A few weeks before classes began, Samantha Bloom found out she was going to have two roommates instead of one.
A” large freshman class”:http://www.statenews.com/index.php/article/2011/08/a_flood_of_freshmen and fewer open dorms caused Bloom to move into transitional housing, waiting for more spaces to open up.
“At first I was confused,” the social work freshman said. “I didn’t know how long I’d be in it, or what happens after (I move out).”
But Bloom ended up befriending both of her roommates and has chosen to stay with them the rest of the year.
Other students who still are in transitional housing might not have that choice as an influx of incoming students next semester could create even more transitional housing.
Campus Living Services and Residence Life Assistant Director Mary Lou Heberlein said about 600 new students will move into the residence halls next semester, but only about 230 current students are leaving.
Heberlein said some people already have been moved out of transitional housing, but about 68 rooms still serve as transitional housing rooms.
“It is possible that there will be more transitional rooms as spring semester students come,” she said.
Students who are in transitional housing receive monetary compensation from the university during the time they are living with extra roommates, which varies depending on the time period. If students stay the entire semester in transitional housing, they will receive a refund of $561.
Residence Halls Association, or RHA, President Sarah Pomeroy said she meets with Campus Living Services representatives at least once a week to discuss the status of transitional housing.
To ensure there is space for students in the residence halls, some students have moved in with resident mentors.
Pomeroy said some resident mentors in RHA who have roommates have expressed interest in finding their own rooms.
Resident mentor Morgan Campbell, a political theory and constitutional democracy and social relations and policy sophomore, volunteered to live with a freshman during the transition period, but no one ended up moving in with her.
Campbell said transitional housing might make entering college a tougher experience because of the potential for roommate conflicts.
“If you have a problem with your roommate, and your roommate happens to be the RA, that would definitely be hard,” she said.
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