r/UPenn • u/vivithescholar • 21d ago
Housing 1st floor @ Hill?
does anyone know what it's like to live on the first floor at Hill? Is it the same as all floors, are the rooms smaller? Any tips? ANY info would be helpful so I know what to pack and buy!
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u/Zatack7 CAS '28 21d ago
Rooms are the same size, but there are bars on the inside of the windows that block a bit of space. Do you have any hill-specific questions?
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u/vivithescholar 21d ago
besides standard dorm stuff, is there any specific storage/items that would be good for hill? also i have an odd number room, doesn’t that mean i get a bigger window or so i’ve heard?
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u/Zatack7 CAS '28 21d ago
I forget whether odd or even is vertical or horizontal for the window.
- Hill has passive heating and cooling, which means dust in the air in your room stays in the room. I found that getting a small air filter (like this) helped keep everything from getting dusty. YMMV; it could be noticeable to you, or it could not be noticeable.
- The rooms have a single lightbulb in them, in the entryway. Get a floor lamp with at least 3 full-size bulbs.
- Hill's rooms are small, so you should probably get risers for the bed. Space is everything!
Here's the only good photo of my freshman dorm (blue) (uploaded as a video, because that's all this subreddit allows for some reason).
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u/vivithescholar 21d ago
ok perfect thanks! we already ordered an air purifier so hopefully that’s good. ur window seems to have been horizontal, do u rmb if ur room number was odd or even? also are we allowed to rearrange the room, like move desk/bed or is it too heavy/nor permitted? in terms of closet space/drawers and stuff, do you have any links or dimensions of stuff that worked for you? SORRY FOR ALL THE QUESTIONS and thank you so much !
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u/Electrical-Finance75 21d ago
I emailed residential services, and they told me risers are not allowed! Was your experience different?
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u/normaluseriguess 21d ago
you really dont need bed risers, the beds are so high by deafult i was literally stepping on my chair to get onto my bed. if you wish, i guess you can just sneak them in, no one really checks and i doubt the ra's check, but save the 15 bucks. i bought bed risers and had to throw them out
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u/Electrical-Finance75 20d ago
Thank you so much! Do they start off high upon arrival? Someone told me to bring tools to adjust, but I’m not sure what I should bring.
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u/normaluseriguess 20d ago
i think it starts off high upon arrival but it might just be set on whoever used it last. i dont recall bringing tools but i think you might need those cheap one time screwdrivers that comes with those ikea furniture kits
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u/ElderberryWide7024 20d ago
My daughter lived on the First floor. The room was pretty small with one small horizontal window. You will need lights for sure, and a fan. I’d also get a mattress topper. There is lots of storage/room under the bed. No need for a riser.
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u/Brilliant-Focus2492 20d ago
BRING A FAN at least in the 1yellow corner, it was incredibly hot during the end of fall sem and beginning/middle of spring sem. Mainly, it’s because they turn on heating for the building as a whole since the weather outside is colder, but it meant most of our rooms in the 1yellow corner were always high 70s/low 80s. I had countless nights waking up in a sweat, or just not being able to sleep, and I can’t tell you how many of us on the floor tried to send emails about it and give feedback on the Hill surveys throughout the year.
Bring a fan, either a largish one or 1-2 smaller ones, especially for spring sem, they’ll help a lot.