Like every other student at Boston College, from the moment I moved into my freshman dorm I became totally consumed by the idea of one day (if I played my cards right) landing myself a Mod. Every decision I made, every action I took and even every thought I thought was directed towards the pursuit of Mod Life.

Sneak into the Mods on GameDay? Never! I could get caught and banned! Leave early from a football game? Heresy! Larger forces than I can comprehend are at work during the housing lottery and I was totally willing to endure our embarrassing losses if it could help my cosmic chances in the slightest. Honestly, I was even helping old ladies cross the street whenever I had the chance, not because I was a decent person or something, but because I was stockpiling as much good karma as I could.

And it worked! Before you ask - yes, it is as awesome as advertised. Still, after about a month and a half, I’ve finally come to grips with some of the lesser-known aspects of Mod Life. And because all the emails about the Senior Class Gift have me feeling all nostalgic and elder statesmen-y, I’d like to spoil some surprises for the future generations of Mods residents.

10 THINGS YOU DON’T KNOW ABOUT LIVING IN THE MODS (UNTIL YOU DO)

1. Everything is broken. A slight hyperbole, but if you thought your 8-man in Walsh was a bit, ahem, lacking in preparation for your arrival, then brace yourself. My Mod-mates and I were treated to a bathroom with no working lights, which made waking up and trying to use the toilet in the middle of the night kind of like that scene in Silence Of The Lambs when Jodie Foster is trapped in Buffalo Bill’s house. THIS WAS MY LIFE! (Not for the squeamish. Kind of like living in the Mods.)

Other things that were broken: the hinges on the cabinet, the drawers in the kitchen and the lock on the sliding door. The speed with which Facilities responded to the work orders, however, was beyond impressive (hence, sadly, no photos).

2. There is a basement. It is also locked. I don’t know why but I’m very curious. These basements are also apparently only in the “B” Mods, which sounds like an urban legend, but so does the idea of the Mods having basements.

3. There is only one desk in each bedroom. Mainly because Mod bedrooms do not have room for two. This set-up does kind of make sense if you think about it though because trying to get work done in the Mods is like trying to play street hockey in the middle of Comm. Ave during rush hour.

4. There are absolutely no lights. When I lived in Vanderslice, I was appalled by the lack of lighting in the bedrooms. One measly light at the door that couldn’t even reach the rest of the room? Man, I underestimated how good I had it. There are literally no overhead lights in the bedrooms in the Mods, as though the sun setting at 4 PM during December wasn’t enough to induce seasonal depression.

5. The bathrooms are split. The Mods have two total bathrooms each, but the setup is unique – one full bathroom and one room with a shower on the top floor, and a toilet and sink downstairs by the front door. This setup sounds nice until you’re forced to descend the staircase in the middle of the night because your roommate decided to take a shower at 2 AM.

6. Everything is covered in graffiti. Every stair is equally tagged, plus the insides of the closets. The only rule - you must wait to tag your Mod until after graduation. It’s literally the last thing you do at, or to BC (or so the graffiti says).

7. Your friends will drop by WHENEVER they feel like. Time does not exist in the Mods. It’s 3 AM on a Wednesday? Oh, let’s go drop by our friend's Mod! The people who tend to do this sort of thing also tend to bring food with them, though, so it’s really not too terrible.

8 Freshmen show up even when there’s no party. Speaking of uninvited guests, I dramatically underestimated the desperation with which BC students want to party. No matter how quiet, brightly lit or empty your Mod is on Friday and Saturday nights, strangers will knock on your door and try to party with you. Guaranteed.

9. The back door decides not to lock sometimes. The number one concern of a Mod resident is that one night, someone will forget to lock the back door and someone else will sneak in. We take very good care to make sure that does not happen to us, but sometimes it takes about 15 minutes to make sure the door actually locks. Keep in mind that it’s very possible that we are all just idiots.

10. THERE IS A DOORBELL.

So cool. SO. COOL.

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