Asia Anderson, Contributing Photographer

The city of New Haven has been under several heat advisories throughout the summer, and temperatures in the city have risen into the mid 90s. Combined with high humidity, first years  will have to learn how to handle the heat on top of transitioning to college.

Out of Yale’s 14 residential colleges, only two have air conditioning in student dorms: Benjamin Franklin and Pauli Murray colleges. Students living on Old Campus and the other 12 residential colleges have to resort to other methods to combat the heat and humidity. 

“I keep my fan on pretty much at all hours. With the heat I keep it on while I sleep,” Andrew Jean-Charles ’27, who is in Morse College, said. 

Although transitioning to dorm life with no air conditioning has not significantly impacted him, Jean-Charles does feel that the heat makes him stay outdoors more or in air conditioned spaces. 

Jean-Charles told the News that although he wishes Morse also had air-conditioning, he thinks it is a good idea if the students in Franklin and Murray are able to use theirs.

A student in Pauli Murray, Maxx Shearod ’25, who has access to air conditioning in his dorm said he’s lucky to have it, but feels it does not create that much of a difference. Similarly to other students from other colleges, Maxx keeps his window open and uses his fan daily to manage the heat.  

“I think the real advantage is having elevators in every entryway, but the AC is nice for the August and September heat,” Shearod said. 

Not all rooms in the new colleges have AC turned on.

Yale does not allow students to install their own AC units according to the Yale Housing website. The website states that a discovery of an illegal appliance will result in a $100 fine and one’s housing contract may be terminated. As a result, purchasing a fan is one of the only ways of mitigating the heat in August. 

In the Yale Bookstore, a singular small desk fan can cost up to $37.  

The first few months of college can be filled with emotional, social and academic changes. According to Mariama Sow ’26, a senior in Timothy Dwight College, the heat can compound on these stressors and also take a toll. 

Sow expressed that after a long day in the heat, she feels tired and just needs a nap sometimes. When she was a first year, she felt impacted socially by the heat and did not want to interact with others or participate in her Cultural Connections night activities. 

“I was drained. I couldn’t interact with people. I feel like after a long day I didn’t want to hang out or do the CC events at night. It’s just too much,” Sow said.

Since classes have started, temperatures have begun declining, and will have highs in the 70s this week. 

Pauli Murray and Benjamin Franklin colleges opened in 2017.