In just a few days, we will welcome our new students and families as we officially begin the 2024-2025 school year. For new boarding students, the thrill of joining a school community and the beginning of the school year is often accompanied by a mix of anticipation and nerves about living away from home and sharing a room with someone new. Questions like "Will they snore?” "Will they be messy?" or "What if our sleep schedules don't match?" are completely normal and valid.
We want to reassure our incoming boarding students that while these concerns are natural, having a roommate is often one of the most rewarding experiences at Proctor. Our careful roommate pairing process, involving our Admissions Team, Class Deans, and Residential Life Team, aims to set students up for success from day one. If challenges do arise, students have a support network including dorm parents, dorm leaders, advisors, the Deans' Team, and our Health and Wellness Team. Students also work through issues independently, learning the art of compromise and developing critical self-advocacy skills. We know from years of experience that having a roommate (or roommates) teaches students valuable life lessons that will serve them well in life after Proctor. But don't just take our word for it. We've asked some current boarding students to share their reflections below on what it is like to be a boarding student at Proctor.
Advice for New Boarding Students
Bella ‘25: “I was super excited but also nervous about living with someone else! If I had to give one piece of advice for incoming students would be that it is ok not to be best friends with your roommate, but you always have to be respectful of each other and really listen to each other and make an effort to understand each other even when you disagree.“
Quinn ‘26: “Try and get to know your roommate as best as you can in the first week. Don’t avoid talking about boundaries either.”
Morgan ‘25: “Have an open mind about everything. Go out and meet new friends and go explore campus and try not to be captivated by your phone and always texting your family and friends back home. I know it will be hard to do, but this is a whole new environment and you want to get comfortable with it as soon as possible.”
Reflections on Dorm Community at Proctor
Morgan ‘25: “I always say living in a dorm has made my Proctor experience ten times better. You connect with people you wouldn’t normally meet if you didn’t live with them. Dorms are a mix of all grades, so you can expand your friends beyond your grade and friend group.”
Quinn ‘26: “My dorm is kind of a home away from home because it is not just where I slept, but where I lived. A dorm room is your space, so it’s really cool to decorate it and make it your own. Collaborating with your roommate on upgrades to your room is a great way to start a good friendship.”
Bella ‘25: “My freshman year dorm parents became my parents away from home I would talk to them ever I had any problem or questions. The dorm parents are there to support both of you and help create solutions if there is ever a problem, so don’t hesitate to talk to them. Also, the dorm leader is there to help too!”
Advice on On Living with a Roommate
Morgan ‘25: “One lesson I have learned from living with a couple of roommates now is that you need to be flexible to their needs. It is not just your room, it is theirs also. You can have your own space and keep to yourself if you don’t click with your roommate. But at the same time all of the roommates I have lived with became my best friends, even if I am not still living with them.
Quinn ‘26: “ My roommate and I rarely had problems, but when we did, the best way to overcome issues is by bringing them up nicely.”
Learn more about Residential Life at Proctor!
- Residential Life