So you’ve been placed into a traditional dorm. As someone who lived in one of these older buildings last year, I can understand the initial dread, but over time, the benefits of traditional dorms become clear.

I was in Lee Hall for my first year. It is the only traditional communal dorm for first-years, where the “communal” label entails sharing bathrooms with your neighbors. The other first-year traditional dorms are suite-style, with a bathroom shared among 3-5 suitemates. Those residential buildings are Hitzeman, Hurd, and Myers, known collectively as HIG, and Shanedling, Dauten, and Rutledge, known as JKL. When I received my placement in Lee, I panicked. The internet told me cockroaches roamed the hallways. My friend’s sister, who went to WashU, laughed in my face. I dreaded move-in, but when I was finally able to step foot into Lee, I was pleasantly surprised. It wasn’t Versailles, but compared to what you’ll see at state schools, it was glamorous.

It is important to remember that WashU is ranked No. 1 in the nation for best dorms. This means that traditional dorms are only “bad” relative to the other dorms at WashU. The communal bathrooms in Lee are cleaned every weekday, and most of the rooms give you more space than you can easily decorate. Even Lee haters will agree that the Lee basement is one of the best spots for a movie night on the South 40. The common rooms on each floor of Lee are no joke, either; most nights, you’d find a group from another dorm using the spaces because of their comfortableness and open space.

Traditional dorms are exceptional at creating residential communities. Since traditional dorms house fewer residents, you are more likely to see familiar faces. This repetition creates stronger ties than the bonds you’ll find between students in modern dorms. 

During my first semester, I would sit outside of Lee with my crossword book and strike up conversation with my neighbors. Because of the limited number of residents, I was able to talk to the same people every day. On the other hand, two people in one of my classes only realized they lived on the same floor of Eliot A, a modern dorm, after seven months on campus.

The physical setup of traditional dorms also encourages interaction. There’s only one entrance to Lee (HIG and JKL buildings only have one to two) and the hallways are maze-like. When leaving the dorm from your room, you’ll run into several people you know. 

I made one of my closest friends this way. After I was introduced to her by a friend of mine, I started seeing her every time I came and went from Lee. This evolved into talking in the lobby all the time. We then started seeing another group in the lobby when we were there, which led to us all becoming friends. 

Though it’s a controversial opinion, I truly believe that HIG, JKL, and Lee create the best first year experience. Sure, Lee doesn’t have a grand staircase or a pellet ice machine like the modern dorms, but after a slight change in perspective, I truly loved my year there.