By Micayla Strickland, Program GUide
So you didn’t get the residence hall you wanted. In your mind, there is NO other residence hall on campus that can fill the hole in your heart that *insert residence hall name* left. Maybe this love at first sight began while searching through the Gonzaga University webpage, or maybe it felt like home the moment you walked in on your first campus tour. Regardless, this change in room assignment is not what you expected; that’s the funny thing about college, it has an uncanny curveball.
Well, have no fear my fellow Zags, if there is one thing I have learned during my time here at college, it’s that everything happens for a reason. Sounds cliché, right? How could not being placed in your first, second, or even third choice residence hall be a good thing? I asked myself this very same question. A long story short, I took a risk in applying for apartment-style living, the plan fell through, and I missed the deadline to apply to stay in my first year residence hall. The result? Not only did the residence hall require I squat to fit under the showerhead, but my friends were living on the opposite side of campus. To say I wasn’t nervous going into the school year would be an unconvincing lie. There were so many unknowns. I had a plan, but Gonzaga University had something else in mind. Reflecting back, I wouldn’t change a single thing.
A picture of my roommate and I on the first day of classes.
Why this sudden change of heart, you ask? My residence hall was very persistent in trying to win over my affection. For example, late night runs to the local Froyo Earth took mere minutes. As any of my friends can attest, food is the way to my heart. I grew closer to the students living in my residence hall because many nights were spent wrapped up in blankets, homemade popcorn galore, and watching a movie we could all quote and/or sing along to (yes, I am referring to Frozen). One of my favorite things about this particular residence hall was the piano located in the lobby. Throughout the day, different students would jump on and play a tune or two. It was like a welcoming committee had been hired to greet you every time you walked into the building. By the end of the year, my friend and I’s room had earned the affectionate nickname of “The Pinterest Room.”This may be my biggest accomplishment to date, or my roommate’s if we’re being honest; she is the one with a knack for interior design.
When it’s all said and done, my friends and I had made this new and once intimidating residence hall, our home.
My biggest piece of advice for you is to go into every year at Gonzaga with an open mind. Who knows the people you’ll meet, the adventures you’ll have, and the things you’ll learn. It’s not where you live but who you are with; luckily for you, the Zag community is a pretty fantastic one.