<p>Hi everyone,
I'm going to be a freshman at Cornell this fall, and I'm filling out my housing request right now, and I don't know whether to put Risley Residential College or Balch Hall as my first choice.
I'm a bio major, sort of introverted but can be weird and outgoing with people I know, love creating art and listening to/playing music in my free time, and I want a single.
I currently have pros/cons as follows:
Risley:
pros:art+music facilities, interesting people? harmless weird people?, lots of events/sense of community, dining?, cool building
cons:smaller rooms, no sink in room, creepily weird people?, mostly art/architecture majors???, isolated community?, loud?
Balch
pros:quiet, huge singles+sink+2 closets
cons: normal(?) people, only girls, some people don't want to be there? no private music rooms/art facilities, less people share artistic interests, less events/community</p>
<p>I was wondering how true the rumors/rep about Risley having really weird (in a bad way) people is? Is everyone competing to be weird/really obsessed with the arts (snobbishly?)/are you isolated if you don't participate in everything (do/can people study)/promiscuous/do the upperclassmen actually interact with the underclassmen/ is it sort of like a party fraternity or is it more sedate? Are people friendly/laidback?
What about drugs/alcohol?
Is Risley really loud? Balch has a reputation of being sort of quiet...true?
Are some of the rooms in Risley (like on the first floor) really dark? And do some really have fireplaces/balconies/window seats etc? Are there really "secret" staircases and stuff?
Also, I was wondering: does Risley have places to do laundry, does either place have A/Cs, how is the (vegetarian) Risley dining?
That's a lot of questions, sorry, but if anyone has any answers/opinions, please post.
If anyone wants to add any other insight too, that would be great.</p>
<p>My sister LOVED Balch, even though at first she was unsure whether she wanted an all girls dorm. She LOVED the location and the fact that it was relatively quiet (other than the first night when this one girl practiced her oboe until late at night). I really can’t say more on the subject because well, I don’t actually attend Cornell, and therefore don’t know anyone that lives in Risley. I only really know my sister’s opinions, and I hope they helped you!</p>
<p>I didn’t apply for Risley, but I was placed here. Overall, for not specifically choosing it, I find it pretty satisfying. For the most part, it’s like most other dorms, but having the mixing of classes is definitely a plus, even if they are a bit self selected and it might be a bit more difficult to find lots of freshman to bond with during the beginning of the semester. The location is extremely convenient, as it’s the closest building to Central Campus and everything else. </p>
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<p>Everyone is very friendly once you get to know them. It’s not too loud, since people generally hang out with who they want and don’t usually go out of their way to bother you…It’s artsy, but definitely not party or fratlike.</p>
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<p>It probably exists, but not too prevalent.</p>
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<p>Not particularly.</p>
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<p>What qualifies as “dark”? They seem pretty normal to me.</p>
<p>Thanks for answering, TskDbx. Are there lots of non-arts majors at Risley? If you don’t mind me asking, what major are you and how did you get placed at Risley if you didn’t ask for it (I thought you had to apply and write about why you wanted to be there)?</p>
<p>With the “dark” rooms question, I meant whether the rooms have windows or not,</p>
<p>Are you friends with people from other dorms/ do you go visit/hang out in other dorms a lot?</p>
<p>So I’m late, I know, but I still felt obligated to post on this thread just to promote Risley and vanquish the bad rumors!</p>
<p>I lived in Risley last year and am living there again this year. I am an engineer - we have quite a few of us in Risley, actually! While there are quite a few AAP students, they are not an overwhelming majority. Most of the rooms on the first floor are quite roomy, and I haven’t heard about any room being really dark. They all have windows. Some, yes, do have fireplaces and balconies (I don’t know about window seats - probably…), but the fireplaces are sealed. Risley is also not very loud - we have a whole lounge area on the first floor (along with dining) that is separate from the first floor rooms, and that’s where most of the action takes place. Generally the dorm is pretty quiet, though. There is also definitely not a drugs or alcohol scene - if people want to get drunk, they go to parties. And our RAs are really good about smelling stuff! Risley does have a laundry facility in the sub-basement (I think every dorm does…), and the vegetarian dining is just fine. There are always one or two prepared dishes that are vegetarian, and if you don’t like those, there’s always the grill or the stir-fry line. </p>
<p>Risleyites are crazy, but not the way you think. The residents are really diverse, and there are always a few oddballs, just like any other dorm, I’m sure. We are all interested in the arts, and the facilities we have are really good. There is definitely a lot of interaction between upper and underclassmen - there really isn’t much of a class divide at all in Risley. We’re all buddies, no matter how involved you are! And we certainly aren’t snobbish! First semester, I was pretty active in Risley programs and such, but second semester is when Chorus really took over, but all my Risley friends were still great and didn’t judge me at all for lessening my involvement. It’s a really great community.</p>
<p>Also, Balch singles aren’t THAT big. Also, when else in your life will you be able to live in a FREAKIN’ CASTLE?!</p>
<p>Thanks for all of the info about Risley. I think that my son would really enjoy living there. It sounds like a welcoming environment with plenty of quirky people. He is young (still 15, but will be 16 in June), so we are trying to help him choose his best options. He will be a mathematics/philosophy double major. If he makes Risley his first choice, is it generally granted? Seems likely since someone said students get placed there who didn’t even apply. Glad to hear he will find some decent vegetarian food, too!</p>