Ninety-seven new residents entering five randomly selected residence halls at the University of Maryland, College Park, completed a questionnaire on their first impressions (2 to 4 weeks) of their dorm and changes they would like to see. Fifty-six had never lived in a residence hall before and 44% had, and 59% did not know anyone on their floor before moving in. When asked what they liked most about dorms so far, 20% said people's friendliness, 17% said the people they met and 16% said the convenient location. When asked what they least liked, 19% reported insufficient or malfunctioning physical facilities and 14% said undesirable physical aspects of their rooms. Nineteen percent gave unsolicited comments that they wish they had gotten more help from their Resident Assistant and only 5% indicated they would seek out their Resident Assistant for help as a first step. In addition, 8% said they had negative impressions of the residence halls due to impersonal treatment before moving in. Intercorrelations among attitude items indicate that those who exhibit public conformity and private disagreement with residence hall norms tend to feel less positive and have adjusted less well to their new situation. Results were discussed in terms of the theory that satisfiers stem from variables intrinsic to dorm life (e.g., other people, hall programs) and dissatisfiers stem from extrinsic variables (e.g., physical facilities). It was suggested that a good residence hall program treats these sources independently. Overall it was recommended that greater emphasis be given to initiating residence hall programs before students move in. (Author)