We’ve written about the three-year on-campus residency requirement before. Multiple times, in fact. It comes up a lot, and for good reason. Students want independence and freedom when they come to college, but when they’re locked into the residence halls for three years without true options, they can get a bit restless.

Despite this, it is important to remember that everyone has to go through the same thing, and that one day, you will likely look back on these days and have fond memories of the Herndon desks, the Thomas ceiling tiles, and the South sewage backup.

If you’re really feeling cooped up on campus, remember that you have options. Marriage is certainly on the table—if you are married, you can get a waiver to the residency requirement. An option that requires less commitment than tying the knot is through study abroad. You can travel to six continents for either a semester or a year and truly get outside of the Trinity bubble.

Finally, you can commit to taking advantage of resources on campus. Don’t like the food at Mabee? Head to one of the many kitchens scattered across campus. Want to warm up on a cold night? Microwave some water and drink some tea (the newsroom favorite is passionfruit papaya black tea).

So as you read the housing special section, keep in mind that as students, we are all sharing the same experiences. While we might not all play the same sports, be the same major, or participate in the same extracurriculars, we all have one thing in common — we’ve all suffered through the ups and downs of on-campus housing together.