Every fall semester, University of Wisconsin Housing cannot accommodate living space for all of the freshmen or transfer students wanting to reside in the residence halls. To handle this they set up temporary dormitories across campus for these students in expanded housing. However, students from expanded housing believe that the transition could have been smoother.

The average of 75 students every year that are placed into expanded housing is due to their being the last group the university provides housing contracts to.

Expanded housing has been set up in the floor dens of numerous public dorms, including Bradley, Cole, Sullivan, Witte, Ogg, Sellery, Chadborne and Elizabeth Waters.

The time that the students live in expanded housing varies depending when an open dorm space is available to them. Usually, however, students are not relegated to temporary dorm housing for more than the length of a semester.

This past semester, it was the female students that exited expanded housing first.

“It isn’t a science,” said Paul Evans, Director of Housing. “This year, there was just more spaces open for women to move out first.”

Evans explained that it differs between years, as does the number of students in expanded housing.

“It’s just a way to get on to campus housing and vacancy rates lower,” Evans continued.

In the past, Evans has had few negative comments about expanded housing, and students seemed generally happy with the living arrangements. He said that the worst part about the temporary dorms is that students get involved and are active in that floor or hall so when they have to move into a permanent dorm, it is difficult.

Freshmen Sara Eckrich enjoyed her time in expanded housing and continues to be friends with the people she met at the beginning of the year.

“I liked [expanded housing] because I got to know more people quickly by having more than one roommate, I actually had a place to live and was comfortable, and I got a different atmosphere living with all girls.”

Now Eckrich has mixed feelings about expanded housing after experiencing three weeks in Elizabeth Waters Residence Hall, with only three days to repack and relocating across campus to Sellery Residence Hall.

“It was hard to change after being so comfortable, and once I found out I was moving, I had three days to pack, I didn’t get any answers from housing and I wasn’t assured what was going to happen.”

Eckrich explains that when she first arrived in expanded housing, things appeared to be organized. But when it came to moving out of expanded housing, University Housing made her feel “rushed and disorganized.”

“I wish I would have known more information,” Echrich said. “I felt like I was in the dark, especially about the moving thing. Being uncertain and not knowing anything was the hardest thing.”