FixIt receives thousands of requests over the course of the academic year. If your microwave is broken or your door creeks, assume your ticket will not appear high on the list. But there are some cases, such as cockroach infestations, that will promptly dispatch the University’s facilities team.
Here’s a guide for when to submit a request, when to try to take care of the problem yourself and when to ignore it.
1) Broken glass – FixIt
It might just be one crack in the glass, but it can lead to a shattered window if someone accidentally leans on the ledge. Make sure this is a priority so you don’t have to worry about avoiding shards of glass strewn across your carpet.
2) Clogged drain – Try drain cleaner first
If you’re living in a five- or six-person room in Thurston Hall, there’s no doubt that six heads of hair will clog up your drain. Luckily, there is a simple fix: Some drain cleaner from CVS or a home remedy of baking soda and vinegar.
3) Refrigerator is too cold – Check, then submit
Do the vegetables your parents so optimistically bought already have freezer burn on them? First, make sure the temperature isn’t set too low by checking the dial near the door. Someone could have accidentally bumped it while making room for that pizza box. But if it doesn’t seem to change, a FixIt request might be warranted.
4) Bugs – FixIt
Your room will need a full, deep clean to kick those small friends out for good. That’s where FixIt comes in, but you may need to invest in some bug traps while you wait. As recently as last semester, students have reported finding bed bugs in upperclassmen buildings such as City Hall and Amsterdam Hall, and they have occasionally seen roaches around campus, too. Submit a request as soon as you see the first critter to avoid follow-up visits from the exterminator.
5) Broken furniture – FixIt
Since most freshmen don’t come to college equipped with extensive carpentry skills, broken furniture definitely deserves a FixIt request. Be warned, though, the inventory of new furniture dwindles quickly. If your chair is missing a wheel, reach out immediately or expect an older model. You could also face fines for missing or damaged furniture at the end of the year, ranging from $175 to $890, depending on the piece of furniture, so it’s wise to get this fixed fast.
6) Loose door hinge – Grab a screwdriver
Time to break out that mini tool kit you tossed in the back of your closet. Using a screwdriver will ultimately be much simpler than waiting for FixIt. Plus, it’ll save you the embarrassment of a facilities employee leaving your room in faster time than it took you to fill out the request online.
7) Burnt out or flickering lightbulb – Stock up
If the light in your bathroom is looking more strobe than vanity, you might want to give the bulb a good twist when it’s turned off and cooled down. Otherwise, investing in a bulk pack of lightbulbs will prove efficient, as these types of requests tend to be lower priority.
