Incoming sophomores’ guide to living on campus

There’s no question about it. Where to live next year is what every freshman has been freaking out about. Not only where to live, but who to live with. What happens if I want to live in Irby but I don’t have seven friends? If I live in Willow, will I ever be social again? If I live in Greenbaum, will I be able to make the trek to Bruff everyday, or will I have to live off Boot pizza?

Well not to fear, fellow freshman. The fact is everyone ends up in a great living space, it just depends on where is right for you. And The Tab has the inside scoop on the top four dorms for sophomores. Full disclosure, if you are an honors student, you will probably live in SoHo.

So here they are, the sophomore living options and the scoop so you can make an ‘educated’ decision on where to live.

Irby/Phelps

Janine Cooper, Sophomore, Finance Major

The people it attracts: It attracts people who want a social dorm because of how it’s set up.

The living situation: The whole dorm is co-ed, and it is suite style living. Each suite has 8 people, with 4 rooms of 2 connected through a communal bathroom. With such big suites, you have an opportunity to be around your friends all the time.

The cleanliness (or lack thereof): Its an old dorm so it isn’t as nice and may look a little dirtier than other dorms. That being said, it can be kept clean if you put in the effort, but it’s a lot of people sharing one common space so it can get dirty really fast.

Quiet factor: Yes, there is always something going on, but its not hard to get sleep or do homework when you need to. There are also common rooms on some floors for people who want to do work or hang out.

Why it is the best place to live next year: Because it’s fun to live with so many other people in one suite. There is always something going on so you will never get bored, and the balconies are a great place to chill when it’s nice out.

Greenbaum

Jenna Rhodes, Sophomore, Sociology Major

The people it attracts: People who prefer a cleaner dorm space and who are looking for study space in their dorms.

The living situation: Each floor is co-ed, and both freshman and sophomores live there. Its suite style living so its two rooms are connected by a bathroom with a shower, with two people in each room.

The cleanliness (or lack thereof): It’s a new dorm so everything seems really clean.

Quiet factor: This dorm is super quiet. The first and second floors are even sound proof which can be amazing when things are going on right across the street at the Boot but people want to study or relax.

Why it is the best place to live next year: It has the whole package. It is new and clean so you’re less likely to get sick from all the dust and it has a study space right in your dorm. Also the location is great right across from the Boot and right next to Newcomb so you don’t have to wake up extra early for classes.

Willow

Emma Shifren, Sophomore, Communications and Psychology Major

The people it attracts: There are so many different kinds of people here brought together by the ginormous, clean, quiet rooms.

The living situation: Willow is suite style dorms and singles so it’s either 4 people connected through a bathroom or 2 people connected through a bathroom. Each room has a sink in the room, the halls are co-ed, the rooms are really clean and big, the beds are lofted so there’s lots of storage space underneath and there are dressers that also give you a lot of space. There’s a laundry room and kitchen on each floor.

The quiet factor: Willow is relatively quiet similar to Mayer so it’s easy to get work done in the dorms

Why it is the best place to live next year: Willow is great because the rooms are spacious and it’s in a great location and its always clean and relatively quiet so it’s easy to get work done in the dorms and had a productive atmosphere.

Mayer

Michelle Friedstadt, Sophomore, Communications and Public Relations Major

The people it attracts: The students that live in Mayer are really social and have fun but like having a nice, clean and a bit more quiet space to live in. It’s the perfect balance.

The living situation: All floors are co-ed and mixed randomly in the hall. Girls and boys can live in rooms across or next to each other but they cannot be roommates or suite mates. There are doubles and singles on all floors. Every room has its own sink but two rooms connect and share one bathroom. The rooms are pretty nice and are a good size so you don’t feel trapped and you can be creative with how the room can look. There’s a laundry room on every floor and vending machines in them every other floor.

Cleanliness (or lack thereof): Mayer is pretty clean. It gets cleaned everyday and the residents don’t make it too dirty either. Everyone is responsible to clean their own bathrooms and rooms.

Quiet factor: No dorm is going to be perfectly quiet. There are always people going out or doing something at any time, day or night. For the most part it is pretty quiet and people are respectful. Still, you sometimes hear people when they’re going out at night while they’re in the hall getting ready to leave. You can’t hear noise from outside your room unless someone is standing in front of your door in the hall. It’s nice to have peace and quiet when being home and being able to nap or sleep at a reasonable time if you want to.

Why it is the best place to live next year: Mayer is the perfect balance. People love to come and hang out but it’s also nice being able to settle down and have a chill night without people being crazy and screaming through the halls like in other dorms. Also, Mayer has the best location on campus. It is in the middle of everything and so easy to get anywhere so you don’t get lazy when you need to do something. We’re right in front of bruff, mail services, mac mart, and le gourmet. It has great common rooms with awesome kitchen and tons of study rooms everywhere too! We also have balconies where people can hang out during a nice day and tan, eat lunch, or study. 

Now that you know all the details of each living option, good luck finding people to room with!