Softening the Blow: Sophomore Housing at Mines

Living away from home for the first time is a significant transition, but what most people don’t recognize is that moving off campus is just as big of an upheaval. From finding roommates to having the unexpected costs of a car for a miles-long commute, every problem is more foreign and more “adult” than it was before. Fortunately for current and future first year students, on-campus options for rising sophomores will increase as of the fall of 2020. 

Alex Wood, a current Junior and Resident Advisor, believes that students who live on campus have higher attention rates in class, better GPAs and more consistent attendance rates. “The benefit of living on campus for a second year is that it is a step forward from first year housing, but it isn’t a full stop on the support that is offered to residents.” 

It is important to recognize that living on campus for a second year creates a larger support network for rising upperclassmen. By living in campus residences for a second year, residents maintain easy access to campus events and still have access to all the resources offered in the residence halls. In addition, living near others allows for new friendships and connections to be formed, expanding on each resident’s personal community. Rising sophomores who choose to live in 1750 Jackson or Mines Park will also have the option of obtaining a meal plan from Mines Market. Cooking every meal for yourself after just scanning into Mines Market for a year is a big change for many students and having an optional meal plans offers a safety net. Sophomore housing allows for residents to slowly make that transition, as opposed to the abrupt stop that has been commonplace for every other current class at Mines. 

If residents choose to live off campus, they lose access to OrePrint from their living spaces. If sophomores choose to live in Maple, The Jackson Street Apartments or Mines Park, OrePrint is still accessible, since each hall is covered by Mines Wi-Fi. While having access to OrePrint is great, one of the most cost-effective parts about living on campus is that having a car isn’t necessary. Simultaneously, we can reduce the parking problems on campus with fewer commuters and lessen those students’ financial burdens. 

Since Spruce Hall is being built for incoming freshmen, Maple Hall will have an entire wing dedicated to sophomore housing. Maple will house 180 sophomores in suite-style living in fully furnished rooms. Maple residents will be required to have a meal plan but will have access to one of the new sophomore specific meal plans. 

In addition to Maple Hall, the new 1750 Jackson Street Apartments will offer apartment style life for rising sophomores. Jackson will house 360 sophomores in fully furnished units. Residents who live in Jackson will NOT be required to have a meal plan but can obtain an optional one if they would like. Jackson is right across the street from Safeway and all units have a kitchen, so cooking meals is a super viable option. Studio units have a full kitchen, minus the oven. 

Both Maple and Jackson will offer neighborhood style living. When applying for housing, residents are able to request up to 11 other friends to live near. You will choose your direct roommates and the others in your group will be placed in other apartments near you! The Maple and Jackson assignments are done by lottery, but if ONE person from the group gets picked in the lottery, the ENTIRE group gets pulled in. So, no matter the number of people you want in your neighborhood, everybody should apply together for the best odds. 

The last option for sophomores is The Mines Park apartments. Mines Park is open to all students at Mines and starts with a 10-month contract with the option to renew for a 12-month contract. Once you get into Mines Park and start renewing, you can stay in your apartment until you graduate. Unlike Maple and Jackson, these apartments are unfurnished so keep that in mind when applying. Instead of paying semesterly, rent and utilities are posted to your student account monthly. 

Here are the important dates to remember if you are considering sophomore housing. 

Final Information Session: Monday, January 27 in the Elm Hall Lobby

Jackson and Maple Application Dates: Saturday, February 1- Friday, February 7 (apply anytime during this time period)

Mines Park Application Dates: Sunday, March 1 – Tuesday, March 3 (apply anytime during this time period)

The housing website: www.mines.edu/residence-life has more in-depth information on pricing the specifics of the application process.