About two months ago, many students and families loaded clothes, appliances and suitcases in their cars. These students were beginning a new chapter of their lives—college. They transitioned into a different living situation filled with new faces and smiles.

For most, this was their first time living on their own without their parents to do laundry, cook and clean for them. While living in a residence hall seems intimidating, it can actually be quite fun. Today, there are many who are getting accustomed to their residence hall, while making friends.

SLU has many popular residence halls that students can inhabit, including Reinert, Griesedieck and Spring Hall. Halls typically have a cafeteria, lobby, laundry room and study rooms.

Monika Martinek is a freshman student who currently lives in Spring Hall. The most recent addition to SLU’s campus, Spring contains many study rooms, a big lobby and an honors learning community.

Martinek describes Spring as a comfortable place with many resources. The study lounges are spacious, and residents can see all of St. Louis. Subsequently, she loves the learning community because she is able to study with others who have a similar passion.

Martinek feels that many residents have a great sense of humor, which can be helpful especially during stressful times. Martinek enjoys living in Spring and looks forward to living there next year.

Claire Hylin, another freshman at SLU, is also living in Spring Hall. She loves it and believes the space available is incredible. It is typical for residents to complain about limited space, but Hylin knows Spring has plenty of space for her belongings.

She appreciates being able to make her own meals in the hall kitchen from time to time. Sometimes, frequently eating cafeteria food can get tiring. Hylin considers the study rooms in Spring to be crucial for learning and making friends. Many students are alone while studying, but forming study groups would make the study process less stressful and even fun.

Another popular residence hall to live in is Reinert. Many freshmen choose Reinert their first year. Molly Meyer, a sophomore at SLU, loves living there.

She believes Reinert has a great community. Many floors set up a GroupMe, increasing the chance of making new friends and feeling more comfortable.

Molly believes the residents there have the most stamina. They have to pass the Shell and Laclede before reaching campus. It can take time to get a certain destination, but there are many students with the strength and commitment to make it place to place.

According to Meyer, living at Reinert makes going to the Metrolink station very convenient. The station is less than a quarter mile from the residence hall.

Another resident of Reinert, freshman Janine Urgello, loves the fact that residents have their own bathrooms. Meyer and Urgello both agree that the Reinert dining hall food is fantastic and the workers are very friendly.

SLU has many great residence halls, but the university will be ready to open another in fall 2017.

Grand Hall, located at Grand Blvd. and Laclede Ave., will make it easier to go to places such as the BSC, Monsanto Hall or even Qdoba. Wherever students decide to live, all of the residence halls are special and promote success in the St. Louis community.