Hello, I’m a new acceptee and I lay at a crossroads: choosing to live substance free or not. I worry if I go substance-free, I’ll get stuck with some weird kids, as the stigma goes. But if I don’t, I worry I’ll get stuck with some hardcore drugee. I’m no so much against a roomie who drinks or what, but I have respiratory issues, and if I were stuck with a roommate who smokes, I’d suffer immensely.
Could any current or former sagehens shed some light on what substance free dorming at Pomona is like? Or at least housing in general, do I have anything to fear? Or should I bite the bullet and go substance free?
My Sagehen has been staying in sub-free dorm. From my short period of visit and from what I’ve perceived from talking with my Sagehen, the dorm has diverse types of kid. I believe also that PMC has the most diverse student body among 5Cs. Overall, it looks very much a normal dorm, with residents being rather on the mature side; respectful, nice, and helpful.
Current junior here. I lived in a sub-free hall, but my hall was close to sub-op halls. I didn’t party much my first year (or in general), but other kids in my hall definitely did. I think most people in my hall chose sub-free so they could have a relatively quiet and clean place to go back to, and that’s what it ended up being. My sub-free hall was also pretty diverse in terms of race, socioeconomic background, hometown, and interests but I’d categorize us as all chill. I don’t know what your definition of “weird” is, but I doubt a whole sub-free hall will consist of only weird kids, probably just one or two that you think will be weird – same with sub-op. What’s funny is that my sponsors originally wanted a sub-op hall but ended up with sub-free; I think they had the same concerns as you that we’d be a weird bunch, but everything turned out fine!
I’ve had good friends who lived in sub-op halls, but I do think you will definitely find more athletes, jocks, and more hardcore rather than casual partiers in sub-op halls. Some sub-op halls are a more mixed, but you won’t find a whole group of those people in a sub-free hall. Not good or bad; if that’s the community that you’d like to be a part of then go for it!
However, if you’re really concerned about cigarette/marijuana smoke or the smell of either, definitely go with sub-free! If you’d prefer to go with sub-op, you can indicate preferences for a roommate who doesn’t smoke, but there could always be another person in your hall who does.
I agree with @CamiTheAverage’s characterization — no one in sub free is “weird;” you’re just more likely to find people there who aren’t into partying. Sub free halls also tend to have more people of color.
From your post, I’d recommend you go with sub free. If you do choose sub op, though, you can still note on the form that you have respiratory issues and don’t want a roommate who smokes; I believe they ask whether you’d object to living with a smoker independently of whether you’d prefer sub free or sub op.
One thing you should consider if you have respiratory issues is whether or not you require air conditioning. If so, you should note that and you’ll get placed in Mudd-Blaisdell.
My daughter lived on a substance free hall, although the entire dorm was not substance free. There was a definite difference in the odor between her hall and others, although I never smelled tobacco. Her hallway was cleaner in general, so maybe those kids were a little less likely to dump their pizza on the floor. She then chose “substance free friends” to live with in the following years. I don’t think any of them are “weird.” Standard Pomona kids doing standard Pomona college stuff. They are all friendly and bright, like most of the students I have met on campus.
I’m pretty sure that if you mention your asthma, you will be matched with an appropriate roommate, or you will get a single, but the only way to avoid various types of smoke completely is to go substance free.
If I could go back and choose I would definitely do sub op. I chose sub free because I didn’t want to be in a room with someone who smoked cigs. Sub free halls in my experience tend to attract certain types of students. Lucky for me I got a roommate who wasn’t like that, but still.