Housing options on campus all have some rules
What to bring
For every college lifestyle, there are essential items to bring along.
Everyone needs shampoo, towels, posters and sheets. However, University of Idaho Housing has a list of things they suggest students bring or leave at home.
Claire Whitley | Argonaut
Most students think of bringing microwaves, Bunsen burners and little waffle irons or sandwich presses. These are all not allowed in any form of University Housing. All rooms come equipped with a microwave and a mini fridge — having more of them just takes up room. Coffee pots are allowed if they have an automatic off switch, but anything else should be left at home. Other things not allowed are rice cookers, candle warmers, pets (except fish in a 10 gallon or less tank), fireworks and a food fryer of any kind.
The Housing office offers a few tips and tricks for microwave recipes and how to keep the room smelling fresh on their Pinterest page.
Some of the items ASUI president Nate Fisher suggests bringing are umbrellas and rain boots or waterproof shoes. Fisher also suggests packing at least one crazy costume, because students never know when a good costume is needed for an event, such as Tower Trick or Treat on Halloween or a Vandal Game Day event.
The Housing office offers a full list of what to bring on their website.
Rules
All freshmen have to live on campus unless they submit an exemption form by May 1. Submitting a form does not guarantee an exemption will be granted. Those exemptions under which a student may qualify to live off campus is if they are married, have children, are 21 years old or older or living at home with parents.
All residence halls are substance free for students under the age of 21. The third floor of the Stevenson wing in Wallace Residence Complex is completely substance free. Smoking is not allowed indoors and smokers have to smoke 25 feet away from any building entrance. There is currently a Tobacco Task Force proposing the idea of a tobacco-free campus, so rules are subject to change.
Visitors to residence halls are allowed only to spend three nights in a row and no more than seven in a semester.
A recent change to the student handbook states any off-campus activity can be subject to university rules. So if someone is caught drinking under the legal age limit, they may get written up by a Resident Assistant or some other Housing staff member. This isn’t to discourage people from going off campus to socialize, it’s just an effort to encourage all UI students to be safer, said Corey Ray, associate director of Housing.
Dos and don’ts
It’s important to make whatever Housing option students choose feel like home. If this means bringing house plants to decorate the windowsill, then carefully pack them. Wherever students end up is the place they will live for nine months, so it needs to be as comfortable as it can be. However, it shouldn’t be so comfortable that students never leave their rooms. It is important for students to meet people on their floors or in their suites and get involved with them.
Students should get involved on campus with student clubs they find interesting, whether it be Quidditch or ultimate Frisbee. College life is what you make it.
Claire Whitey can be reached at [email protected]