Ducks @ Oregon - University of Oregon

Living in the EUG

Keri S.

February 4, 2010 - 4:00 PM

This week, I have spent very little time in my apartment. As a matter of fact, I leave around 9 or 10 in the morning to class and don't get back until 11 or 12 at night. When it is all said and done, I feel like my rent checks should be made out to Lillis and not my landlord.

When June hits, I will probably be moving out of the Eugene (hopefully to somewhere new and exciting). And when that time comes, I know I will miss the city and all of my homes I have had during my time here.

Freshman year, I lived in the LLC residence halls. It was the first year that the dorms had been open, and they were brand new. This meant no one had slept in my bed, worked at my desk, or stepped foot in my room before me. Here, I had the true freshman experience-random roommate, communal bathrooms, 2 am runs to get food in your PJs, and annoying neighbors who blasted their music at all hours of the day. Overall, it was a great place to live, and a great place to start my time at the University. To all incoming freshman, I encourage you to live in the dorms because it is a great place to meet people and get used to living without the parents.

Sophomore year, I lived a second year in the residence halls. This time, however, I was the RA. This meant two things: (1) I had a lot of responsibility and (2) I didn't have to pay for housing! Although the free room and board was nice, the responsibility of watching 70 recently-out-on-their-own freshmen was tough to handle at times. It's all fun and games to throw pizza parties every weekend, but having to go to the hospital with a resident who has alcohol poisoning or talk to a suicidal resident makes the job hard! Although this job taught me a lot about myself and about how to work with people, I also learned that I never want to live and work in the same place again. Coming home should be a relaxing thing, and not like clocking into the office. Although the job was hard and demanding, I had great residents and great co-workers to make it all a little easier.

Junior year, after a lot of consideration, I decided not to return to the residence halls. Although the RA job had a lot of perks, I realized it was time for me to get an apartment of my own. I moved into a two bedroom apartment with a good friend from high school, and still live there with her today. This apartment is a little old, a little moldy, and a little falling-to-pieces. But I love it and consider this my first home away from home. I have had a lot of great memories in this apartment, and will be sad when I have to move out.

Overall, I have been very fortunate with my housing situation here in Eugene. Although it is scary to move out of the house and out on your own, it is great that I was able to take baby steps to get where I am. And who knows...maybe the next step will be an apartment all my own without a roommate.