Questions about dormitories.

<p>Hi. I got accepted and I might be coming to W&M in the future. I have a few questions that I've been wondering about, and I'm really picky about where and how I live.</p>

<p>1) Is the roommate questionnaire thing really as useless as everyone says?
2) Does everyone have to shower in the same bathroom? (I'm male).
3) Do the showers have some privacy?
4) Do you live with one or two roommates in the same room?
5) Are there any rooms available for people to live alone? I'm an only child and I can't imagine having even one roommate.</p>

<p>I know some of the questions can vary for each hall, but I'd just like general answers.</p>

<ol>
<li>For the most part, yes. My understanding is that ResLife matches roommate preferences first, then dorm preferences. Not sure why it is done this way; it seems to the casual observer that dorm or other living preferences could be matched first, and there would still be sufficient compatibility to match roommates. But maybe I’m wrong.</li>
<li>Most freshman dorms have hall bathrooms. The halls are usually one gender. The hall decides on bathroom rules, including accesibility to the opposite gender. If you’re lucky enough to live in Dupont, you will have suite-style bathrooms that are shared between 2 rooms/4 people (not to mention air conditioning; you will be the envy of everyone across the street in Botetourt).</li>
<li>The hall showers are individual, not group (as far as I’m aware; I’ve never run across a group shower), so you will have privacy in the shower.</li>
<li>Most freshman rooms are doubles; there are a few exceptions. The exceptions are triples and quads more so than singles.</li>
<li>Very few. Substantially all rooms are doubles. The number of singles available to freshman can usually be counted on one hand. You will probably not have the option to have a single until you are a senior; they usually go very quickly in the housing lottery. This really isn’t a bad thing, especially for freshmen; it makes socializing easy. Your freshman hallmates are usually friends that you will stay closest to during your 4 years, so not having a single to withdraw to can be a good thing. I would approach this with an open mind and an understanding that shared living quarters can be challenging but rewarding.</li>
</ol>

<p>Yeah, it’s just really weird to be to be living and sleeping with someone else in the same room. Like I said, I’m an only child so I’m pretty spoiled and I don’t know these things; I really like my privacy. I hope I can get used to it.</p>

<p>Just to clarify javabytes great answer, all hall bathrooms are single sex (i.e. on the boys’ hall the bathrooms are male bathrooms). However, through self-determination ([William</a> & Mary - Self-Determination](<a href=“http://www.wm.edu/offices/residencelife/oncampus/governance/selfdetermination/index.php]William”>http://www.wm.edu/offices/residencelife/oncampus/governance/selfdetermination/index.php)) the residents of that hall can decide if they want to allow visitors of the opposite sex to use the facilities. No matter what, there will be bathrooms for the opposite sex just down the hall for the most part.</p>

<p>The shower stalls in residence halls are private.</p>

<p>Many of our students come to campus having never shared a room (we’d dare say the overwhelming majority) but they absolutely get use to having a roommate and oftentimes really relish the opportunity to bond with that person. </p>

<p>The only singles for freshmen are for those who have special health needs. They are not part of the general freshman room pool.</p>

<p>If you attend Day for Admitted Students, there will be a session on Residence Life that addresses many of your questions about the roommate questionnaire, how they select roommates/residence halls, etc.</p>

<p>lots of only children have gone to college before you and lived with roommates. You will be fine.</p>

<p>I can’t attend Day for Admitted Students, I live in Turkey and our financial situation isn’t the best.</p>

<p>In that case we encourage you to take advantage of the Class of 2015 Facebook page and the welcome web site. Post a question on the Facebook page for Griffin Gossip to answer about residence life.</p>

<p>You can also contact Residence Life [William</a> & Mary - Residence Life](<a href=“http://www.wm.edu/offices/residencelife/index.php]William”>Residence Life | William & Mary) to ask any questions you might have.</p>