<p>Hello everyone, if you have any questions about the University of Pittsburgh Main Campus I would be more than happy to answer your questions. I will be a senior next year and it will be my third year as a Resident Assistant. It is my job to make sure that my residents adequately transition to the college lifestyle. </p>
<p>I can probably answer most of your questions in a succinct and accurate manner. </p>
<p>Thank you!</p>
<p>hi, d to attend in fall as fresh. she has an interest in pursuing RA job later on. What are the responsibilities and what is the compensation for this? tx</p>
<p>Hi Tom, </p>
<p>By being an RA, you receive free housing as well as a free meal plan. The total of those two items is around $10,000. That being said, there are no paydays, so many RAs have other jobs as well. The competition to be an RA is very tight. Around 300 people apply every year and only about 50 new people are hired. There are many responsibilities, which include duty tours (going around the building and making sure that no one is in violation of the Housing Code of Conduct), as well as attending weekly staff meeting, creating multiple bulletin boards every month, and hosting around 3 activities for your residents to participate it. It’s a lot. </p>
<p>Being an RA takes up a lot of time, but there are definitely engineering majors that work as RAs. You just have to be able to manage your time very well. Once your daughter comes to Pitt, she will get a good feel for whether or not she can handle another huge responsibility. Its a 24 hour job. I’ve had residents knocking at my door at 3AM needing help, and it’s my job to help them, regardless of whether or not I have a test the next day. So, its hard to put an exact number on the hours per week. </p>
<p>Tell your daughter to befriend her RA, and her RA will give her the inside scoop on the RA job. </p>
<p>Hope this helps!</p>
<p>My D (freshman) got assigned a single room despite requesting a double or triple with a random roommate. She’s very disappointed and Panther Central has indicated that switches are infrequently done. Will her RA be able to connect her with other girls who have been placed into single roomsthat live on her floor so that she can make connections over the summer like the kids with roommates get to do? Also, can you confirm if Holland Hall is all freshman girls or are there upperclassmen on the freshman floors too? That could make it ever harder to meet other freshman.</p>
<p>MtnClimbr, </p>
<p>I am so excited to get this message! I am an RA in Holland Hall, which is all freshman girls. I have lived in Holland since my freshman year and I was also in a single (and a small one at that). Let me tell you, your daughter is going to LOVE being in a single. I am a very sociable person (that’s why I love being an RA), but I also like having time to myself. It’s great to hang out with friends, but its even better to be able to go back to your room at the end of the day and only have yourself to worry about. </p>
<p>Your daughter will make friends. Her RA will make sure of it. Holland RAs are some of the best RAs on campus if I do say so myself! Your daughter may be my resident!</p>
<p>Tell her not to worry. Being in a single is a great thing and Holland Hall is the best. There is a reason why I have stayed there for all four of my college years. </p>
<p>Please let me know if you have any other questions!</p>
<p>Hey PittRA! I just have a few questions. </p>
<p>1) I have a double in Tower B. Do you think I could fit my bass guitar in the room or would it be too cramped?
2)I’m coming from out of state. Can I ship my stuff to Pitt before I come? (clothes, hangers, etc.)
3)Should I wait to buy things like refrigerators and TVs until I arrive to campus?
4)I know every 3rd floor in Towers has a lounge, what are in these lounges?</p>
<p>Hi PittRA</p>
<p>My son got assigned to Towers C and is not happy about having a single room he applied for Towers A or B and not C. What can I tell him about the singles there that will make him feel more at ease? Will he be on a floor with all freshman? Our cousin’s daughter was assigned a single room when she was a freshman and has since graduated, but she had a very bad time and made no friends her freshman year. My son is very worried that this will happen to him.</p>
<p>ComicStix, </p>
<p>1) You could easily raise your bed and stick the guitar underneath. I think you will have enough room. (You can get a better feel for the room sizes at your PittStart. You will be staying in a Towers Room)
2)You can try to ship things to the UPS store on Forbes Avenue. They may hold it for you. Or, if you have friends or family that live close, ask if you can mail things to their house.
3)That’s up to you. If you are worried about fitting everything in your car, then you can wait. There is a Target very close by where you can purchase those things. That being said, most people buy them before they come. There is the option to rent a fridge and microwave combo from the school. In that case, the fridge and microwave will be there when you move in.</p>
<p>Hippodad, </p>
<p>Please read my previous reply to MtnClimbr about single rooms. I have been in a single all four years and I love it. He will be on a floor with all freshman. The great thing about Tower C, is that ALL of the rooms are singles and that means that EVERYONE in Tower C is in the exact same situation. Everyone is worried about making friends. </p>
<p>There are a TON of programs and events during the first couple weeks of school and my advice is for your son to attend as many as he can and to ask other people on the floor to go with him. It can be hard to make friends, but everyone appreciates the guy that is willing to walk around the floor and get everyone to grab some lunch so that they don’t have to eat by themselves. </p>
<p>As long as your son is friendly and goes to the programs that his RA advertises, he should have no trouble making friends. There are 500 other kids in that Tower that are going through the exact same thing. </p>
<p>Hope this helps!</p>
<p>ComicStix, </p>
<p>When we were at Pitt Start one of the students during a parent session said he shipped a new TV to himself and that you could start sending packages to campus a few weeks before arrival. I’d check with Panther Central about the timing if it is not in the housing information that comes in the mail. Also, Bed Bath and Beyond will allow you to select items at your local store for pick up at the store near campus. That way you do not need to ship or bring those items. I hope this is helpful</p>
<p>Pitt RA,</p>
<p>Does the first digit of the room number in Holland Hall correspond to the floor number (for instance if it’s 3XX is the 3rd floor)? There is a Holland floor plan in the housing info on the website. Are the rooms the same layout on each floor (so room 314 would be the same size and layout as room 414)? Are even the small singles big enough to have a microfridge and an extra chair/bean bag? What is available in the kitchenettes, are there microwaves in the kitchenettes an where are the kitchenettes located? Thanks for information</p>
<p>MtnClimbr,</p>
<p>You are correct. If the number was 1018, she would be on floor ten, 314 floor three. And yes, the floors have the exact same layout. The only floor that is different is floor 2. Every other floor has the same layout. </p>
<p>I had one of the smallest singles available my freshman year and I had a fridge and microwave. I’d say if you are going to skip out on anything, it should be the microwave, because one is provided on every floor in the kitchenette. As far an extra chair, you may be pushing it a bit. If it folds up, she can probably stick it in her closet and pull it out when she has a guest. </p>
<p>The kitchenette is located on the North side of the floor. You should know that Holland is divided into North and South. When your daughters RA contacts her, she will tell her what side she is on. If she is on the South side and doesn’t want to have to walk to the kitchenette every time she needs to microwave something then I suggest she brings her own.</p>
<p>The kitchenettes also have a sink and trashcans, but that is it. No oven or stove or fridge. </p>
<p>Hope this helps.</p>
<p>Resident RA,
We are new parents to college freshmen dorms and it has been a long time since college days! I have a couple of questions that plague us as we prepare to pack up for the long , cross states road trip to orientation in late August . Hopefully you can give us some guidance:</p>
<p>Is a trunk necessary and practical or just a waste of precious space?
What is the approximate height. From floor to lofted bed frame (Sutherland)?
Is a mirror for door or wall helpful for girls doing hair and/or makeup and sharing suite bathrooms? Door seems like it could be awkward…</p>
<p>Silly as these questions may sound, your answers will help with transition planning.</p>
<p>Gaskin123,</p>
<p>Because the school provides the students with both a dresser and a closet, it may seem like a waste of space. The Sutherland rooms are some of the largest freshman dorms though. Honestly, it depends on how much clothes your child has. I brought an extra dresser because I have so many items of clothing. If your child is like me, a trunk might be necessary. My advice is to bring the trunk, unpack all the clothes and then see if you need it. If not, then just take it back home.</p>
<p>I believe the the beds are about 2.5 ft off the ground and beds that are 10 in. off the floor. You can call Panther Central to verify that information, but I got it from a Pitt website.</p>
<p>I brought a mirror with me and I used it every day. Your child will have a mirror in their bathroom, but if they want to look at their whole body, a full length mirror makes things much easier.</p>
<p>Hope this helps!</p>
<p>My daughter lived in Sutherland freshman year and her small college-provided chest of drawers fit under the bed when it was on the top setting.</p>
<p>Thank you Pitt RA and Maryland mom!</p>
<p>Oh, I just thought of something else. The doors in Sutherland are extra thick, so the over-the-door hangers do not fit. If you bring a mirror, bring one that will sit on the floor.</p>
<p>Dear PittRA2013,</p>
<p>From pictures we have seen it looks like the floors in Holland Hall are carpeted. Do students bring their own vacuums? Or are there vacuums they can borrow?</p>
<p>FWIW, mtnclimber, the vacuum that was available in DD’s dorm was a wet/dry vac. The idea of what it might have been used for grossed us out, so we ended up buying a cheap Hoover that had good reviews.</p>
<p>mtnclimber - both my Pitt students went with a small stick vacuum - Bissell one at Walmart right now at $14 - it can also be used like a dust buster and doesn’t take up much room.</p>