<p>Reading through some different threads here, it seems like Jester is the best dorm for freshmen because of its good location, dining options, and since most other freshmen dorm there too. My one problem is that I really don't want to spend an entire year in a smelly, old, and tiny room (I doubt anyone does), and that's the impression I got of Jester from posts on CC. So my question is: is there another dorm that has all the pros of Jester (location, dining, proximity to classes, etc.) but is newer,cleaner, and a bit less party-oriented? Or is Jester the best choice for incoming freshmen?</p>
<p>San Jac would probably be better. One of the two newer dorms w/ private bathrooms. It’s right by Jester so the location and dining options are great. Though it is pretty expensive…</p>
<p>Jester isn’t that old, doesn’t smell badly, and the rooms are comparable in size to most other dorms. When I read about jester on CC i was dreading living there. after moving in, I actually realized jester’s reputation is much more negative than in real life. the problems i encountered were not the size or noise level.
The only thing i didn’t like about jester was the size regarding elevator wait. I lived on the 8th floor, so it was sometimes annoying to wait for an elevator in the mornings 10 minutes before classes started.
The only time my floor smelled was after they cleaned the carpets (dampness), but they quickly put a floor fan on to dry the carpet.
I don’t think san jac is worth the extra money</p>
<p>Yeah Jester isn’t as bad as everyone makes it sound… Jester is a pretty average college dorm, but it wont be “5-stars” like San Jac or Duren</p>
<p>I honestly don’t feel like location is that important. I lived in the Duren/Kinsolving/Honor’s Quad area, and I don’t think it’s far from my classes. Don’t rule the dorms in north campus out just because their locations. A walk from Jester to Kinsolving is not far- about 10 minutes, and that’s basically crossing the campus. Location also depends on your major. If you’re a communication major, their building is cross from the honor’s dorms. Jester’s not close to everything. </p>
<p>As for dining, Jester is very nice because of the several food places. But if you live in the Duren/Kinsolving/Honor’s Quad area, there’s a dining hall and market in Kinsolving and a cafe in Littlefield and it’s usually a cross-the-street walk from those dorms near by. </p>
<p>Jester is not as bad as people make it sound. San Jac and Duren is not as great as people make it sound.</p>
<p>Although I didn’t like the very quiet personality of my dorm (honors quad), I must say that it was probably one of the best locations in relation to everything, because think about it, most everything you’ll need on campus and west campus runs from 21st Street up to 29th, and from Lamar to San Jacinto Streets…the honors quad is in the dead center of all this, it and the other north campus dorms are a lot closer to the engineering, communications, and some nat. sci. buildings than the south campus dorms and if you’re into going out once in a while, the walk from north campus dorms to places in west campus is a lot better than from jester to many of the same areas. But in all reality it depends on your major. Being a liberal arts major the farthest I had to walk was to the SZB (behind the PCL), though most of my classes were easily a 5-10 minute walk anywhere. If you have classes in RLM or other engineering buildings, i’d highly recommend the north campus dorms though…(those being Honors, Littlefield, Kinsolving, Whitis, and Duren)</p>
<p>I would like to know more about this too, since I haven’t gotten any answers.
Both of us would prefer not to room at Jester due to it’s bad rep.
Jacinto/Duren are too expensive.
I like Kinsolving, but my roommate prefers a co-ed dorm.
Also, I would love Honors, but neither of us got in, so that’s out of the question.</p>
<p>Are there really no other options??</p>
<p>oh, and both of us are Bio majors.</p>
<p>Jester is lovely despite what you may think.</p>
<p>@kiwistarburst</p>
<p>Whitis Court for north campus locations. You might need to be in a fig to live there, though. Not sure. </p>
<p>Moor Hill, Roberts, Prathers, and Brakenridge for south campus locations.</p>
<p>Kinsolving is really nice so you should still consider it. It has food places like Jester and less crowded. And all girls dorm isn’t really that bad. Guys can visit if they want.</p>
<p>Yes, you have to be in a FIG to live at Whitis Court. My son applied in late April and is on the waiting list.</p>
<p>Moore-Hill, Brackenridge, Roberts, and Prather are all good options too. They’re small, co-ed and near to PCL, Jester food court, Gregory gym, the Rec (another gym), and the stadium. Moore-Hill has a nice game room and tv lounge as the lobby so it’s really social (yet still quiet in the rooms) and looks the newest of the 4 dorms. BRP are similar to each other and very quiet overall since they’re much smaller. I lived in Moore-Hill last year and loved it and have friends in Prather who really liked their dorm as well. Most people end up really liking the dorm they end up in, even if it’s not the one they originally wanted. Best of luck!</p>
<p>i’m going to major in nursing. any suggestions as to what dorm would have the best location for me? :)</p>
<p>I currently live in Jester West, and I really dislike it. Sometimes it feels like I’m living in a food court, haha. And my floor seems to have a different odor every day - switching between tuna, burnt popcorn, and formaldehyde.</p>
<p>But on the other hand, I know other people who love living here… so, I guess it just depends on your personality. The rooms are also a crapshoot - my current one isn’t too bad, but the one I had during orientation was awful. It’s also known for being a bit of a “party dorm,” but it really just depends on who your neighbors are. I’d say it isn’t worth the gamble, though.</p>
<p>San Jacinto and Duren are pricey, but extremely nice. If they’re in your price-range, definitely go for it. The private bathrooms are also a plus, and they’re known for being relatively quiet.</p>
<p>Kinsolving is another good choice if you’re female. The dining hall is good, and it’s sort of like a condensed, less busy version of Jester.</p>
<p>From what I’ve heard, the smaller south dorms (Moore Hill, Roberts, Prather, and Brackenridge) are also pretty decent. They have the same advantages in location as Jester, but without the huge swarm of kids.</p>
<p>Edit:</p>
<p>Oh, and I’d really advise against ruling out Kinsolving just because it’s female-only. I was initially against living there for the same reasons, but now that I’m in Jester, I wish I had reconsidered. Guys are allowed inside the dorms and the dining area, so it’s not like you’d only be around girls 24/7. It’s really not that different than being in a co-ed dorm.</p>
<p>I’m living in jester right now after being weary from the posts on CC. It’s great and not really all that loud. It’s perfectly livable and I’ve only noticed a bad smell on the 0 floor rooms. There’s nothing really to complain about. Yeah, it can be loud at night but I listen to my ipod and drown it out no problem. I can study in my room without being really distracted and if not, there are plenty of study locations near by. Everyone always seems to meet a Jester too. Though Jester may not be as “great” as the more expensive dorms, that doesn’t mean life in Jester is bad at all. It’s nice in its own ways.</p>
<p>My son is on the tenth floor of Jester West and says he likes it just fine. Whew!</p>
<p>I’m a biology major and I live in Duren. It’s super close to all of my classes. It’s nice to be right next to the drag. The campus isn’t really that big since you get used to it so walking anywhere isn’t really a problem. The only difference is that instead of walking all the way to the library (PCL) I just go to the Union building to study.</p>