ll see what I can find out.</p>
<p>One roommate gets assigned [Room#]a, the other gets [Room#]b. Not really meaningful at all.</p>
<p>You can see the outside of Hank ingram in the center of this webcam [The</a> Ingram Commons, Hank Ingram & Stambaugh Houses - Webcam View from Hobbs Laboratory](<a href=“http://webcams.vanderbilt.edu/thecommons/hobbsview/]The”>The Ingram Commons, Hank Ingram & Stambaugh Houses | Webcams | Vanderbilt University)
My son was on the 7th floor. I thought there were more than 3 bathrooms (3 on each end?), but I could be wrong.</p>
<p>momthreeboys;</p>
<p>let me check with D, there may be another way to access the floor plans through the RA’s email.</p>
<p>momthreeboys;</p>
<p>Two options;</p>
<p>1) PM me and I can get you the floor plans (I have them via text) with an email address or cell #
2) If you can’t PM, let me know room # and I can give you location, how far from study rooms, approx size of room, etc based on floor plans. Note–there are no square footage information on floor plans.</p>
<p>Vandyswim- I just sent you a PM. Hopefully I did it right.</p>
<p>If a student applies for a housing assignment, oh let’s say Warren/Moore, gets a single room there but decides not to keep that room, can the student then ask the room be assigned to a another specific student if that student also applied for the same type room?</p>