<p>So I have a few questions I was hoping someone could answer: </p>
<ol>
<li><p>If you live in BJ, are you allowed to go to the 5th floor reading room in South Campus to study? </p></li>
<li><p>Are there music rooms in South? </p></li>
<li><p>Are all doubles in BJ two separate rooms? </p></li>
<li><p>About how big are the singles in South? Are they bigger/smaller/about the same as BJ singles? </p></li>
</ol>
<p>Thanks so much to anyone who can answer! :)</p>
<p>I live in South Campus and not BJ, so I can only answer the questions about South. </p>
<ol>
<li><p>I am not sure, but I don’t think so. Can anyone in BJ confirm?</p></li>
<li><p>Yes, there are music rooms in the basement. They are stocked with multiple pianos which work okay, some better than others. </p></li>
<li><p>No clue, sorry. Anyone in BJ?</p></li>
<li><p>The regular South singles are smaller than half of a South double, while there are larger singles for handicapped students. I believe the second-years and RAs have access to these larger singles, but not first-years. The regular South singles are comfortable but can be a bit small depending on how organized you are. I have not been in a BJ single before, but looking at the pictures/videos online I believe the BJ singles are larger.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Thank you so much The Banker! Could you recommend South or is there anything I should know about it. What are the pros and cons? </p>
<p>And yeah, if anyone else can answer that would be great :)</p>
<p>Hi cutiepie, I’m glad to help! What sort of dorm environment are you looking for specifically? Below are some thoughts on South…</p>
<p>South is a really big dorm, with 800+ residents in eight houses. In my opinion it offers a much more “typical” college experience (alcohol, parties, loud music) though you can avoid it without any problem whatsoever. You will meet a wide range of people; there really is no stereotype that applies specifically to South whereas other dorms/houses tend to have stereotypes (e.g. Max is filled with athletes, x dorm/house is “weird”, ect.). If anything, South has the stereotype of being filled with “normal” kids. </p>
<p>I picked South because it’s the newest dorm and is steps away from Cathey dining hall. The amenities are all brand new and it’s literally a five second walk from the South lobby to the entrance of the dining hall. Honestly I chose South because of its convenience and because I wanted easy access to a vibrant social life (there are numerous parties in South every weekend). At the same time I also wanted a single, and was fortunately able to get one. </p>
<p>I think the only downside is that the house culture isn’t nearly as strong as other dorms. This is a function of South’s size and location. Because South is so huge and is right next to Cathey (where people from other dorms come to eat), it’s very easy to have a social life outside of your house. Whereas other dorms such as Breckenridge and Broadview, for instance, have stronger house cultures because they are more isolated from campus and your social life consists almost exclusively of people from your house. </p>
<p>Anyway, let me know if you have any more questions.</p>
<p>@TheBanker</p>
<p>How hard is it to get a single at South? Is there some sort of procedure to get it? Do you have a private bathroom? </p>
<p>Thanks for the help!</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I submitted my deposit early (you are added to the queue after you submit your deposit) which meant I had a pretty good shot of getting my first choice. Procedure, not really - I specifically requested a single in the housing form because I had a good reason (light sleeper). You don’t get a private bathroom; you use the community ones. Not sure how difficult it is to get a single, as I think singles are in pretty high demand. If you submit your deposit early and you have a good reason for the single (and a good reason for living in South in particular), you should be able to get it.</p>
<p>Hi cutiepie1,</p>
<p>To answer some of your BJ questions (I live there):</p>
<p>1.) If you make friends with someone in South, then you’ll be able to – basically, you’ll need someone to sign you into South before you can get into South if you don’t live there. </p>
<p>3.) Many, but not all. Most are single suites which are the two rooms that are connected, but there are a few rooms that are legitimate doubles. Those tend to be very huge, though.</p>
<p>4.) BJ singles very quite a bit in size, but they are typically larger than South ones, from someone who’s seen both.</p>
<p>Thanks so much Thebanker and furedeikun…</p>
<p>@furedeikun
Now I’d just like to know:
-you need to be signed in by a friend every time you want to go there?
-How is the heat in BJ?
-Is the community strong in BJ? Is it easy to make friends? </p>
<p>Thanks! I appreciate your input :)</p>
<p>anyone from BJ can answer too :)</p>
<p>Although it’s technically mandatory for people to sign in guests no matter what dorm you live in, the staff at BJ is a lot more lax about this policy and it’s also easier to slide by without having other UChicago friends sign in given that you just need to show a UChicago ID if they ask, as opposed to South which has their own unique cards they need to present. Nonetheless, signing in takes about a minute so it isn’t a huge deal.</p>
<p>Average room temperatures will vary depending on the room (it’s an old building), but all rooms have radiators so heating isn’t a problem. There aren’t any air conditioners, however, so it can get a little toasty during the latter half of Spring Quarter.</p>
<p>The BJ community is very strong, and the houses in BJ arguably have some of the stronger house cultures compared to those in other residence halls like South where houses are a lot larger and less consolidated. As one of the longer-standing dorms, it’s also had a lot more time to form house traditions. I live in the largest house in BJ with approximately 70 people (as opposed to many other houses in other residence halls that have about 100 students), and I have had no trouble at all making friends, and we definitely a tight-knit community.</p>
<p>@furedeikun or anyone living in BJ :)</p>
<p>Hello, I’m an admitted student and I have a specific question about BJ that hopefully you can help me with. I’m a little concerned with the co-ed communal bathrooms because I come from a girls’ college and have never really shared a bathroom with the opposite sex before. Specifically, I want to know for the showers, are they like inside stalls with locked door or is there only a curtain? Also, is the bathroom divided into a girls’ side and a boys’ side? </p>
<p>i mean a girls’ high school, typo sorry</p>