CASA is home to Latino students who are seeking an additional level of community engagement on campus. I decided to apply because I loved the cultural and social events that CASA hosts on campus and the community they create. It was heartwarming to enter my house and recognize people who looked like me and to be able to practice my Spanish-speaking skills. I’ve lived in Casa for a full academic year and will live there again this fall!

A Special Resident

A surprising perk of living in CASA was that we had a house cat named Pina! She not only comforted me during my late night study sessions, but would also sit in front of my computer and stare me down to keep me on task.

Window View

On days when I woke up to find that snow had appeared, the campus became even more beautiful! It’s the perfect time to bring out your camera and snap some photos. That’s even more true at Casa, with our great views! Students are also always taking the opportunity to go outside and play in the snow!

Hosting Social Events

As a way to give back to the community, CASA hosts events open to the entire campus. One of our most popular was the Equites event—yum! We often collaborate with the Latin American Student Organization (LASO) on events like Sopita and Self-Care. Being away from home, it’s comforting for students like myself to enjoy familiar foods while relaxing with a face mask on.

Yap Sessions with Housemates

Short study breaks often turned into long hours chatting. Typical living room activities included painting our nails, renting equipment from PEPS to watch movies or play Mario Kart, and teaming up to bake cookies and brownies for the CASA community.

Rose, Bud, Thorn might just be a Carleton thing—but it’s a fun tradition where CASA members share the highlight of their week (the rose), something that could have gone better (the thorn), and something they’re looking forward to (the bud)!

House Bonding

Every term, we plan a fun house bonding event! In the past, we’ve enjoyed things like a carne asada day and a cozy brunch together. During the carne asada day, we collaborated with current residents, with a special visit from future house residents for the fall

Yahaira Salgado ’27 (she/her) is a rising junior with a psychology major and educational studies minor. Originally from Chicago, she works at the print shop and enjoys attending cultural and social events with food. Outside of school, you’ll find her either at the Libe, running or walking in the Arb, or crocheting in her room.

The post Living in a Cultural House (Casa del Sol) appeared first on Carleton Admissions.

Campus storage

Carleton offers storage for anything you can’t or don’t want to bring home. The process is pretty simple: you go to the bookstore and buy tags for your boxes, and then show up at the storage time. Each day, there’s a specific storage space open at a specific time, so staying on top of the schedule is really important. Because you store by box, buying bigger boxes is definitely a good idea. 

Storing with friends

Not everything can be stored in Carleton storage. I didn’t have a box for my mirror or air purifier, so I was able to give that to a friend to store at her house for me. Look here to see if what you’re trying to store is allowed. If not, there is almost always someone who is driving home and willing to take it. 

Mailing things home

The mailroom can also help you send packages home if no one can take them. I’ve never personally tried this, but if you need something home that you can’t take on the plane, this is a great route to go.  

Starting early

Packing can be a much-needed break from studying. Last year, I helped my friends pack, so during the reading days, they came and helped me. The extra set of hands was really nice and we also used it as a chance to catch up in these busy times.

Things will change

This might sound ominous, but if you’re prepared for something to go wrong, then you’ll be okay. Sometimes storage hours change, or even worse, it might start pouring rain on the day you’re supposed to move out. Being prepared for anything will hopefully make this process less stressful (and a little rain never hurt anyone).

The saddest part of move out is saying goodbye to all of the amazing people here at Carleton. I always feel so lucky for this community, and I can’t wait to see them again in the fall (or in the winter for my friends going on OCS)

Kate (she/her) is a sophomore History major from the Bay Area, California. She loves Carleton’s artsy community, and is involved in both the Theater and Dance department and Vocal Studies Program. Kate’s favorite places on campus are the practice rooms, either in Myers or the Weitz, where she can sing or play the ukulele. She loves the campus during all the seasons, but fall is definitely her favorite. When not in class, you can find Kate either petting the nearest cat or forcing her friends to watch bad movies in a study room.

The post Ending Spring Term: Preparing to Move Out appeared first on Carleton Admissions.

Academics

DO get some of your liberal arts requirements out of the way, particularly if you don’t yet know what you want to major in!

DON’T pigeonhole yourself into one discipline — even if you know you want to be an English major, challenge yourself to branch out and try something new like a geology class.

DO talk to your academic advisor; they are one of your most valuable resources and can help direct you to other campus resources if needed.

DON’T skip out on office hours, they’re there for a reason! Even if you don’t have a burning question about course material, it’s a good opportunity to chat with the professors and deepen your understanding.

DO find a few study spots that work well for you. Some people work well with background noise, others need total silence — your first-year fall is the right time to develop good study habits.

DON’T get into the habit of skipping class. College attendance is less rigorously policed than in high school, but it doesn’t mean it’s not important! If you start skipping regularly, you’ll fall really behind before you know it.

Activities

DO put yourself on as many club email lists as you can find — even if you don’t attend right away, you’ll know when events happen.

DON’T miss the activities fair during the first week of classes. This is where most clubs and organizations do their recruiting, and you might find a new club you’ve never heard of!

DO take advantage of the dorm kitchens and Dacie Moses. Food brings people together!

DON’T be afraid to try something new — all clubs at Carleton are beginner-friendly and encourage you to participate even with no experience.

DO take advantage of the many lecture and concert opportunities. Carleton always brings guest speakers and artists to campus with cool lecture topics or concert themes, and they are all free to the Carleton community.

DON’T stretch yourself too thin! As much as I encourage trying new things, trying to do everything all at once is a recipe for burnout. It’ll all still be there next term!

ResLife

DO make your dorm room feel like home. Put things on your walls! Fun decor doesn’t have to be expensive and a cute poster or tapestry goes a long way.

DON’T forget your towel when you go to shower. Trust me on this one.

DO take advantage of your RAs. They are super knowledgeable about all things Carleton and generally just lovely people. (Shoutout to my freshman year RA for providing Benadryl in a time of desperate need…)

DON’T ask your RAs how to do laundry. I mean, you can, but that’s a skill you can learn before coming here

DO go to the floor/dorm events, there’s usually free food involved.

DON’T bring too many clothes. This was something I needed to hear. 7 pairs of shoes is not necessary.

There’s so much more that could be said about your first-year fall, but the most important DO is to have fun and explore! Put yourself out there and you’ll be surprised at all the amazing things Carleton has to offer. Feel free to email me at leeq@carleton.edu with any questions, I’m always happy to share my thoughts.

Quinn (she/her/hers) is an American Studies Major and Chinese Minor. Quinn has a deep love of the Carleton community; she says she is so lucky to be surrounded by such brilliant and kind people. Quinn is an active member of the student-run radio station KRLX, the orchestra, the equestrian club, and the music department! Following her love of music and radio, her favorite place on campus is the record library. And finally, a fun fact about Quinn is that her family helped to found the Minneapolis St. Patrick’s Day Parade!

The post Thoughts on First-Year Fall appeared first on Carleton Admissions.

…I’d probably wish for world peace and end world hunger first, but after that, I might construct a day at Carleton that looks a little something like this.

My hypothetical perfect day falls during Spring Term, which is my favorite term by far, not only for the gorgeous weather but for the energy that’s palpable around campus. Everyone’s so excited to enjoy the warm weather that there are always people outside soaking up the sun, and it’s always fun to run into a few friends on your way to class.

I am not a morning person, believe it or not, so my perfect day starts with me sleeping in until about 10! My perfect Carleton day would definitely be set at Farm, which is my favorite place I’ve lived on campus. After taking a quick shower and getting ready, I would then take a lovely walk downtown to grab a matcha from Little Joy. This was a favorite routine of mine because the walk from Farm to downtown is long enough to get the blood pumping and listen to some great music, and the matcha is excellent.

My Perfect Classes

A perfect Carleton day means I get to build my perfect class schedule, lucky me! I’ve had the privilege of taking many fantastic Carleton classes, so it’s a bit of a struggle to pick my favorites. The first one that leaps to mind is an American Studies class I completed last spring, AIDS in America with Professor Chris Elias. This was our junior research seminar course, so in addition to the course content we also spent the term writing a comprehensive research paper on the topic of our choosing. I loved this class because although the content was often intensely emotional, we spoke openly about the intersections of sexuality, activism, legislation, art, and more. My fellow American Studies majors are an incredible group, brilliant, funny, and kind, and our professor Chris is much beloved by the Carleton community.

The next class I’d like to return to would be Beginning Acting with Andrew Carlson. I’ve blogged before about my experience with the Carleton Theater department, and I’m hoping to go back to it my senior year. Beginning Acting remains one of my favorite classes at Carleton because it works a different part of your brain; while we did some reading and writing, the majority of the class focused on engaging our minds and bodies in a whole new sphere. I also loved that the class brought together a range of people from across all disciplines, so I made some new friends that I might not have met otherwise.

For my last class of the day, I would head to 2nd Laird to take my favorite English class, Playwrights of Color with Nancy Cho. We read some incredible plays that I would’ve never found on my own, and we got to take a field trip into the cities to watch a play at the Penumbra Theater!

After my classes, I’d do a little bit of schoolwork in the Libe (ideally in a Second Libe study room) before making my way home for dinner.

The Ideal Evening

Farm dinner is on a strict schedule, so I’d meander my way home around 6 to finish up some reading in the backyard before a delicious vegetarian dinner at 6:30. After dinner I’m sure I would try to get more reading done but I would inevitably get caught up in the glory of the backyard. Some of my favorite memories from this last term were from throwing a frisbee around, swinging on the tire swing, and generally just playing like a little kid! While the demands of Carleton academics and extracurriculars can get overwhelming, we know how to have fun.

Last but certainly not least, I would finish up my day with late-night radio. I’ve had a radio slot from 10-11:30 pm the last few terms, which is ideal for my night-owl tendencies! I usually spend the first half-hour or so playing chill homework-friendly music so I can do a little bit of KRLX business while in the studio, and then spend the rest of my show playing whatever I want to hear or share with my friends. The studio truly is my happy place, and if I had it my way I’d spend every night on the radio.

Thanks for joining me on my imaginary perfect day — I hope it gives you a better idea of what your life at Carleton could look like!

Quinn (she/her/hers) is an American Studies Major and Chinese Minor. Quinn has deep love of the Carleton community; she says she is so lucky to be surrounded by such brilliant and kind people. Quinn is an active member of student-run radio station KRLX, the orchestra, equestrian club, and the music department! Following her love of music and radio, her favorite place on campus is the record library. And finally, a fun fact about Quinn is that her family helped to found the Minneapolis St. Patrick’s Day Parade!

The post My Ideal Carleton Day appeared first on Carleton Admissions.

My List

The Office of Student Life has produced a wonderful list for you to use when deciding what to bring (and what not to). I used this for my shopping and found some of the items useful, and others not so much. Check out my list in the table below for more details. Please keep in mind that this is all my preference, and may or may not be right for you.

What I Forgot

Don’t be me… Remember these things.

• Pillow (how embarrassing of me)
• Winter Coat (Even if you’re familiar with the winter, you spend more time walking around when it is cold in college, and will need a winter coat by the end of fall term)
• Bathrobe (convenient, warm, and comfy)
• Passport (or other documents to show legal working status in the US)

Think you need it? No you (probably) don’t.

• Extensive Tool Kit
• Printer
• Vacuum, Broom, General Cleaning Supplies
  • Trash bags, bins, brooms, vacuums, paper towels, and some general-purpose cleaners are available for student use in dorms. Please feel free to bring your own cleaners if you have a preference.
• Fancy Storage Units
  • Drawers are nice, but tubs and boxes are more functional, especially if you will store items in student storage over the summer. Simplicity wins when it comes to storage. I just use some old cardboard boxes.

When and How to Shop

You probably already have many of these things, but you’ll likely have to do a little shopping. Here are some pointers if you want to shop cost-effectively, sustainably, or lighten your load when you move in.

Target

Because Carleton begins later than many other schools, I did my shopping after everyone else had already picked through the shelves. On the one hand, it meant that a lot was on sale, but many items were also no longer available. If it is a must-have, I’d say buy it early. Northfield has a Target, so you could shop here or place an order for pick-up if you are coming from further away.

Thrifting

A great way to shop when you get to campus is through our Lighten Up! program. If there are items like winter clothing or bedding you won’t need right away when you arrive, feel free to wait for a pop-up sale hosted by the CCCE, where you can get these sorts of things at a massive discount. Another similar option is to shop at a Habitat for Humanity ReStore or a Northfield thrift shop. It is environmentally friendly and cheap, and all the proceeds are invested back into the community. If you’ll be in the Cities before moving in, consider swinging by one of the ReStores.

Refill Market

Another sustainable option is the Homebody Refill Market. If you want cost-effective laundry detergent and personal care goods without using single-use plastics, stop by during New Student Week and fill up using a free container from the community shelf. It is super close to campus, as are other local stores.

Shipping

Finally, you can ship packages to Carleton or order new items straight to campus to pick up during New Student Week. The mailing address is:

Student Full Name and class year
300 North College Street
Northfield, MN 55057
(Do not include mailbox number or residence hall name)

Final Advice

You don’t need to get everything right away. Get the basics and be ready for move-in, then buy other stuff as you turn your dorm room into a home. This is the best way to figure out what you do and don’t need.

Harrison (he/him/his) stays busy at Carleton! He is a captain of the club water polo team, plays both IM basketball and broomball, and participates in activities hosted by the German and physics departments. He loves the atmosphere of Carleton in that its students are focused on academics but they don’t let it get in the way of fun.

The post My Carleton College Packing List appeared first on Carleton Admissions.

Like many others of my generation, I am a devoted fan of the app BeReal, which prompts you to take photos of your day at a random time every day. The result is a collection of little moments that, when compiled, create a pretty accurate picture of life at Carleton! Last year I shared a collection of my BeReals from my time at Carleton thus far, and I thought it would be fun to do an updated junior year version — I humbly present just some of the moments I captured during the 23-24 school year.

Fall ’23 – Quinn in Europe!

During fall term I had the opportunity to go abroad on Carleton’s Women’s and Gender Studies in Europe program, which was an amazing experience. I spent 3 weeks in Utrecht, 4 weeks in Berlin, and 5 weeks in Prague studying gender studies in a European context while also completing an independent research project — stay tuned for a future blog with a more complete recap! I also got to travel to Vienna and Budapest during the program which was a huge bonus.

We had class in a community center in Berlin, conveniently located immediately next to a great coffee shop — a lifesaver for 9 am lectures.

We had the opportunity to listen to a master organist play in one of the most beautiful churches I’ve ever seen. As a music nerd, this was one of my favorite moments of the whole program.

One unexpected perk of my program was that a lot of us spoke Chinese, so when the Mid-Autumn holiday rolled around we knew we had to celebrate in style. Berlin Chinese food isn’t half bad if you pick the right spot!

Winter ’24 — Returning to Campus

Coming back to campus during the winter was bittersweet. I loved my abroad program, particularly the opportunity to travel, and it was hard to say goodbye to new friends. It just made coming back home to old friends all the sweeter! I moved into a triple in Nourse, which I loved for its convenient location and gorgeous exterior. (Not to mention my amazing roommates, including fellow blogger Hannah!)

I must’ve just come back inside when this was taken — see my flushed cheeks and big scarf. A true portrait of winter at Carleton! I loved the view from my windows, particularly at sunset.

The high point of my winter was being elected Station Manager of KRLX, our student radio station. I’ve been involved with KRLX since fall term freshman year, and I love it more than anything, so it was incredibly exciting (albeit a bit nerve-wracking) to be handed the keys to the station. Tune in at content.krlx.org during the school year!

This winter I was also lucky enough to have the opportunity to be in my good friend’s film for the CAMS department! Senior CAMS majors can choose to create a short film for their comps exercise, and I got to star in a horror movie set in the Northfield Public Library. The floors were squeaky all by themselves — no sound effects required.

Spring ’24 – Wait, I’m a Senior Now?

Spring term brought a new home for me, a lot of fun college-sponsored events, hours spent soaking up the sun, and a marked anxiety about the fact that I only have a year left to figure things out! I did get to move into Farm House, our sustainable living interest house, which was particularly special as it was the last term of Farm — it’s getting demolished as part of our new housing plan. We were all very sad to say goodbye to a special place with so much history, but we’re getting excited about the new super-sustainable house we move into in the fall.

I consider myself so lucky to have gotten to live in Farm, even if it was just briefly. The community is really special, and I loved living outside of a dorm context for the first time. We also got to host FarmStock, a student band showcase. Every year Farm roasts a pig (sustainably sourced, of course) and it was crazy to finally be part of the pig process!

Spring means a big uptick in concerts for the Music Department as our seniors perform their final recitals — here, I’m working one of those concerts in Applebaum Recital Hall, just upstairs in the Weitz. This was a particularly fun concert as it happened to be a close friend of mine performing!

Believe it or not, I did do academic work this year! My favorite study spot is the study rooms on Second Libe, pictured here. I like the seclusion of the space, but I need someone to keep me on task while I’m there.

So ends my year-end recap, through a series of stony-faced BeReals — I hope that by showing you these silly moments, you can begin to picture what YOUR time at Carleton could look like!

Quinn (she/her/hers) is an American Studies Major and Chinese Minor. Quinn has a deep love of the Carleton community; she says she is so lucky to be surrounded by such brilliant and kind people. Quinn is an active member of the student-run radio station KRLX, the orchestra, the equestrian club, and the music department! Following her love of music and radio, her favorite place on campus is the record library. And finally, a fun fact about Quinn is that her family helped to found the Minneapolis St. Patrick’s Day Parade!

The post BeJuniors: the 23-24 School Year in Photos appeared first on Carleton Admissions.

Dorms and Dorm Facilities

Freshmen will live in one of seven dorms: Burton, Cassat, Myers, Musser, Goodhue, Nourse, and Watson. Each of these buildings has its own benefits and (charming, quirky) drawbacks, but that’s a whole blog post on its own. You will most likely have a roommate, unless you have an accommodation for a single room. You will be matched with your roommate(s) via a preference/living style questionnaire, which you will fill out over the summer! (Also, you can decorate your room pretty much however you want, as long as it doesn’t cover the smoke detectors/sprinklers, have an open flame, or damage the room itself.)

Each dorm building has its own washers and dryers, which are free to use any time you want! You will have to provide your own detergent, but I think you can manage that.

Every dorm has bathrooms on every floor — some have single-person gender neutral bathrooms, some have bigger bathrooms that can be gender neutral or not, but regardless, you will always have access to a bathroom.

Each floor of each dorm has its own kitchen (fridge, stovetop, oven, microwave), mini lounge (TV, couches, tables), and water fountains. Also, each individual room comes with its own microwave and mini-fridge!

Dining Halls & Food

As a freshman, you will get 20 meal swipes per week (3 per day on Mon-Sat, and 2 per day on Sundays). Once you finish your freshman year, you can choose any meal plan — 20, 15, 10, 5, or 0 swipes per week. Additionally, each meal plan comes with a certain amount of dining dollars, which you can use at the multiple campus cafes.

The cafes (Sayles, Weitz, and Schulze) are open every day (Schulze only during weekdays) and you can buy snacks/meals/drinks with dining dollars, Schillers (a Carleton currency), or regular money!

The Carleton food services are happy to work with allergies and dietary restrictions, including religion-related preferences or timing differences. For more questions, feel free to reach out to bonappetit@carleton.edu, our food provider!

Things to do in Northfield (+ Transportation)

While there are plenty of things to do to keep you occupied on campus, there are also options in downtown Northfield! There are a variety of restaurants and coffee shops (ask me which one is my favorite…) as well as small, local stores to check out! There is also a public library, a few different religious buildings, and ways to interact with the local community.

There is a bus that runs every day from Carleton to a few other places: St. Olaf, the JustFood Co-op, Cub and Target, Aldi, a local cinema, and a couple restaurants. This bus service is free to use!

To get to the MSP airport, the Mall of America, or the Twin Cities, you can take the Northfield Lines buses (usually around $35 each way), one of the local ride services (similar to Uber or Lyft), or if you have your own driver’s license, you can become a campus driver and borrow one of Carleton’s cars!

Wrapping Up…

I know you probably have so many more questions about life at Carleton, but I can’t fit them all in this blog! So, if you’re wanting to ask something that isn’t answered here or on the Carleton College website, please feel free to email me at allenf@carleton.edu and I will be happy to help!

Felix (he/him) from Washington, DC is a freshman at Carleton this year interested in geology, environmental studies, and art history, and is excited to explore campus and all it has to offer throughout his first year. Felix is an officer of Carleton Birders as well as an editor with the blog this year, and participates in the Carleton Association of Nature and Outdoor Enthusiasts (CANOE), the Carleton Disability Alliance (CDA), Carls with Artistic Taste (CAT), the Equestrian Club, and the Gender & Sexuality Center (GSC). In his free time, Felix enjoys exploring the outdoors, drawing and painting, and listening to music (currently enjoying Hozier, Car Seat Headrest, The Velvet Underground, TV Girl, and Elliot Smith).

The post Class of 2028 FAQs! appeared first on Carleton Admissions.

Despite my color-coded Carleton College Packing List, which I meticulously curated over the course of three weeks, I still managed to completely forget about some things. Looking back on everything that I brought to college, I can definitely say that I did not bring half the things I’ve needed and brought too much of everything I didn’t.

To potentially save you from making the same packing mistakes I did, here are a few dorm room “necessities” I have found to be essential to my daily life and a few, well, not-so-much. Please remember that these are my personal experiences, so what may work for me might not work for you. (And that’s actually really cool, maybe you can help me declutter?)

Essential

Reliable microwave-safe mug

How many things can you eat/drink out of a mug? Let me tell you, more than you’d think. I’ve eaten oatmeal, cereal, soup, and even mac’n’cheese out of a mug. I’ve drank water, tea, coffee, hot cocoa, soda, and even electrolyte sports mixes out of a mug. That is what I call multi-use.

In a smaller space like a dorm room, having items that are multi-use can be a real space-saver. It’s also more economical!

First aid kit

Try as I might to avoid it, I still get paper cuts and skin my knees more often than I’d like to admit. Having a first aid kit has come in handy more than a few times, both for myself and my roommates. Who knows, maybe offering someone a bandage will help you make a new friend!

I personally have an already-assembled first aid kit, which includes antibiotic ointment and bandages. However, I have added things like pain relievers and antihistamines over the past few months. Possibly one of the more difficult experiences of college life is being sick away from home (which is different from being homesick, which I’ve written about before!) for the first time, so it is important to do what you can to be able to cope when you catch a cold.

Scissors

If I am a pearl and the world is my oyster, then we’re both wrapped in clamshell packaging. It is unbelievable how much packaging, envelopes, papers, and clothing you may need to cut open as you assemble your little life in a dorm room. The good news is that scissors are extremely helpful in that regard.

My scissors serve as a reminder to practice some self-care by doing some crafts like origami. Whenever I feel like releasing some tension, I can just snip-snip away at some old worksheets and make a little heart or boat or frog. Without my scissors, I don’t think I’d be able to remember that I like origami, much less cut squares out!

Unnecessary

Clothing steamer

Y’all, if you make time to steam your clothing, I admire you. I have never in my life had the inclination to iron or steam any of my clothing. In fact, I don’t even wear the clothing that I think needs to be pressed in order to look nice.

The lesson that my twice-used clothing steamer provides is that you’re not going to be a completely new person when you get to college. If you don’t already steam your clothing, you are unlikely to start in college! Don’t spend all your money on aspirational items. A steamer is different from a paper agenda or a computer program. By all means, please obtain things that will make you successful in your schoolwork!

White correction fluid

That is, White-Out. In high school, I was obsessive about covering my ink mistakes with correction fluid, but in college, I have found no real use for it. It is a waste for me to have a not-insignificant amount in my desk drawer here at school.

What I take away from the bottle of White-Out congealing before me is to remember that you will change when you get to college. It’s important to allow yourself to grow, both figuratively and materially, as you progress through the next few stages of your life. Don’t cling so much to your old ways of doing and being that you feel stuck, like two notebook pages cemented together by correction fluid. I’ll see myself out, I know that was an awful stretch of a metaphor…kind of like a string of correction fluid…

So. Much. Soap!

This was an accident, okay, please remember that. I bought soap to take to college with me, then I saw a clearance sale at Target in Northfield, then I saw specialty soaps in my hometown over spring break, then my mom bought me some soap as a silly gag gift. So now, I have so much soap, and it is overwhelming me.

Learn from my soap mis-adventures. Take stock of what you already own! Check everywhere before you buy more of something disposable, like bars of soap. This also applies to things that aren’t disposable, like hair ties, hair dryers, and even silverware. 

Final Thoughts

There you have it, folks, 6 things that sit in my dorm and inspire Admissions Blogs because of their (lack of) utility. I hope your experience packing to come to Carleton College is stress-free and fun because you’ve earned it after all your hard work. Three cheers for you and your packing lists!

Lexi Wallace (she/her) is excited to be returning to Carleton as a sophomore. She works as an Admissions Blogger, Russian Teaching Assistant, and Writing Consultant. She plans on becoming a SOAN and Russian double major, but you’ll have to ask her what she ends up declaring in the spring. Her current obsessions are oat milk, NCIS, and Doc Martens.

The post What I Wish I Did (and Didn’t) Bring to College appeared first on Carleton Admissions.

Freshmen are placed in one of seven dorms: Burton, Cassat, Goodhue, Musser, Myers, Nourse, or Watson (Defne wrote a great blog ranking first-year dorms that I’d suggest reading if you’re unfamiliar with them!) After a month of maddening suspense, reslife finally revealed my dorm assignment; I was officially a resident of Goodhue Hall! 

Generally, the consensus among students seems to be that Goodhue is a tough housing assignment because it’s far away and requires a trek across the lakes that can be a pain during the winter months. However, I have to disagree.

Goodhue is a frequently slept-on hidden gem, and now that I’ve lived there for almost two terms, I will valiantly defend it until the very end. I love my dorm for so many reasons, but I’ve boiled it down to five to share.

#1: Proximity to the Rec and Arb

Goodhue being the farthest dorm from the center of campus (which really isn’t that far, by the way; it’s only 5ish minutes) means that it’s the closest to some of Carleton’s cool edge-of-campus features like the Rec and the Arb.

As someone who loves being active and hitting the gym when I get the chance, there is arguably no better excuse than the fact that the Rec center is right outside my backdoor. If you’re looking for something to motivate you to spend a little more time working out, Goodhue definitely makes this the easiest of all the dorms!

Even if you’re not a big gym-goer, the Rec also has quite a few other features including a super fun climbing gym that I’ve found myself visiting surprisingly often. I highly recommend reading George’s blog about getting into climbing!

Being close to the Arb also means that I take a lot of nice walks through the woods. It’s a great way to decompress and take some time for myself. As a self-proclaimed outdoorsyperson, being in the Arb feeds my soul. I love exploring the paths by the river and putting up my hammock to read out there! 

#2: Single. Person. Bathrooms.

Goodhue differs from many of the other freshman dorms because it has single-person bathrooms (say hello to some much-appreciated privacy!). Each bathroom has one stall and two showers, but people only really ever use one shower at a time.

This means that only one person is ever in the bathroom, so you get the space all to yourself. This may seem like a small thing, but it makes a huge difference. For a disorganized person like me, it’s a godsend; I get to leave all my miscellaneous shower supplies around the bathroom while I’m there without disturbing anyone else with my mess! 

#3: A Pretty View

Living just across the Lyman Lakes means that I get to walk past a pretty waterfront scene every morning when I go to class. I’m definitely NOT a morning person, make no mistake, but my day starts off a little bit better when I have nice scenery to wake me up. If I’m lucky, sometimes I even get to catch a glimpse of some otters taking a dip in the lakes! Every Goodhue resident I know has a camera roll full of lake-front sunsets, too (seriously; I have a whole folder of these, and I’m pretty sure it’s the culprit for my phone currently being out of storage). Here are a few of my favorite photos from my walk to and from class:

When leaves start to change in the fall, I can confidently say there’s no more aesthetically pleasing spot on all of Carleton’s campus. Living in Goodhue is the most surefire way to make everyone you know jealous with gorgeous photos of Minnesota nature. 

#4: The Superlounge

The Superlounge is a massive recreational space tacked onto the end of Goodhue. It’s furnished with many comfy couches, big round tables with lots of chairs, an impressive tv, some ping pong tables, and a couple of vending machines.

The Superlounge is super versatile, making it the ultimate hangout spot; the nice open space and big windows make it inviting at any time of day or night. Goodhue residents basically have the biggest living room on campus! Residents from other buildings also come here to watch sports/play videogames on the tv or play some ping pong. It’s a great convenient spot to spend free time with some friends, regardless of what you’re doing.

#5: The Goodhue Community!

I’m not sure what it is about Goodhue that does such a good job promoting friendship between its residents, but the Goodhue community is unmatched. This is my absolute favorite part of my dorm. As corny as that sounds, the people that come with it are truly responsible for making it a great place to live.

Being a little farther from other buildings means that a lot of Goodhue freshmen spend time in floor lounges or the superlounge, so they’re almost guaranteed to become friends with the amount of time they’re together. Because of this, my closest friends at Carleton also happen to be my neighbors. I love being able to walk down the hall and knock on my friends’ doors to ask about going to dinner or if they want to head to a floor lounge to hang out and study. From what I’ve heard, this is true for most freshmen in the building.

Whether it’s bonding over hallway antics or impromptu floor lounge jam sessions, the Goodhue community really is unique, and there’s never a dull moment. It seems like we’re the tightest dorm on campus (sorry not sorry to everyone else)!

So, there you have it—with its picturesque location across the lakes and tight-knit community, Goodhue is a place I’m proud to call my home. I’m seriously considering spending my sophomore year living there too! From proximity to amenities like the Rec and Arb to breathtaking views and close friendships, every aspect of Goodhue cultivates an amazing first-year experience. The epic camaraderie among residents has made adjusting to college life much easier and way more fun than I anticipated.

If you’re an incoming student reading this who ends up placed in Goodhue like I was, prepare for great dorm life during your first year at Carleton. This place really has a knack for bringing people together. Thanks for the mems, Goodhue, and I look forward to even more during my spring term!

Leksi (she/her) is a first-year Carleton student from Colorado Springs, Colorado and a prospective pre-law Psychology or Cognitive Science major. So far, she could not be happier with her college decision! Northfield and Carleton have done an amazing job providing Leksi with the only five things she needs to thrive: local coffee, music, wilderness, the gym, ice hockey, and (of course!) her friends. She is involved in club ice hockey and the Carleton Association of Nature and Outdoor Enthusiasts (CANOE). If you’re unsure where to find Leksi on campus, your best bet is the group tables on Fourth Libe or hopelessly lost somewhere deep in the arb. Meet the Other Bloggers!

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Flying Back to Minnesota

As you may know from one of my older blogs, I live in Washington, DC. Campus opened up for students to return on January 1, but with the New Year celebrations, I decided to fly black to Carleton on January 2. It was an early morning for me, as my flight was at 6am! Once I landed in the MSP airport, I grabbed my stuff from baggage claim, and waited until my bus arrived. Carleton has transportation options for students to get around: from the Twin Cities, places further out in Northfield, the airport, etc. After taking the shuttle bus, I got to campus at 10am.

Re-Moving In!

As you may know, the Goodhue dorm building is pretty far from campus center. I definitely will be using roller suitcases instead of duffel bags next year, because carrying those bags after a few hours of traveling was not very fun. Either way, I made it to my building and went up to my room, then got to unpacking! Moving back in after winter break is definitely a lot easier than moving in for fall term — there is much less to unpack, and a lot of your stuff is already set up. I was able to put everything in its place within an hour, so afterward, I had lunch and took a nap!

Winter Term Classes

There was a pretty quick turnaround for classes, as they started the next day, January 3. However, I made sure not to schedule myself and early-morning classes this term, so I only had to be up and about by 11am. As we finished that first half-week (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday) of classes, I found myself feeling more at home and ready for the term.

In the next few weeks, I’ll probably have some ups and downs of winter term (the weather, my classes, etcetera), but I’m very glad to be back on campus this New Year!

Felix (he/him) from Washington, DC is a freshman at Carleton this year, and is excited to explore campus as the school year begins. Felix is an officer of the Carleton Birding Club as well as an editor with the blog this year, and plans to become an active member of the Carleton Association of Nature and Outdoor Enthusiasts (CANOE), Carls with Artistic Taste (CAT), Equestrian Club, and the Gender & Sexuality Center group. In his free time, Felix enjoys exploring the outdoors, drawing and painting, and listening to music (currently enjoying Hozier, Car Seat Headrest, boygenius, and Yusuf/Cat Stevens).

The post The Return to Campus appeared first on Carleton Admissions.

Musser

There are two unfortunate realities of Musser that puts it on the bottom of my list:

1- The location

Most of the first year dorms are located on the opposite side of the campus, closer to the Mini Bald Spot, while Musser is closer to downtown. If you go to Weitz or downtown a lot, this might also be a positive aspect, but socially it’s a bit isolating.

2-The overall vibes

Myers and Musser have white tiled hallways which are often compared to an old style hospital. The facilities are not bad in any shape or form, but the white lights and white tiled corridors make them feel a bit cold.

Myers

Living in Myers as a first year is like a cannon event, since there are two all-first-year floors. A lot of my friends live there and although I love saying that the corridors make it look like a hospital, it is a fact that Myers has the best bathrooms out of all the first year dorms. The location is not bad either with its proximity to East Dining Hall. The issue is the vibes…

Watson

I have a whole blog on Watson, but very shortly, what makes Watson great is the coziness and the spacious rooms. The floor lounges aren’t amazing but we have a large basement and the Japanese Garden is basically our backyard. There are better dorms than Watson, there are worse. The vibes are impeccable in my opinion though. Also air conditioning is really hard to beat.

Goodhue

Do you like walking? Do you like walking a lot? Then you might think that Goodhue deserves a better ranking than this. But the rest of us think it is less than desired to walk a bridge to get breakfast in winter. Aside from the location, I don’t think there is anything wrong with Goodhue. The Super Lounge is a really nice place to spend time with friends, and the surrounding nature is beautiful. The rooms are a bit dark for my liking but aside from that, Goodhue is good enough.

Nourse

Nourse has Hogwarts on a budget vibes. The dark wood interior and carpeted floors make it very very homely and beautiful. Study rooms and lounges are not enourmous but very practical and always a great place to spend time with friends. The kitchen is very spacious since it’s connected to the lounge. Also, the windows… Amazing triptych windows.

Cassat

Cassat has a very nice basement with a kitchen that comes with a fridge that can make ice (fancy), and a big TV (fancier). It also has a lot of study rooms where you can go be productive and do work or just watch Twilight with your friends, which is what I do instead. Cassat rooms are very spacious and they have high ceilings (fanciest). If you were assigned Cassat, congratulations, you won, but don’t rub it in our faces.

Burton

Burton is Nourse but in an elongated architectural form, if that makes sense. People who live here can boast by saying that they have their own dining hall, which is located in the basement of Burton. Although it is not close to most of the other first-year dorms, it is closer to lecture halls and the library. The interior has dark wood details and carpets like Nourse and the rooms are not small. It is top three for sure.

Honestly, dorms don’t matter that much. Most of the time I just come to my dorm room to sleep, and most of the facilities are very similar, if not the exact same. I would also like to remind that these are my personal opinions and people will have different rankings according their priorities and life styles. If you want to be right next to the gym, maybe you might prefer Watson. Or maybe you want to have a morning in the Arb everyday and Goodhue sounds like Perfecthue to you. Who am I to judge? No matter where you live, or which dorm you prefer, Carleton will feel like home.

Defne (she/her/hers), is a first year international student from Istanbul, Turkey. Her natural habitat is the library and her diet consists of tea, coffee and LDC pizza. An artistic specimen, she dabbles in all art forms from printmaking to theater. She can be observed reading comics in the bookstore in downtown Northfield.

The post Ranking First-Year Dorms appeared first on Carleton Admissions.

Watson is one of the seven dorm halls that you can live as a first year. There are doubles and triples on all seven floors (it’s the tallest building on campus!) that house first years, and singles that house upperclassmen. Since there are a lot of singles, Watson doesn’t feel like a first year dorm and it doesn’t get overly crowded in the bathrooms and lounges. The floors aren’t that big either, so it is usually quite peaceful out here. The location also plays into that. We are just outside of the circle of dorms that surround the Mini Bald Spot. So while it’s pretty central and close to the East Dining Hall and some of the other first year dorms, it is a minute away from that group of buildings, which makes it a bit quieter and secluded.

When it comes to the interior, it is a bit outdated but I think it’s homely. The carpeted floors and the warm lights give very cozy vibes. The kitchen and floor lounges are small compared to other dorms but we have a very nice first floor lounge and a game room in the basement that has a ping pong table, foosball and a bunch of board games. I usually go there to play cards with my friends and beat them without mercy. And on top of all this, we have A/C (which some of the other dorms do not). What more could you want?

I think the rooms are pretty good too. I live in a third floor double and there I say that it is the biggest double I’ve seen yet. We have ample closet space, two large windows and carpeted floors. I genuinely love my room. The triples are a tiny bit cramped in storage space but I think they are still pretty good. Especially the corner triples have really nice windows and views. People say that Watson has a specific smell, which is kinda true, but I don’t think it’s a bad smell. I associate that smell with going to bed and being warm and cozy now.

But the best thing about Watson is the Japanese Garden. It’s technically not a part of Watson, but it’s right next to the backdoor and it looks like our backyard. I love to just go sit there under the shade and listen to music or the rain. It’s probably my favorite spot on campus.

There you have it, Watson Hall in all its glory. It might not be as fancy as Cassat or Nourse, but everyone knows that all the cool people live in Watson.

Defne (she/her/hers), is a first year international student from Istanbul, Turkey. Her natural habitat is the library and her diet consists of tea, coffee and LDC pizza. An artistic specimen, she dabbles in all art forms from printmaking to theater. She can be observed reading comics in the bookstore in downtown Northfield.

The post All About Watson Hall appeared first on Carleton Admissions.