About How Room Picks  Work- 2017:

  • Every March, upperclass students gather in their hall to choose their rooms/roommates for the upcoming school year.
  • Walsh has a ONE NIGHT Room Pick, we do NOT do Mock Picks over several days, like some other halls.
  • The order in which people choose their room is based on class and lottery numbers generated by Office of Housing. For example, all the rising seniors will choose before rising juniors, but all rising seniors are sorted by lottery number.
  • ​TIMELINE/PROCESS
    • March 3=Housing Application and Interhall Transfer Requests Due
    • March 8=Accommodation Requests Due
    • March 10=Interhall Requests find out from Rector if they are accepted or not
    • March 19=Walsh Floorplans will be available in print and online
    • March 21=Roommate Reception in Pangborn to help folks find more options for good living partners
    • March 26=Lottery Numbers and Intent Sheet will be available
    • March 29=Upperclass Students need to mark and initial on the intent sheet what they plan to choose.
    • April 2    =Room Pick Night beginning at 7pm
      • Rising Seniors (7-7:30), Rising Juniors (7:35-8:05), Rising Sophomores (8:30-9)
  • There will be a group meeting to explain room picks.  All are welcome, and it's mandatory for first years.
  • There will be one set of large, laminated floor plans in the back of the Chapel and another set in first floor lounge
  • Everyone waits in the Chapel and are called up in Lottery number order to go to the office, one by one, to select a room. 
    • The person with the highest pick of a duo/group brings their whole group to choose.
    • Everyone gets a tiny sticker, writes their name on it, and puts it on the room they choose. NO take backs. 
      "Once you stick, you've made your pick!"
    • On an index card, you will write your name, NDID, and the room you chose. Sign the card after you choose the room.  This is a written record of the room you selected, to be used to input this information into the Housing software system later in the week.
  • As rooms are selected, an RA marks off the corresponding room on the other public floorplans--so people can be updating their plans if necessary in real time.​
  • There will not be “halved” or “broken” rooms—each available room will be filled to capacity with the appropriate number of residents. That’s why it’s important to talk to people in advance.

If you can't be at Room Pick night (including abroad women):

  • It is your responsibility to choose a person to act as your "proxy", and email Liz so there is a written record of who you chose.
  • As your lottery number is called, they will come to choose the room in your place.
  • So it is your responsibility to communicate to your proxy a number of options, in order that you prefer them.
  • They will need to bring your netid and NDID to confirm the room pick.

To  bring with you to Room Pick Night:

  • A few possible housing options for yourself
  • ID, NetID, Room Key
  • If you are picking for someone else, you need to have their NetID and NDID.

Communication is key!

  • ​It’s important that you have healthy communication with people when thinking about roommate configurations. ​
  • It's more helpful to be flexible, to have a number of plans, to not take things personally, and to be kind. Charity and Clarity need to be top priorities. Communicate clearly with kindness.
  • Communication is KEY and necessary-part of the COMMUNITY aspect of the three pillars of Walsh.
    • Use EFFECTIVE ways: (face to face, with a plan, generosity, clear goal, undivided attention)
    • Avoid non face-to-face methods: (texting, facebook, snapchat, carrier pigeon)
    • What kinds of things should we talk about?
      • Life Rhythm preference, volume, goals, vision at end of the year,  what else?
    • What is important to remember?
      • Do not ASSUME ANYTHING—can’t read minds, don’t wait until the last second, self-awareness, not taking things personally, being clear but charitable, owning what you need…what else?
    • Can talk to RA/AR or Liz to prep for these conversations that need to happen.