Many new students arrive at college with a touch of anxiety at the prospect of suddenly having to live with a stranger. About 800 students last fall had to adjust to living with up to seven strangers.

A majority of students placed in supplemental housing, where more than two students reside in a study lounge converted into a living area, usually would have moved by the end of the fall semester, but more than 500 supplemental rooms are still in use.

Lynn DuBois, associate director of housing, said there is still about 350 men living in supplemental housing and about 160 women.

Thanks to a higher rate of acceptance and lower rate of cancellations than in previous years, an unprecedented number of students, including upperclassmen, were placed in supplemental housing this fall.

DuBois also said that since all first-year students are guaranteed living space on campus, and it is hard to forecast the number of projected first-year students who will actually come to Penn State, housing has a difficult job in assigning rooms.

There is currently space for all the women to move into regular dorm rooms and about 100 vacancies for the men, but most of the students are choosing to stay in the supplemental rooms, DuBois said.

This could be because students want to stay in an area where no vacancies are available or because they want to stay with their current roommates in the supplemental room.

DuBois said the housing department does not require students to move into vacancies; it is an option, and they are in the process of letting the students in supplemental housing know their options.

Kathy Krinks, housing assignment operations assistant director, said freshmen are placed in supplemental housing based on when the university receives their acceptance. The later they send in their acceptance to Penn State, the higher their chances are of getting placed in supplemental housing, she added.

Upperclassmen are placed in supplemental housing based on a lottery of their housing contracts, Krinks said.

DuBois said the reason the number of men placed in supplemental housing is higher than the number of women is that fewer male students declined their acceptances to the university.

"It's just the way the contracts came in," DuBois said.

Students living in supplemental housing were given first priority for the open-room change at the end of the fall semester. DuBois said that would most likely happen again toward the beginning of this semester.

Carrie Adams (freshman-education) moved out of her supplemental room in Ritner Hall with seven other women after about a month and a half.

"It was really nice knowing seven people right away, and even if we weren't best friends, we knew we had someone to go to lunch with or fall back on," she said.

Adams said she likes her double room better because there is more room, and it allows her to better coordinate schedules -- including sleeping schedules -- with her roommate.

Kesha Mejeritski (freshman-marketing) had a different reaction upon finding out that he was placed in supplemental housing with four other men in Tener Hall.

"I was kind of disappointed," he said. "When I came to visit, they didn't show us supplemental rooms."

Housing plans to look at a balance for next year between men and women to see if adjustments need to be made include changing male and female floors.