<p>1. Which dorm has a private bathrooms or at least shared among no more than 4 people?</p>
<p>It totally depends. One of my friends lives in Foothill where the bathroom is shared by less than 10 people. However, another friend in Foothill shares it with a lot of people. I don’t know the exact number, and Foothill would have less people (and less stalls) but the ratio of shower stalls to people is probably the same as in a Unit floor. In the Stern suites (NOT the mini-suites), I think it’s 6-10 (I forget the number) to their own private bathroom.</p>
<p>2. Which dorm has the most spacious bedrooms?
Foothill does have the biggest rooms dimensions-wise, but they are long and narrow. The Units have smaller rooms, but their furniture is relatively smaller and more compact so you have more open space. Stern rooms are bigger than the Units, but depending on which wing you get, there’s a little or a lot of open space (there’s different furniture depending on where you live). In Bowles, it can be hit or miss. The guys live in quads, and I know people with huge common rooms and relatively large bedrooms. However, I know people living in quads that are substantially smaller.</p>
<p>3. As a freshmen I wish to live in a double (singles will be to lonely and triples and quads way to crowded) can I chose this? How does it work?
Yeah, you can. I don’t think you can get a single as a freshman, anyways. Foothill quads are HUUUGE, fyi. But yeah, the housing office does try to get you your first choice. If you choose a Unit double though, be aware that those are popular and you may end up in a Unit triple.</p>
<p>4. Where is the best dinner or the top two for you?
The Asian Ghetto/Durant Food Court is easy to get to and there’s lots of options. The restaurants down on Telegraph are pretty good, too. If you live in the Units, both are close by. It’s not far from Foothill/Stern/Bowles, but your walk is a bit longer. However, if I really want something nice and don’t mind walking/taking the bus (can take 20+ minutes), I go all the way to College and Ashby or Shattuck (North has more better options than South, in my opinion).</p>
<p>5. By personal experience which dorm will you recommend the most based on your opinion and why?
Keep in mind that the quality of dorms depend a lot on your neighbors.</p>
<p>I live in Stern, the all girls dorm and a lot of people say it’s antisocial (and they’re usually going off stereotypes and not from personal experience). However, my hall is incredibly social. I’ve also made friends on all the floors and most of the halls. We do go out, etc. However, there are definitely some girls who never open their doors or go out. There are a couple of girls in my hall who I wouldn’t recognize because I’ve never seen them. Stern does tend to be quieter, but it’s definitely not silent. It also gets incredibly loud when people come back from partying. It’s really what you make of it. My roommate hated Stern and I loved it so much I’m returning next year. The quality of the rooms themselves depend on where you get put. My room has a terrible view, but good ventilation, furniture, etc. Another hallmate got a fantastic view (of the bay!) and good furniture. Another hallmate got smelly furniture and horrible walls (peeling paint, etc.) and she hears the garbage truck at 7am every morning. Socially, I would group Foothill and Bowles with Stern.</p>
<p>I sort of group Unit 1 and 2 together. Their rooms are really nice and clean. Unit 2 is really far from campus though. People say the northside dorms are far, but we’re across the street from Haas, Pimentel, and Stanley. If I have a 30 minute break between classes, I can leave from Dwinelle, have a quick lunch in my room, and be back in time for class in Giannini. My friends in Unit 1 sometimes can do that depending on their building/floor, but my friends in Unit 2 says it’s near impossible. Social life depends on your neighbors, but I think these two tend to be more social.</p>
<p>The people I know in Unit 3 tend to live in either really quiet halls or really loud dorms. One of my friends in Unit 3 actually goes to Stern to socialize because her hall is dead. I visit my other friends in Unit 3 often, and once they had a hall beer pong party on a Wednesday night. So yeah, social life depends on your neighbors. The rooms are pretty nice, but not as good as Unit 1 and 2 in my opinion. It’s definitely the closest to Sproul and that general area though.</p>
<p>Clark Kerr has big rooms, great food (but little options if you’re a vegetarian), but is pretty far away from campus.</p>
<p>6. Which are the closest dorms with above preferences closest to the College of Engineering?
Foothill/Stern/Bowles are really close to the math/science buildings. Like less than 5 minutes close if you live in the right room.</p>
<p>7. How does the housing application work on Berkeley? Any advice?
Remember to put “any choice” or else you might not get a room. I also wouldn’t recommend picking a roommate.</p>
<p>8. If I (hopefully not) don’t like my dorm or my roomates, is it wasy or difficult to change dorms or room?
Before move-in day, if you really hate your dorm and want to switch to another, it’s not hard. Just contact the office as quickly as possible. You’re more or less stuck with your roommates, but if you can get your RA on your side or something, there’s a chance. It’s easier (but still hard) to drop your housing contract than switch when the year starts.</p>
<p><a href=“Out%20of%20topic”>i</a> 9. What percent of people have cars at Berkeley? Will you recommend having a car?*
It’s really expensive to have a car. Unless you have a practical use for it/don’t mind paying ~$100 bucks for a parking spot every month, there’s no use in having a car.</p>
<p><a href=“Out%20of%20topic”>i</a> 10. How widespread is alcohol and drug consumption in Berkeley? I don’t care about it (it’s a personal decision) as long people also honor my decision? Is it true that there is a substance free dorm?*</p>
<p>Unit 1 has a substance free dorm. I don’t drink/do drugs, but my roommate does. It only affects me when she comes home drunk late at night and wakes me up. People do ask you to “experiment,” but they don’t get mad if you say no. I know a lot of people who drink/do drugs, and a lot who don’t, and they get along just fine.</p>
<p>Anyway, if you’re a girl, I do recommend Stern because we get big rooms (at the same price as the Units) and if you make an effort, you’ll see the people are awesome. If not, I recommend Unit 1 or 3.</p>
But what dorm will be more open and social.</p>