Too bad the dorm essentials thread got closed. I wanted to emphasize that the new Blackwell dorm is lacking quite a bit in shelf space. Not sure if this is the case in the other dorms. Anyhow I would highly recommend bringing in something with a couple of shelves and stick it in the closet. The closet is 23.5” deep. I would get something that is perhaps 4 feet high by 2 feet wide (depending on how much clothing you have, the closet is probably 5 or 6 feet wide) by 23 inches deep. My kid brought a lot of books and for now he has to put them underneath his computer desk, which leaves no leg room. The school should have also erected a shelf above the desk also. Plenty of space for that.
On the other hand it is nice that the dorm has 2 ceiling fans and included a fridge and microwave. There’s even an electric thermostat, though I suspect that may be for heat only. Looks like washer/dryers are on every floor. Nice workout room on the first floor.
Right now his alarm clock is on the floor next to the door since there is no nightstand or shelf other than his computer desk. It’s probably loud enough to wake up the entire floor lol. Good think it’s Alexa controlled, it wouldn’t surprise me if someone from another room told Alexa to shut up lol.
@ucbalumnus funny, I asked my kid the same thing 2 nights ago. He said that he couldn’t find the weights at RSF, though I’m 100% sure they exist. The workout room at Blackwell has cardio machines and weights. Also a pool table and ping pong table outside in the lobby.
They did a great job with this dorm. I liked the study room and the view overlooking the campus on each floor. The bathrooms were nice as well. They didn’t have the bathroom lockers that I was expecting so I am returning the lock we bought.
@socalemma he apparently is having a blast since he hasn’t bothered to communicate with me since Tuesday afternoon. He really likes his roommate, which is good.
Yeah, for Blackwell, no bathroom lock needed, no Ethernet cable needed, no fan needed. They provided a laundry bag but my kid likes his hamper better. I went and bought a Flipsheld 4-shelf unit for his closet today at Staples. I think I’ll drop it off this weekend assuming he has some free time to let me in.
Getting into a new dorm like Blackwell is a treat. Try one of the old unit buildings (60’s era, I think): forced triple, no fan, dim lighting, fridge/micro are extra rentals, no thermostat, washers/dryers on every other floor, old/worn/tired EVERYTHING. Sorry, D’s freshman year - so, yeah, a little bitter :))
I just got my summer housing offer and it is for Blackwell hall. I’m trying to see if it is one of the better dorms at UCB? How does it compare to the other dorms on campus?
Blackwell is the newest dorm (less than one year old), so there’s obviously going to be some advantages there. Includes microwave and mini-fridge. Plus it’s a block away from the RSF and one of the closest dorms to campus, probably the closest dorm to campus depending on which building you are heading to. Almost all the rooms will be doubles, no triples, so you won’t have a bunk bed to deal with.
The rooms won’t be as big as Clark-Kerr and some people don’t like the south dorm location as opposed to the more quieter/less social dorms on the northeast end. You have to go across the street to eat at Unit 3’s Cafe 3, though it’s only a half-block away.
Son is currently in 2019 summer session as a junior transfer from CCC, living at the new Garden Village apartments south of campus. Great setup, a single with shared bathroom and big living room/kitchen. We waited and waited for his fall housing offer, radio silence. Finally last week I emailed to inquire. They sent a scary reply saying they would not have enough housing for all of the transfers; we should look off campus. (Yeah, right.) Almost simultaneously, my son received an offer for a Blackwell double. Whew. He has toured Blackwell with Cal friends and gives it a thumbs up. So it’s not going to be all freshmen.
@PadreDeTres nice score by your son! Based on what I saw on Reddit, there are scattered non-freshmen on various floors at Blackwell this year, including my kid. My kid did get matched up with a freshman, which is fine with both of them.
@ProfessorPlum168 …and he will be chowing at Unit 3, as he has been all summer. Yes, even at the astronomical price, we are pretty happy. It’s budgeted, and funds are waiting in the 529 account.
yeah, Blackwell is quite hefty price-wise. TBH I was hoping he would find a roommate and stay at the Northside end where most of his classes are, but he really liked the convenience of being close to RSF. Plus he was too lazy to find a roommate, the ones he asked all wanted to join a frat supposedly (I’m not sure if I believe him). I suspect he didn’t try very hard, he doesn’t really have the personality to ask people anything. The main reason why I’m still on these boards - because I’m still on top of everything with his stuff at school unfortunately and I wind up knowing a lot more than I’d like to.
Blackwell is only slightly more than the other dorms, but the dorms generally are pretty expensive at $17,835 for a double in Blackwell, $17,420 for most other doubles: https://housing.berkeley.edu/rates
Logistical move-out/move-in day issue, for advice please. Son has his own cart and plastic bins which, sort of, will fit his meager belongings. He will be homeless for 5 hours on Tuesday as he transitions from Garden Village to Blackwell. (He has to be out at 10:00 am and his move-in is 3:00 pm.) Wife and I are flying up to Oakland on Sunday and staying near campus. We need to be on our way back to the airport via Lyft by 3:30 Tuesday at the latest. Ideas for where and how to hang out for 5 hours with a full handcart and no car? And how to get in to Blackwell efficiently? First world problems for sure.
