Horrible dorm assignment!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At least your kid gets a room. When my oldest arrived at an ivy several years ago, his dorm was a common room with barracks-style bunks.

Luckily the university was able to get the 12 students out of that terrible living condition and into a traditional dorm within a few weeks, but it was a terrible start to his college career.

Sounds like boot camp or summer camp, a good bonding experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone else less than enthused about their DC dorm placement? Mine wanted a roommate and wound up in a single basement dorm next to the bathroom without AC in CA at college that can more than afford to put central AC in. Beyond pissed for the amount of tuition and desire for roommate. Souring us on the school before we even arrive!

Sounds better than home.

Is the problem that there isn't space for "we" to sleep in that room?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hope you realize that "back in my day..." comparisons are really inappropriate when it comes to climate.

Why? Here are the max temps from my first week of freshman year. 104, 95, 102, 86, 100. It was a lot cooler than that in southern cal.

It is ridiculous how the discussion of climate change has convinced people that the climate has already changed. The “warmest July on record” stuff you hear is because they’re taking into account temps over the ocean and the poles. The CONUS has had a relatively average to cool spring/summer. Besides, the predictions for long term climate change are for a handful of degrees over the next hundred years. You kid will be out of college by then.

DC climate is notably warmer than 50 years ago. I grew up here in the 70s. Climate change is not some distant future problem.

I responded to the clothing for college in Boston thread and people are talking about how it doesn't snow as much any more. The AC issues are countrywide now with K-12 schools and retrofits. My 1960s Bay Area elementary has window ACs in all classrooms now. The AC is also coming into two Rust Belt districts I later attended. The weather has definitely shifted and societal expectations have also changed regardless of global warming.

[Anonymous]

1) Basements are cooler than the upper floors (heat rises), so your child is in the best position for a dorm without A/C.

2) California doesn't get that hot for very long as you enter into the school year -- especially at night (it will be cool).

3) There are thousands of schools that cost a lot of money that don't have A/C in their dorms -- your child will be fine. It may even teach them how to be a little bit resilient.

[Anonymous]

The schools are ass backwards in that they don’t allow the kids to put in their preferences for roommates, AC, dorm location etc. and then they charge the same no matter what room you ultimately get. Total BS and unfair system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP you really need to say whether this college is within a five miles of the coast. No AC then is doable. If it is in Pomona, no way would I want my kid to suffer in Inland Empire Heat in August/ September/October without AC. That is just cruel.

This year dorm move in is August 17. Last year starting with August 17 the temperature in Pomona was 93 degrees. From August 28th and 29th the temperature was 99 degrees.

You're conveniently ignoring the 70 degree lows at night. It's the desert. You know where students spend their day? Anywhere but the dorm.

When it is 99 degrees for the high and 70 degrees for the low, the low happens right before dawn at 6 in the morning. It is still in the 80's in the late evenings until 9 or 10 at night. Students sometimes go back to their dorms after lunch then go back to campus. It is miserable to be hot and sweaty then take a shower to freshen up then start sweating again as you are getting dressed. No air conditioning in a basement room in a single seems miserable.

Pomona forecast for today, 10 pm is 75 degrees. That's not a humid 75. There is a massive difference between dry heat and east coast humidity.

I wonder if OP has visited.

That’s today. Just wait until the temperature goes over 100. It is still miserable at 8 or 9 on. Here is an article from the student newspaper about the unfairness of paying so much money for no air conditioning.

OPINION: It’s getting (way too) hot in here, Pomona

https://tsl.news/opinion-heatwave-ac-pomona-renovate/

[Anonymous]

OP, are you moving in with your kid? What's with the us and "before we arrive"? You aren't going to college.

Seriously, the kid will be fine and happy and will love to tell the story of the unexpected dorm pick Freshman year (and how crazy Mom acted over it).

[Anonymous]

^ forgot to add:

September 16, 2022 2:41 am
Pomona, CMC students struggle amid last week’s heat wave without AC
By Lucia Stein, Jane Shvartsman and Siena Swift
While Californians all over the state were dealing with a record setting heat wave last week, some students at the 5Cs struggled to sleep comfortably without air-conditioned dorms.

September 22, 2017 3:11 pm
Over 800 Pomona Students Sweat Out Heat Wave Without Air Conditioning

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hope you realize that "back in my day..." comparisons are really inappropriate when it comes to climate.

Why? Here are the max temps from my first week of freshman year. 104, 95, 102, 86, 100. It was a lot cooler than that in southern cal.

It is ridiculous how the discussion of climate change has convinced people that the climate has already changed. The “warmest July on record” stuff you hear is because they’re taking into account temps over the ocean and the poles. The CONUS has had a relatively average to cool spring/summer. Besides, the predictions for long term climate change are for a handful of degrees over the next hundred years. You kid will be out of college by then.

DC climate is notably warmer than 50 years ago. I grew up here in the 70s. Climate change is not some distant future problem.

I responded to the clothing for college in Boston thread and people are talking about how it doesn't snow as much any more. The AC issues are countrywide now with K-12 schools and retrofits. My 1960s Bay Area elementary has window ACs in all classrooms now. The AC is also coming into two Rust Belt districts I later attended. The weather has definitely shifted and societal expectations have also changed regardless of global warming.

True. My kid's dorm in MA had no AC and they needed 4 fans running, but only for the first month.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People lived without air conditioning for thousands of years. Your snowflake will survive.

Studies done *on college students* show that sleeping in temperatures that are too warm cause lower math scores on tests. Authors compared math scores from students in dorms with A/C and dorms without.

So this is academically important. A/C is not a frivolous demand these days.

OMG. This is beyond crazy.

[Anonymous]

Get a fan like all the NE college kids do. This too shall pass.

[Anonymous]

Great article-agree with every word!!!

[Anonymous]

are there portable ac units?

[Anonymous]

What colleges in California have AC? None of the UCs, none at LMU, none at USC, none at Stanford.

While I understand the disappointment in a roommate, just means they will have to make a bit of an effort to know their hall mates. Get a door stopper for the door so it can be propped open.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone else less than enthused about their DC dorm placement? Mine wanted a roommate and wound up in a single basement dorm next to the bathroom without AC in CA at college that can more than afford to put central AC in. Beyond pissed for the amount of tuition and desire for roommate. Souring us on the school before we even arrive!

Sounds better than home.

Is the problem that there isn't space for "we" to sleep in that room?

Hey, “we” worked really hard to get there—“we” deserve better!

I was trying to find a gentle way to point out this framing that kept showing up in OP’s increasingly frustrated posts, but I think you’ve hit the nail on the head. OP needs a major readjustment of their viewpoint. This isn’t a “we” problem, it’s a “him” problem.