This first week at COSMOS has brought a multitude of new friendships, classes, and environments, with adjusting to dorm life being an important part of the experience. The themed floors and a variety of communal areas have allowed students to quickly grow comfortable, able to utilize the available facilities as needed. Additionally, students met their roommates and floormates, exchanging advice and guidance that would spark long-lasting friendships.
Each room contains three beds, including a bunk bed and a loft bed. With plenty of closet, desk, and shelf space for each person, there was no problem organizing our items and settling in. A memorable touch was that every floor had a theme, with my floor’s being Spider-Man (the decorations certainly did not disappoint). The Spider-Man stickers with each student’s name, along with cobwebs throughout the hallways and spiderman posters plastered on the walls made the atmosphere exciting and fun.
The shared bathrooms were a new experience for some, and took some time to get acclimatized to. With two bathrooms for each section of the floor, there were plenty of stalls and sinks available even during busy hours. Each bathroom had four showers, so during days when students didn’t have as much free time, there was fortunately a minimal amount of wait time. The condition of the bathrooms was great, with the facility being clean and hygiene products provided, such as toilet covers. Students did a solid job at ensuring the cleanliness and orderliness of the bathrooms, however, a floor meeting was called on Thursday to reemphasize the privacy of showers and stalls, reminding students that showering was an individual activity…
To pass the time during free hours, many students utilized the residence buildings to do various activities with their friends. Some examples include poker, Imposter, and filming social media videos. Furthermore, some buildings had community rooms with a piano, allowing students to congregate, socialize, and practice their musical instruments. Although dorm life has been going smoothly, it is key not to lose your keys, as the punishment is reciting a haiku before evening activities (a consequence that several students have already fallen victim to).
Most students are ready to go kayaking for the weekend, while some others return home to rest. We’re all looking forward to the next few weeks of COSMOS!
Written by Ryan Bao