Caltech has a very wide variety of living spaces — some singles, doubles, triples, and even suite-style rooms depending on where you’re living. I’m currently living in Venerable House, which only has doubles, meaning I’m paired with a lovely roommate! Each room in Venerable is a little different; some have different styles of beds or shelves, and some even have murals in the rooms from past residents.

Going clockwise from top left:

1. Each room in every house has a whiteboard on the door — they’re great for problem-solving sessions, but also great for writing stuff about yourself and displaying cool things! My roommate is a great artist, and she did our headings for the board (her half is Pokemon themed and mine is Spiderverse themed!) You’ll also notice some of our roles at the top of the board, and the alley rankings in the bottom left, which are part of my job as Vice President. Each of our hallways in Venerable is called an Alley, and we have challenges throughout the year to determine the Alley Rankings!
2. Each room has lots of shelf space, which is great for me since I’m a tremendous hoarder. My roommate and I also get a nice desk and dresser with lots of storage. Some rooms also have corkboards (right side) which are great for displaying pictures!
3. Our room has lofted beds, which allows for ample space beneath. Some other rooms in Venerable are “sky beds,” which are attached directly to the ceiling, while others are bunk beds, which have a large desk underneath the bed. Beds are twin XL for all living spaces. Each room also comes with an air conditioner (which is great for my roommate and I, since we like it cold!)
4. Many people have couches, which are great spots to nap on when you’re too tired to climb up the ladder. Seniors often also give their couches to underclassmen when they graduate! There’s also ample space for posters — I put up some very colorful art of cells and the JPL space posters (two very different domains of Caltech!)
5. Each room also comes with a closet and drawers with plenty of space for luggages and clothing. You’ll also notice our minifridge on the right, which is great for leftovers and storing drinks. It’s not uncommon to have a minifridge, but no worries if not! All houses have shared kitchen areas with fridges, along with shared utensils, cookware, and an oven.
6. Each room also comes with a sink, which is great to not have to go to a bathroom to brush your teeth or wash your face. Behind, above, and below the sink are many storage spaces as well. Fun fact: behind many of the Venerable sink mirrors, there’s signatures from past residents of the room! My room’s most notable past resident is Peter Shor, a famous computer scientist.

All in all, I’m a big fan of my living space at Caltech. There’s lots of room to store a ton of my stuff and it’s a great place to come and rest at the end of a tiring day. While each room at Caltech is a little bit different, it’s super fun to make it your own!