2nd Year Housing

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - Davis
1

Greetings all!

So I know second years are guaranteed second year housing, but that’s about all that I know. Can someone help explain to me how it is?

  1. Do we actually live in on-campus dorms again, or is another form of housing offered to us?
  2. Do we have do the dreaded roommate situation again, or can we opt for a single (just like we were offered our first year?)
  3. Do many students opt for 2nd year housing?
  4. Anything else helpful that you guys can add?

Thank you so much in advance. This who housing situation is stressing me out. I could really use some help.

2
  1. Yes and No. Most transfer student housing is the Student Housing Apartments and are located off campus but really close - http://housing.ucdavis.edu/housing/sha/ The Colleges at La Rue and Primero Grove are located on central campus.
  2. You don't have to do the roommate thing. You can pay for a studio. Pricing tiers are located here: http://housing.ucdavis.edu/_pdf/s/2015-sha-fee-schedule.pdf
  3. I have no idea, you would have to ask the school. I've gotten the feeling that older transfer students opt to live alone or rent a room off campus somewhere in town, but that can get cutthroat because it's cheaper and gets taken up pretty quick so you'd have to start early.
  4. I'm choosing to do student housing my first year and then look for a room to rent for my last year. I don't want to deal with trying to bend over backwards to find a room for rent, and if I have guaranteed housing, I'm going to take advantage of that. The downside is that student housing at UCD is incredibly expensive, but there are grants you might get come admission time that can contribute to the cost of housing and make things easier. Student housing is also appealing, to me, because then I can be around other students and feel more connected to the school.
3
  1. I know a few sophomores that are in the dorms, but there are very few spots for them compared to the number of freshman slots. As @boxandwhiskers said, most are in student housing apartments. When I did second year housing a couple years ago, I was placed at Arlington Farm.
  2. If you end up in the dorms, you'll probably have to have a roommate due to space constraints. If you end up in student housing apartments, it's easier to get a single but you'll probably be sharing an apartment with at least one other person. I don't know if the student housing apartments offered to sophomores though the housing guarantee include studios. I know they didn't when I did it, but it might be different now.
  3. Comparatively, no. Obviously, enough do that there's sufficient demand to warrant the guarantee. But most just rent an apartment on their own or with friends.
  4. Student housing is much more expensive than getting an apartment on your own, even if you live in a complex that provides student housing apartments. My advice if you want to live at one of the complexes that provides student housing is to go through the actual complex instead of student housing. You'll get the same kind of apartment you otherwise would, while saving money because you're not paying student housing prices. If you don't want to live at one of those complexes, just start looking for apartments around town now to see what's available. I can guarantee you you'll find something if you actively search throughout winter and sign by spring, and it'll cost much less than any student housing option.
4

My son last year signed up early for 2nd year housing. He was given a choice of Arlington Farm (too far away from campus), sharing a studio at Primero Grove or share a 3 bedroom suite style dorms at Cuarto. He opted for Cuarto, since he liked the convenience of the dining commons. Yes, student housing is more expensive than sharing an apartment, but for him the benefit of having the meal plan outweighed the negatives. Also it can make a difference if there is no easy access to the bus system or the convenience of a car. Last year there were many 2nd year students that did not get student housing, so if you are interested apply early.

5

My dd is a senior.

After freshman year, which was a disaster with roommates, she lived off-campus.
It was cheaper, easier (her own room and bathroom) and efficient for us since she finally found a townhouse where she emails her individual rent, separate from her housemates, to the manager’s office. She has loved it and would never go back. I love the reduction of her rent, which has allowed us to get her more toys and supplies.

You can ask at the housing office about rental agreement form samples, suggestions, etc. http://housing.ucdavis.edu/current/movingout_housingoptions.asp

You can also look at the local information guide: https://localwiki.org/_rsearch/davis?q=apartments