Life in Residential Houses

By SAM ALTMAN and JINMIN LEE

When students think about dorms at Exeter, they imagine the red-bricked behemoths known as halls: Cilley Hall, Wheelwright Hall, Wentworth Hall, and Dunbar Hall. Indeed, most students live in big dorms with at least thirty people. Often, students forget about the much smaller dorms with tight-knit communities. Introducing: spotlight on houses.

As soon as a new student decides to enroll in Exeter, they are given many forms to fill out. One of them is the dorm preference form, where students can choose between large, medium, and small dorms. The administration often places students who choose small dorms into houses around campus. Some students regretted this choice, while many expressed satisfaction and fulfillment in a smaller community. 

Upper Paris Tran discussed how she ended up in such a small dorm, even though she didn’t request it, and how that impacted her Exeter career. “When I first applied here, I actually requested to be in a super big dorm: Dunbar or Amen, for example. After I found out I was in Dow House, I was really upset. I hated the idea of a small dorm and I thought I was going to have zero friends. But now, I couldn’t imagine being in a bigger dorm. Dow House is what I really need in my prep year, and the seniors here helped me through everything, ” she said.

“I initially chose a medium-sized dorm when I first enrolled, and I was surprised when I was placed into Front Street House,” recalled upper Kofi Annan-Brown. “I even contemplated moving dorms, but after the first term, I decided it would be better for me to stay in Front Street because it was quieter and calmer.” 

“I chose a smaller house because I thought there would be more upperclassmen, especially because I’m a repeat,” upper Ava Bullock noted.

“I was really surprised when I first moved into Gould House, because I was always under the impression that boarding school dorms would have tons of people, but mine only had like five people,” upper Meg Xu said.

“It’s like having a family away from home,” Tran commented. “Everyone connects with each other in some way. Some nights we all gather in our proctors’ room or the common room and just talk; you wouldn’t be able to do that with everyone in bigger dorms.”

“It’s also a bonus that we don’t have to worry about anyone stealing our food or having to wait super long for laundry. We also are just a very giving community, if someone wants to take our food from the fridge it’s really not a big deal. We’ve created an open and supportive space. I feel like myself in Dow,” Tran added.

“Because it’s smaller, you end up knowing and being friends with everyone. It made it easier for me as a newer student also because it was easier to adjust to than a larger dorm probably would have been,” said Bullock.

“One of the things that is helpful for students is being in a slightly smaller living environment, a place where they know everybody’s name and recognize everybody. They can really form strong friendships, although, of course, people in larger dorms can do that too,” remarked Bonnie-Jeanne Casey, dorm faculty of Front Street House. 

“The people are more closely connected and you get to know almost every single one of them,” upper Pow Phanratanamala said.

“I value the community in Front Street House,” shared Annan-Brown. You develop a closer connection with the dormmates in houses. I’m close friends with most people, even if they are in a different grade.”

Phanratanamala also discussed some of the unique traditions in Knight House. “We have a ping pong tournament in which the winner got an Amazon gift card last year, this fall we’ll have a pumpkin-carving competition, and probably something in the spring, too.”

“Right when you walk in to the only entrance, the check-in room is directly on your right. It’s the same room every day, and students go to the faculty instead of the faculty going to them because it’s so small,” Phanratanamala continued.

“I think we have a much tighter community than a larger dorm,” explained upper Sam Alderman. “I’m friends with many people in Front Street, and nobody in my dorm is a stranger to me. Other dorms might be big enough that you don’t even see some people around.” 

“The hallways are really small and facilities-wise, Knight House and probably others are not the best, but we do have a good central location close to the library, Elm, sports, and classes,” Phanratanamala said.

Xu also noted an issue in small dorms with rooming. “Last year, I had to be in one of the only  emergency triple for lowers. It wasn’t the best experience because there was so much to get used to and there was only one bathroom for everyone, not even on my floor. Now, I prefer the larger dorm I’ve moved into because you have more privacy and you do get to meet a lot more people.”

Overall, although some students raised some concerns about living in a smaller house, many expressed how much the community positively impacted their Exeter experience. 

“I’ve never regretted staying in Dow house and I will still be there until my senior year. The houses are worth it,” Tran concluded.