top of page
Residential Life Week 1 News
Week One COSMOS : Shefali Prasad
Sunday July 14th marks our official first week in the dorms! A rough transition for many, a smooth one for others, let’s jump right into a review on dorm life at UCI as told by Middle Earth’s newest residents: A bunch of highschoolers who are quickly learning that they should’ve packed more than a day in advance.
First of all, COSMOS students’ impression of the dorms is overwhelmingly positive, roommate assignments have led to lifelong bonds between students (YAY!). From a person to walk to Brandywine with, debrief cluster activities, or wake up before you miss breakfast, roommates have proven to be one of the best aspects of dorm life.
Communal bathrooms have definitely been an experience, but as a resident of GreyHavens second floor, I am happy to say that some of the horror stories of roaches and extreme heat have not applied to our bathrooms (yet). Despite the bugs, bathrooms are a great place to make friends. According to many accounts by my roommate, brushing your teeth at 7 in the morning with a bunch of people was pretty awkward at first but then evolved into a bonding moment.
Finally, the RAs have been pretty amazing. I've heard from the other July 10th babies that their RAs did something special for their birthdays (shout out to Naidley!!), and I can confirm that we all really appreciated it! Always down to help and answer questions, having the RAs is an essential part of dorm life!
Now, according to several personal experiences, “I want to go home” after a long day no longer means the homes we left behind, but the dorms we have 3 weeks left in.
First of all, COSMOS students’ impression of the dorms is overwhelmingly positive, roommate assignments have led to lifelong bonds between students (YAY!). From a person to walk to Brandywine with, debrief cluster activities, or wake up before you miss breakfast, roommates have proven to be one of the best aspects of dorm life.
Communal bathrooms have definitely been an experience, but as a resident of GreyHavens second floor, I am happy to say that some of the horror stories of roaches and extreme heat have not applied to our bathrooms (yet). Despite the bugs, bathrooms are a great place to make friends. According to many accounts by my roommate, brushing your teeth at 7 in the morning with a bunch of people was pretty awkward at first but then evolved into a bonding moment.
Finally, the RAs have been pretty amazing. I've heard from the other July 10th babies that their RAs did something special for their birthdays (shout out to Naidley!!), and I can confirm that we all really appreciated it! Always down to help and answer questions, having the RAs is an essential part of dorm life!
Now, according to several personal experiences, “I want to go home” after a long day no longer means the homes we left behind, but the dorms we have 3 weeks left in.
COSMOS Residential Life: Christopher Wang
Life inside the dorms took a more interesting approach than what I originally thought. Dorms did not just consist of bathrooms and bedrooms; half of the dorm’s space was occupied by recreational benches, a giant study room, and a somewhat big common room. Early in the morning and late in the evening, I would hear students chattering outside my room and in the second floor common room, respectively. I was touched by the big spirit students have for COSMOS and for the college as a whole. Generally, students appeared to be using life to its fullest extent, creating a balanced environment of academics and society.
In the mornings, some preferred to wake up as early as 6 am, while others woke up near 8. At any time, the noise was not too loud to cause distractions. Similarly, in the evening, some brushed teeth as early as 9 pm, while others chose to wait near midnight. Again, the noise was at the right level. The times at which people brushed teeth and showered were very spread out.
In the common room, people gathered to play ping-pong or chat together or watch television. It was very fun to watch the ball swing back and forth over and over or to hear the chatter from a different floor. Simply amazing to see that people from different backgrounds all converged to one dorm. Finally, the common room even has a fridge which can store frozen foods as well, and that was where I stored my ice cream. Overall, dorm life was tranquil, completely exceeding my original expectations.
I cannot wait to see how residential life will unfold in the upcoming weeks! After all, we’re not even halfway through the program yet!
In the mornings, some preferred to wake up as early as 6 am, while others woke up near 8. At any time, the noise was not too loud to cause distractions. Similarly, in the evening, some brushed teeth as early as 9 pm, while others chose to wait near midnight. Again, the noise was at the right level. The times at which people brushed teeth and showered were very spread out.
In the common room, people gathered to play ping-pong or chat together or watch television. It was very fun to watch the ball swing back and forth over and over or to hear the chatter from a different floor. Simply amazing to see that people from different backgrounds all converged to one dorm. Finally, the common room even has a fridge which can store frozen foods as well, and that was where I stored my ice cream. Overall, dorm life was tranquil, completely exceeding my original expectations.
I cannot wait to see how residential life will unfold in the upcoming weeks! After all, we’re not even halfway through the program yet!
Scavenger Hunt!: Leanna Lo
After a full day of dorm life, classes, and Brandywine meals at UCI Cosmos, students were met with a flurry of discord pings and RAs announcing an exciting scavenger hunt for everyone. Energized by the promise of prizes and fun, students flooded the Pippin Community Center in the evening, ready for a night of adventure.
Each team received a piece of paper detailing various locations—from the Starbucks on campus to statues in Aldrich Park. Each location had a point value based on its difficulty, and the team with the most points would be crowned the scavenger hunt winners. To up the stakes, it was revealed that two anteaters were hiding throughout the campus, and the two teams that found them, along with the team with the highest score, would win.
As soon as the clues were handed out, groups of 5-8 raced off in all directions—some sprinting, others jogging, and some casually scrolling through Google Maps in search of hidden libraries. The campus buzzed with energy as teams encountered RAs on golf carts blasting Sabrina Carpenter and snapping pictures, while some groups mischievously misled others about location statuses.
As the clock ticked closer to 9 PM, signaling the end of the scavenger hunt, more teams drew closer to uncovering all the locations. They crossed the bridge to the arts building, snapped selfies in front of the illuminated business center, and rushed back to Middle Earth to tally their points. After a tense 30 minutes of waiting, the results were finally announced: there was a remarkable seven-way tie! Seven teams had each earned an impressive 30 points by finding every location on the list.
To resolve the tie, the RAs quickly organized a tiebreaker round. They hid their name tags and formed a line, challenging each group to name as many RAs as they could. Intense moments of thinking, guessing, and scribbling filled the air until one team emerged victorious.
With cheers and applause for the winners, the rest of the teams made their way back to their dorms, still buzzing from the excitement of the evening. Despite the competitive spirit, everyone left with smiles, united by the unforgettable memories created during the fun-filled scavenger hunt.
Each team received a piece of paper detailing various locations—from the Starbucks on campus to statues in Aldrich Park. Each location had a point value based on its difficulty, and the team with the most points would be crowned the scavenger hunt winners. To up the stakes, it was revealed that two anteaters were hiding throughout the campus, and the two teams that found them, along with the team with the highest score, would win.
As soon as the clues were handed out, groups of 5-8 raced off in all directions—some sprinting, others jogging, and some casually scrolling through Google Maps in search of hidden libraries. The campus buzzed with energy as teams encountered RAs on golf carts blasting Sabrina Carpenter and snapping pictures, while some groups mischievously misled others about location statuses.
As the clock ticked closer to 9 PM, signaling the end of the scavenger hunt, more teams drew closer to uncovering all the locations. They crossed the bridge to the arts building, snapped selfies in front of the illuminated business center, and rushed back to Middle Earth to tally their points. After a tense 30 minutes of waiting, the results were finally announced: there was a remarkable seven-way tie! Seven teams had each earned an impressive 30 points by finding every location on the list.
To resolve the tie, the RAs quickly organized a tiebreaker round. They hid their name tags and formed a line, challenging each group to name as many RAs as they could. Intense moments of thinking, guessing, and scribbling filled the air until one team emerged victorious.
With cheers and applause for the winners, the rest of the teams made their way back to their dorms, still buzzing from the excitement of the evening. Despite the competitive spirit, everyone left with smiles, united by the unforgettable memories created during the fun-filled scavenger hunt.
Residential Life: Alice Garcia
With the first week done, students are finding their groove and settling in. There are four houses, Woodhall, Whispering Woods, Grey Haven, and Calmindin. Those four houses compete in activities to gain points for a mysterious prize that Cosmos director, Katie Decker, says “will be worthwhile”. Monday’s activity was a scavenger hunt and Tuesday we had a soda tasting challenge. Wednesday was human bingo and Petr sticker designing. Thursday was telephone charades and team game night. While Friday was yoga/ meditation and origami night. In Woodhall, the bathroom events have been quite interesting. There have been rumours that the boy’s bathroom toilet overflowed leaving a putrid smell throughout the building. In other news, many find the common rooms to be a relaxing place to chill and play some ping pong with their friends. It also happens to be the most ventilated room in most buildings, since there’s no air conditioning, many will go to the common rooms to relax before heading over to Brandywine. In the mornings, students can choose to participate in the running club where they take a morning run on campus to refresh their minds and start off their mornings productively.
Resident Life Pictures
bottom of page