With the first portion of Point Loma Nazarene University’s two-part 2025-26 fall housing application now completed, students are awaiting the second half to open from April 9-15. With seven on-campus dorms, one on-campus apartment complex and one off-campus apartment complex to choose from, students are awaiting their time slots to get their preferred dorm.
Young Hall, housing second- and third-years, is a few steps away from Sunset Cliffs, a surfer’s paradise, while Klassen Hall, a first-year dorm, is located in the middle of campus, serving as a quick walk to the track, beach and classes. Nease Hall, housing for first- and second-years, provides easy access to getting to class, with recently renovated bathrooms, and Flex Apartments give third- and fourth-years a way of housing that does not make them search outside of campus, but that’s just one aspect of why PLNU housing gets competitive.
The first entry of the application opened Feb. 27 and closed March 18. Students filled out the basics of the application through their Housing Portal, which entailed signing a housing agreement, picking their dorm preference and establishing roommate groups.
Because the first portion is meant to provide the Office of Residential Life and Housing with information, it is the second part that many students say is stressful. First-year students who are new to the process of receiving a time slot to pick a dorm have said they find the experience intimidating.
“I feel a little in the dark,” Zoey Peters, a first-year multimedia journalism major, said. “A lot of people have told me vague things such as ‘housing is really hard’ or ‘maybe you’ll get the dorm you want.’ I don’t know exactly what is happening, but if everyone else has done it before us, it’s going to be fine.”
This second half of the application will open April 9 for current Colony residents, the off-campus apartment complex, and each day until April 15, the application will open for a specific grade level, with senior group selections occurring on the closing day. Students will receive their time slot for choosing their dorm on April 7.
These time slots serve as an indicator for students as to whether or not they will get their preferred dorm.
Amy Dickerson, assistant director of student housing, said that one way to mitigate the stress students often feel over the desire to get their first choice is to prepare a backup plan.
“Often the stress of housing comes with the potential of not getting what is hoped for, so taking time ahead of the selection process to think through multiple game plans can really help students to navigate the process smoothly and communicate well with planned roommates,” Dickerson said in an email interview.
Chuck Silvey, a first-year finance major, said that because he’s rooming with a residential assistant, he doesn’t have to deal with the stress of not getting a top-choice dorm that he sees his peers dealing with.
“There’s a lot of stress because people don’t want to commit to a room and keep switching between groups, which messes everyone up,” Silvey said.
Colin Sekerka, a third-year political science major, mentioned the pressure some students may feel but emphasized that a dorm is not what determines an entire college experience.
“Any of the options for housing available to sophomores will still be greatly invested in individual and community development, with themes ranging from hall events to religious group meetings specific to halls,” Sekerka said.
One main piece of advice shared by upperclassmen to first-year students is to keep track of selection times and have the person with the earliest time pick the room.
“Not everyone has the same room selection time, so the second you get that information, share it with your group and compare who can get the first call,” Sydney Armstrong, a second-year political science major, said.
Armstrong said that while she did get the residence hall she hoped for, she was unable to get a room with an ocean view. She said that despite initially feeling “bummed,” she was excited to start decorating and making the space her own.
“Often students are surprised that what they wanted didn’t turn out to be what they hoped, or that their back-up hall turned out to be amazing,” Dickerson said. “Take a deep breath and remember that there are likely multiple housing situations for next year that you can be happy and successful in.”
“For rising sophomores, there’s this sense in which the roommates you choose and the dorm you live in now really matter, [and] in complete honesty, they don’t,” Sekerka said.
Another piece of advice shared by several upperclassmen, including Armstrong, was for students to knock on the doors of dorms they are interested in and ask if they can take a look.
“Housing, in general, has been super simple; everything is straightforward,” Peters said regarding the first half of the application process.
Sekerka also had positive feedback regarding the housing administration, sharing that they are “incredibly proactive to solving issues through all steps.”
Sekerka said that while students may not get their preferred dorm, there are still ways to engage with the hall they do get.
“The more you truly engage with your roommates, get to know the other people living around you, participate in residence halls events and take advantage of all those opportunities, both subtle and grand, help foster the living community PLNU aims to promote,” Sekerka said.
Dickerson said that during this time of the semester it is important how you handle feelings of stress.
“Above all, care for people well in this process,” she said. “Be a kind and clear communicator as you navigate forming roommate groups or having to adjust plans during the selection process. There will be a mixture of celebration and disappointment to navigate, and how you choose to do that really matters.”
