Frequently Asked Questions
How is my roommate chosen?
For first-year and transfer students, roommates are matched with the information submitted with your housing agreement. For returning students, roommate matching is a part of the room selection process (occurring each Spring for the following Fall housing assignments).
What furniture will I have in my room?
Rooms are furnished with beds, dressers, bureaus, desks, and desk chairs. Each residence hall is equipped, also, with common areas where furniture is provided. Furniture must remain in the space/room where it is assigned. Students are held accountable for the presence of the furniture assigned them.
Can I loft my bed? How do I order a loft? How do I set it up?
The only lofts permitted on campus are those ordered through BedLoft.com. Order in advance of the Fall semester and pick up your loft kit on move-in days (Friday of Orientation weekend for first-year students and Sunday for returning students). Students then assemble their own lofts (remember any bed ends MUST stay in your room!). Lofts are designed to be able to be set up by a single user without any special tools (bolts are provided with your loft kit), see video provided by BedLoft for a demonstration:
Bedloft Three Bolt Metal Loft Setup - YouTube
Other than at home, where can I wash my clothes?
Washers and dryers are available in every residence hall and are free to use for the residents of that hall.
Can I bring my pet to campus?
No. A fish kept in an aquarium of under 15 gallons can be your living space. Other animals, including visiting pets, are not permitted in the residence halls or academic buildings. For students who require special accommodations, please see the housing accommodation process.
What if I can't go home during one of the scheduled breaks?
All Residential Housing is closed during Fall Break, Thanksgiving Break, Christmas Break, and Spring Break. Students who are not able to leave campus for the break must apply and be pre-approved for each break housing period. Please check the Break Housing page for most current applications and information.
Can I bring my own mattress to campus?
No. Students must use the College-provided mattress in their room. For students who require special accommodations, please see the housing accommodation process. Waterbeds are prohibited.
Do I have any say in where I live?
- Incoming first-year students may indicate ranked their preferences of the first-year housing options (Norelius Hall, We Are Community in Norelius Hall, or Pittman Hall) via the New Student Housing Form. Residential Life does a batch-assignment process based on building preference, roommate match, and availability. It is not possible to guarantee that you have your first choice of building - but both options are geared towards supporting the first-year student experience and building community.
- Transfer students are placed in a residence hall based on their age/approximate class year. Please email reslife@gustavus.edu if you are in coming transfer student with questions about housing options.
- Returning students apply for housing through the various selection processes held during spring term. Please see the Room Selection information page for the most updated information about that process.
Can I have a single room?
First-year student housing does not have single rooms, but if a student is approved for a housing accommodation for a single they can be assigned without a roommate. For returning students, there is a Single room selection in the Spring for the following academic year, single spaces are available in Sohre Hall or Gibbs Hall. However, we cannot guarantee a single for everyone that applies, selections are made based on a random ranking by class year. If you have medical need for a single room, please see the housing accommodation process.
Do I need to bring sheets and, if so, what size sheets should I bring?
We recommend bringing Twin XL sized sheets. There may be some variation in bed sizing, but the extra long sheet size will fit all mattresses.
Is there internet/network access in my room? What do I need to make this happen?
The Gustavus wireless network is available in all the campus residence halls.
All network devices on the campus network must be registered. This includes laptops, gaming devices, cellphones, Kindles, etc. For more help or information please see: Network Registration
You will need your Gustavus User Account (email) username and password to register any devices on the campus network. If you do not know this information, please contact the Technology Helpline at 507.933.6111 or helpline@gustavus.edu
What furniture is included in the apartments?
Apartment Furniture is different depending upon the building. In Arbor View and College View, the following furniture is present. Note: College-owned furniture MUST stay in your apartment!
- Living Room: Sofa, Lounge Chair, Coffee Table, End Table
- Bedroom: Bed, Dresser, Desk, Desk Chair, Closet for each resident
- Dining Room: Dining Room Table and chairs
In Southwest Hall, the following furniture is present.
- Living Room: Sofa, Lounge Chair, End Table, Entertainment Center
- Bedroom(for each resident): Bed, Dresser, Desk, Desk Chair, Closet
- Dining Area: Island work area/dining area and two tall chair
Is there storage available on campus?
STORAGE REQUEST FORM
Subject to space limitations, students who live 350 miles+ from Gustavus may store personal belongings in the hall storage rooms during the academic year (suitcases, trunks, etc), or other boxed and labeled belongings over the summer. Summer storage: items can be put in to storage starting at the end of the Spring semester on Reading Day between 6- 10pm (and by contacting the CF on duty after 8pm nightly at other times during the academic year). During periods where there is not a CF on duty in all buildings, storage access is not available.
Gustavus Adolphus College assumes no liability for items lost or damaged while in storage.
Items stored during the academic year must be removed by May 15. Items stored over the summer must be removed by September 15. Anything left beyond that time will be considered abandoned property. Any items that are found in storage that are not labeled with a Residential Life-issued storage label and/or not on the approved inventory sheet will be disposed of.
Students are storing at own risk and have been made aware of the storage policy. If storage capacity is reached for a given area, priority may be given to international students/furthest travel distances.
Storage is only accessible during times of year when Collegiate Fellows are on duty in the residence halls. Any access outside of this time (summer, early arrival, post-Commencement etc.) is by appointment only (at least 3 business days-notice required). If you feel you will need urgent access to storage items on short notice, you should obtain off-campus paid storage.
Please note: you CAN store: cardboard boxes, plastic bins/containers, suitcases. All items must be sealed and labeled. You CANNOT store: college furniture, refrigerators, furniture, lofts, carpet rolls, garbage cans, bikes, trash bags, wood (this is not a complete list, Residential Life reserves the right to refuse storage for any item). Please email reslife@gustavus.edu if you have any questions about items that can or cannot be stored.
Please submit a storage request form in advance of any storage request (please allow 2 business days advance notice, submissions cannot be processed during weekends or periods when the College is closed). You must bring an approval receipt to the Collegiate Fellow in order to be able to put items in Storage and use the Residential Life-provided storage labels.
Note: Residential Life does not have boxes available, but please check with Dining Service, the Post Office, and/or the Book Mark as they often have extra boxes available (especially with advanced notice/planning).
Summer storage: You will generally store your items in the hall you are living in NEXT YEAR (Arbor View will store in Sohre; College View & Chapel View will store in Norelius; Prairie View will store in Southwest; ILS Houses will store in Rundstrom).
Gustavus Adolphus College assumes no liability for items lost or damaged while in storage. Any items abandoned in storage, or stored without approval, will be disposed of.