As the year dwindles down to the last of spring quarter 2007, it is evident that many students are restless about the summer holiday and heading back to their respective hometowns. First year on-campus residents are no exception.

Next week, first-year residents will bid farewell to community restrooms, shared bedrooms and the birthplace of some unforgettable college moments, a place they have called home for the past nine months: the UW residence halls.

“One of the great things about the [residence halls] is that I got the chance to meet a ton of people,” said freshman Alicia Hardman, a Lander Hall resident. “Some of my good friends are also RAs, which is cool because it allows me to break out of the social group solely made up of freshmen. I get to know sophomores, juniors and seniors.”

Housing and Food Services (HFS) has worked attentively with resident directors, advisers and volunteers to ensure that this past year has been advantageous for first-year students, from campus networking to individual needs.

“Our goal this year was to promote academic success, diversity and financial success [for the residents],” said Julie Draper, Lander Hall resident director. “There has been much more intentional connections between residents and RAs, including student engagement meetings.”

Draper also said that the programming model has been modified to address issues that are relevant to first year students.

“We want to do what we can to help with time management,” Draper said. “We want residents to learn early on what kind of programs and majors are out there and how we can help them find resources.”

Lander Hall, the UW’s freshmen-only residence hall, has seen additional benefits.

“I think the [first-year] students in Lander appreciate that everyone they’re living with is going through the same types of experiences,” Draper said. “Upperclassmen already have made connections, which can be a good thing to help freshmen, but it can also can be harder for freshmen. ”

Draper added that first-year students tend to be more curious.

“[Freshmen] are more likely to ask questions because they’re more willing to go out and meet their new neighbors,” she said.

For some students, transitioning to a larger community has proven to be a means of self-discovery.

“My experience was different because I’m an only child,” said freshman and Mercer resident Melvin Donaldson, a Mercer resident. “Living with people my age and going from a family to a 60-person floor is a big change. I’ve learned a lot about myself and how I interact with others.”

Although Mercer Hall houses both underclassmen and upperclassmen, Donaldson said that because Mercer contains smaller floors, he is able to know all residents on his floor and interact with them on a daily basis.

M’Liss DeWald, a former RA for McCarty Hall’s single-gender floor, has seen firsthand how the first-year experience can be valuable.

“What I’ve seen as a former RA is that living within the residence halls is extremely beneficial for first-year students,” DeWald said. “It’s a great way to get connected to campus as a whole and [for students] to be able to find their own niche within the campus.”

In addition to connecting with the massive campus, personal networking and relationships have grown from living in community environments.

“Most of the girls from my floor live together now or still keep in touch with each other,” DeWald said. “My [former] residents still keep in touch with me via Facebook or telephone, which is great because I get to see how they have succeeded in life. From being involved in Relay For Life to studying abroad, my girls are a great example of how the residence halls benefit students.”

First-year students agree.

“[Residence] life is definitely a networking system, and I feel very fortunate to have met the people I did,” Hardman said.

Although most residents said they will remember their experience fondly, for some there were a few minor setbacks.

“One thing that I really didn’t like was being in a triple [room],” Hardman said. “I didn’t mind at first, but now that the year is winding down, having to share such a small space with two other people can get pretty frustrating.”

To amend the kinks and knots of the first-year experience, the residence hall community will continue to work with students to create more efficient programs in the future.

“We’re looking at what worked this year, what didn’t and what we will carry over to next year,” Draper said. “We’re looking at what’s best for the student population. Our goal is to give them the tools they need to go out there and succeed. We need to ask, ‘What do they need to be successful?’ and what we can do to help them with that.”

As the move-out process approaches, RAs are posting information on bulletin boards and holding floor meetings in hopes of helping residents make a simple transition.

The residence halls have not only given students a chance to build lasting relationships but also provided a launching pad to future housing arrangements.

“The sense of community is unbelievable, and it’s something I can rely on,” Donaldson said. “The ones that I don’t want to part with are the ones I will continue to interact with. One of them, even, is my apartment-mate in Stevens Court next year.”

Donaldson offered a last piece of advice for students considering on-campus housing in the fall.

“[Students] have to try it out for at least a year,” Donaldson said. “It’s different than anything you’ll ever experience.”

Reach reporter Vicky Yan at news@thedaily.washington.edu.