Dormitory+Life

=Northwest School Dormitory=

For new international students, coming to a new place, a new environment, and a new country without knowing anyone can be intimidating. Entering a new school in a foreign country is full of concerns, but the most concerning matter for most teenagers is making friends. Especially as a new international student, friends are the first people to help you to adapt, to support you, and to relieve your loneliness or home sickness. Each year, new high school students of every age step into the NWS dormitory, wondering about adjusting themselves to dorm life. After a month of hard times, they will feel suddenly that everything just fits and has fallen into place: school, friends, and the neighborhood. Everyday, life in the dorm is full of joy and happiness. For people who love spending time with friends, this will be the place they want to be in!!!
 * //Introduction://**

NWS International Dormitory is located at 1411 Bellevue Avenue, which is one block west of the school. It is on Capital Hill. The Downtown is within walking distance, approximately ten to fifteen minutes. Grocery stores are available; the most convenient one is the one across the street, the corner store. A little further away is QFC and Bartell's. Various kinds of food are also accessible: Teriyaki, Pho, Thai, Indian food, and many other fast food restaurants (Mc Donald's, Taco Del Mar, Subway's, etc.) However, Chinatown is the number one choice when it comes to eating. Taking a bus down there takes merely fifteen to twenty minutes. With its unique pizza-slice shape, the dorm catches everyone’s attention when first seen. A three story-high building built with reddish-brown bricks and a green front door, and plenty of windows, this building stands out from the others that surround it. Entering the building, the first thing that can be observed is a boys’ staircase going down to the basement. Next, on the right hand side is the RA’s office, and across from it is another boys’ staircase that runs from the first to the second floor. The Common Room or the 'Fishbowl' is down the hallway. Why is it called the 'Fishbowl'? Since this room is the main common area for students to relax and to discuss their homework, it is constructed with glass, just like a fishbowl. It is mainly for students' safety and looks welcoming. From this point on, there are rooms for students. You might be wondering where the girls’ staircases are then? They are on the opposite side of the Common Room. At the end of the hallway for each floor is a shower room. Each floor has ten rooms for students and a lounge, except the first floor, which only has six rooms for students.
 * //Location and Neighborhood://**
 * //Description of the dorm’s building://**

Wireless internet connection is available everywhere in the dormitory. A piano, 6 computers, and a printer are in the computer lab, which is in the basement. Next to the computer lab is a laundry room: there are 5 washers and dryers. A microwave and a refrigerator are available in the kitchen. A pingpong and a foosball table, and all kinds of board and card games are accessible for residents as entertainments.
 * //Facilities:[[image:100_9559.JPG width="183" height="127" align="right"]]//**

There are three levels in the dorm, as mentioned. As this dorm is for girls and boys, each floor is assigned to one gender depending on the enrollment numbers of each gender. In other words, if there are more girls than boys in the dorm, first and second will be girls’ floors. There are 26 rooms available in the dorm: six rooms on the first and ten on the second and the third floors. Furniture is already in each room: two beds, two desks with chairs, four drawers, a closet with two lockboxes inside, and a wall bookshelf. Generally, two students from different countries are put together in one room to practice their English skills. Moreover, new students are usually paired up because new students make friends with each other before reaching for old students. Sometimes, extra rooms are reserved for seniors and SRAs (Student Residential Advisors).
 * //Rooms and Roommates://**

//**Dorm Activities:**// The dormitory has various kinds of activities regularly for all the dormitory residents. The RAs normally choose wherever they think might be fun for all dorm residents to go together, such as ice skating, watching baseball games or basketball games, going on picnics, visiting museums, etc. Residents also get to brainstorm and give suggestions about where to go. We go to at least one activity per Quint with all the dorm residents; we also get to go somewhere within a smaller group.

After school will mostly be the time for homework, activities, or sports. Don’t worry, it’s not like you can’t have fun at all! Boys usually play basketball in the West Court, across from the dorm. Table tennis (Pingpong) and foosball are often played in the dorm’s basement. Seeing a group of students competing over video games is not unusual at all. Shopping is another option for big shoppers, in Downtown Seattle. Going to a theatre or renting a movie in is also very common. On weekends, students always go out to either Downtown or Chinatown as a big crowd. There are a lot of places to go in Seattle, and all of them can be reached by the Metro bus, which is very convenient. Other Entertainments
 * //What to do with my free time?//**

//**Regulations:**// Other than this “__Dorm Top 10__”, there are plenty of smaller rules. In order to make sure of the residents’ safety, students are required to sign-in/out whenever they leave and come back to the dorm.

Dorm Curfew Weekdays: 09:00pm (for SRAs, 09:30pm) Weekends: 11:30pm (for SRAs, 12:00pm; for 15 year-olds and under, 10:30 p.m.)

Room Curfew Weekdays: 10:30pm (for SRAs, 11:00pm) Weekends: 12:30pm (for SRAs, 01:00am)

Meetings We have All Dorm Meetings every Monday and House Meetings on Thursdays.

The dorm is in a safe area. To make sure about residents' security, Residential Advisors (RAs) are present in the dorm at all times. They are in charge and will make sure that things are going well. Student Residential Advisors (SRAs) are always helpful. They are capable of taking charge, and are reliable and dependable.
 * //Security://**

The following link has transcripts of interviewing different people who are related to the dorm: a senior, RAs, and a new student.
 * //Interviews://**


 * //Frequently Asked Questions://**

Bed sheets, a blanket, a pillow, school supplies, and warm clothes. (These things can be found in locan shops like Bed, Bath, and Beyond and Office Depot in Downtown Seattle) Usually, students get along with their roommates really well, but if you don’t, RAs will be the first people you talk to. If things don’t get better, changing rooms can happen. There is very limited space in the dorm, so bringing a lot of things to the dorm is not encouraged. One advantage about living in the dorm: there are friends who can help you with everything you can come up with. Other than your friends, there are SRAs and RAs who are more than willing to help at all times. Absolutely! Friends are welcome at the dorm, and on school nights they must leave before curfew. Having friends spend a night can also be approved. Of course! Giving a notice is the best way to achieve it. You will be required to give information and contacts. No, you cannot. RAs will consider and assign details once you get into the dorm.
 * 1. What do I need to bring for my dorm life?**
 * 2. What if I don’t get along with my roommate?**
 * 3. What if there is not enough space for my stuff in my room?**
 * 4. Who can help me with my homework?**
 * 5. Can I bring friends who live outside of the dorm over?**
 * 6. Can I go spend a night somewhere else?**
 * 7. Can I pick my room or my roommate?**

__[|More about the NWS Dormitory]__

Living with a Host Family Living with Relatives
 * __Other living options:__**

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