Before college started, I was thrilled; I was excited to move to a new place, meet new people, and have new experiences, but what I was not excited about was living in an all-female dorm. I’ve always thought that living in a co-ed dorm was part of the college experience, so I was pretty bummed-out when I found out I would be missing out on that part of the experience, or so I thought.
Richardson House is the all-female, freshmen dorm that is located in a prime location on campus on Professors Row, next to the campus center and across the street from Tisch Library. Richardson was once a private residence, making the rooms quite spacious (literally everyone who comes to my room comments on how big it is). There is a cute kitchen with a patio, a study room with a chalkboard, and a cozy common area couches and chairs.
From group studying in the common with friends until 1 AM to having fun face masks nights, Richardson is always bustling with life. Our FYA’s (First Year Advisors) always have fun activities for us to do and take a break from our rigorous academic curriculum that often becomes great bonding experiences.
I love living in Richardson, and it’s frankly been saving my life since the day I moved in. I’ve been blessed with treasured privileges, such as cleaner bathrooms and the ability to walk to the shower in just my underwear with no judgment. However, the best part of living in an all-female dorm has to be the incredible people I live with. My dormmates are the girl crew I always dreamt about in high school, full of strong, smart, independent women who are not afraid of men and will let me cry on their rugs when I have a bad day. Women here help other women, and this lesson, I know, will stick with me way past my freshman year.