2010 Housing - Lucky 101 Compared to Dorms

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Wisconsin
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<p>I am in in the process of deciding housing for fall of 2010 and wanted some input on the social experiences at Lucky 101 compared to the dorms.</p>

<p>The main concerns I have with Lucky 101 are:
-Is it harder to meet people?
-I know its not the "true" freshman experience, but its still treated as dorms rather than just an apartment complex right?
-Do people view you differently if you live in Lucky?
-Are you socially excluded from the rest of the students that are living in the dorms?</p>

<p>Thanks, any input is appreciated on Lucky and the dorms.</p>

2

<p>It is very dorm like on the floors that are designed that way. Resident advisors, decorated doors, lounge, etc. The staff provides social functions much like a dorm but loud partying is not tolerated.<br>
I think some people might tend to typecast you by living there. But people meet all sorts of ways and the dorms is just a segment of that. If you can afford it I think it’s good overall. You will be treated more like a paying customer.</p>

3

<p>Just got an email from the UW parents site- they are having a forum on Monday Dec 7th from 6-7 pm CST regarding housing for next year- live chat. More info on the UW site. </p>

<p>Interesting ways to view the world- “paying customer”- the business outlook, or a totally nonbusiness approach to life (not sure I would want to be considered mainly for the profits I generate as the reason to treat me well). Barrons and I have different appraoches. You have to decide your priorities. Locations both close to classes. Costs vary as do luxury/amenities. Far more students will be in Res Halls. You have to weigh the pros and cons of the lifestyle you choose.</p>

4

<p>Yes, the public DMV customer service model is so great–they treat everyone the same–like crap.</p>

5

<p>The above, #4, has nothing to do with UW.</p>

6

<p>It’s called an analogy. As a rule customer service from private companies is better than at public entities. I have worked for both and know the difference (including the State of Wisconsin). Not that UW’s is bad but I wonder how fast they come to fix something vs at a private dorm. Or deal with a roommate issue.</p>

7

<p>Have you dealt with any of those well run private health insurance companies lately? Or Comcast? Or AT&T? Or those private credit card issuers? Or Wall Street and its slew of private entities that brought us to the brink of depression with their well run private sector antics? Please, bureaucracy is not solely a characteristic of public entities, just as for-profit, private entities don’t always have your best interests at heart.</p>

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<p>Has this thread gone off topic?</p>

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<p>Yes, sorry about that, but I needed to point out a thing or three to barrons. My response was definitely off topic and had nothing to do with UW either. I just thought his flippant, off-topic response deserved an equally flippant, and off-topic one too. I now return you to your regular programming, err post.</p>

10

<p>Dealing with Res Halls is nicer than with private landlords- think trying to get repairs or a security deposit returned in full. Student networking will clue one into which landlords are better/worse once on campus. A phone call to Res Halls regarding an added charge to son’s freshman quarterly bill was pleasant a couple of years ago or so- he hadn’t told me about the lost key. Experiences dealing with professors via email when I caught a scheduling conflict that would have affected many math/science honors freshmen was very pleasant- departmental chairmen are nice people. UW may be a large institution but it is composed of many friendly individuals at many levels- you have to direct your concerns to the proper level- think professors for academics and individual offices for housekeeping matters.</p>

<p>Hopefully you will get responses from Lucky residents regarding their experiences.</p>

<p>Notice I emphasize the human, not the business aspect. I have found pleasant apt management encounters with my parent questions but then the security deposit issue the following summer didn’t match. Interpretations of clean et al… I stayed away and out of any controversies. I do know dorms always need a cleaning after students leave and there were no surprises, or even issues.</p>

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<p>I posted something last year about living in lucky 101. it’s extremely different from the dorms, but i liked it better (quieter, more privacy). It doesn’t have that feel the dorms do of constantly having people around. You definitely need to go out of your way to get to know your neighbors, etc, but if you do you get to have a nice social group there like in the dorms. I would label the feel somewhere between dorm and apartment, but it definitely has more of a social feel than even the upper floors of lucky (which are regular apartments).</p>

<p>Some people kind of recoil at the name, but most just say “oh cool!” and ask you random questions about what it’s like to live there. my dorm friends liked having a place we could all go and hang out and not be crowded, etc.</p>

<p>You are not socially excluded - I made a lot of friends in the dorms via my classes, activities. Definitely no one is going to exclude you based on the fact you live in lucky.</p>

<p>In the end, I loved living there and would pick it over the dorms again in a heart beat. I lead a normal social life with the friends I made last year, etc etc.</p>

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<p>Actually Balthezar, I HAVE dealt with several of those. I have Cigna health insurance and have needed emergency care while out of service area–which I posted on CC several months ago. When I got billed by the provider who said insurance had denied the claim I made exactly one call to Cigna and it was fixed and I paid ZERO.<br>
As to Comcast, they are my cable and internet service and anytime I have had a problem they were able to fix it quickly right over the phone. They know their system inside out.<br>
Wall Street–well I hate them too and have had numerous posts on the topic under several areas. They are not a typical business just trying to make a living. They represent the ultimate in greed and lack of morality.</p>

<p>I myself am a landlord and cater to my tenants as I value their business. If they paid on time all year I send them a $100 gift certificate at Christmas. Not all landlords are the same and it is a very tough business as many tenants are not very responsible. That’s why some LLs get mean and don’t care.</p>

<p>I went to lucky and talked with their management. I think they are very good and professional. I watched how they dealt with the kids and they seemed very nice to them and knew everyone by name. I think they try to provide superior service which is what I expect in my dealings.</p>

13

<p>Lucky sounds like a great place, just like barron’s apartments, and I’m sure if he were in charge of Lucky it would no doubt be well run. Just don’t talk politics with him. He has a tendency to offer single episode annecdotal evidence to support his arguments when other ample anecdotes on the web exist that provide evidence in contradiction of his positions. Also, those skeptics among us might construe $100 dollars ($8.33 a month) off the rent, as a hollow gesture in lieu of the fact that the rent charged was most likely $150 a year more than it would have otherwise been. I have Cigna PPO, and the premiums rise every year: money that might otherwise have gone into increased take home pay. My son and I will be visiting UW soon, and I’ll have to check out Lucky myself.</p>

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<p>Actually I keep my rents about $50 below market. That way I get to select from a larger pool of tenants and pick the best one. I also provide lawncare which most other house rentals don’t. That’s because most tenants who are supposed to do lawncare don’t do it as often as they should and I don’t want my places to LOOK like rentals as they are in very good neighborhoods.
If you want to send me $100 just because you want to I’d be happy with it. How many landlords have ever sent you a Christmas bonus?</p>

15

<p>-IT’S NOT HARD TO MEET PPL AT ALL, the only thing is you’re wing should be cool like mine, cuz we all left our door open and we’re all outgoing ppl, so we all got a long, and now their my coolest friends
–Do people view you differently if you live in Lucky?–> yes, like heres the conversation: “where do you live”, me: I live in lucky person: no way! Dang, you’re so rich! me: Heck no! I’m just using financial aid, It’s so expensive!!! person: yeah, it is expensive! [that’s basically it]
-Are you socially excluded from the rest of the students that are living in the dorms?–> well yeah, the dorm ppl are excluded from lucky. duh. Everyone that hasn’t been to lucky always wants to go into lucky, it’s kinda funny and they do get a little jealous, but then I tell them the price, and they’re like…ooh haha it’s nice, but i dont have the money lol…just be friends with everyone, and you won’t feel so excluded, THERES MILLIONS OF THINGS TO DO!
-Lucky is super Awesome! The staff are pretty cool but if you get on their bad side, like don’t pay rent then duh, they aren’t going to like you much…but they’ll still treat you like a customer.
-What else…RENT! I pay $858 but yeah, I’m so not rich. I use financial aid money, yeah…welfare [i know that’s bad…I’m working on it]…and what else…I hear it’s going to increase a little bit. And oh yeah, I live with my two buddies, it’s a four bedroom…I think that’s the cheapest, not sure. But I do know that my other two buddies who live on the 14th floor, you’re able to choose to live in whatever room you want, but anyways, they pay like 1000! dang, rich ppl there.
-But yeah, Lucky is pretty awesome. But actually, we had a snow day, and one of the rooms was smoking weed, and it made the whole hall smell, like my RA is not uptight with that so yeah, that’s why the room got away with it, and the room ppl are still doing it so we that’s their lives, what I did was just go to the serf with my friends.
-And what else…oh yeah, it’s only december so I dont know what will happen at the end of the year when they check the rooms and stuff, like when we got here in august, there were little construction marks on some stuff, like writings, but not too visible but like measurements and stuff, but yeah, not too bad, just write it on the sheet they give you at the beginning of the year…
and whatelse, OH YEAH, I JUST LOOKED AT THE WEBSITE, they changed it since the time i registered for a place here, THERE ARE TONS OF LAYOUTS, CHOOSE ONE, AND COME CHECK IT OUT, I didn’t know there were more than two layouts, the guy just showed me two, cuz all my neighbors they have better rooms than me and my roomies have; oh yeah, AND MY WING OF THE FLOOR IS THE BEST. WE ALL GET ALONG AND WELL MOST, AND MY ROOMIES AND I EVEN HAD A LITTLE PARTY AND HAD A LITTLE SLUMBER PARTY LIKE THE FIRST EARLY WELCOME WEEK OF SCHOOL! IT WAS SO COOL TO BE INDEPENDENT!</p>

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<p>Please note the rent costs- not the cheapest on or off campus- housing available at Lucky.</p>