<p>Help me feel better that I got this instead of Unit 3 triples. :/</p>
<p>Who else didn't get their first choice housing and ended up with this?</p>
<p>same this kinda blows ):</p>
<p>Sorry, but I think a Unit 3 triple is much better than being in Bowles. 
Lived in a U3 triple last year and loved it!</p>
<p>Request a transfer!</p>
<p>One good thing about Bowles is that you’re really close to some of the important science and engineering buildings (if you’re a science/engineering major, lol). Being a ChemE major, I found the ten minute walk uphill from Unit 3 to Pimentel to be kind of annoying.</p>
<p>Bowles is a great place. It’s actually very social. You can get to Pimentel from Bowles in around 5 min.</p>
<p>Also, Bowles quads are so much better than Unit dorms. Most quad common rooms are larger than Unit doubles, and it is nice that the beds are in siderooms, so your roommates can sleep in the dark while you study or do whatever in the light in the common room.</p>
<p>Agree with leftishominid, Bowles is awesome. I came in thinking it would be really bad, but everyone ends up having more fun here than any of the units. THe units are VERY social in the beginning of the year and then they die down ( I lived in bowles my first year and units my second year). Bowles is social all year round and there are soooo many traditions you can take part it. Enjoy it while you can. Halloween is especially fun when they turn the whole castle into a haunted house and all the residents take part in scaring visitors. There will be parties and if you are lucky the RA will be chill. There was a huge crack down in 2009 when they found out that RA’s were drinking with residents. Might be tough on that matter. But u always have frats for that, and I am pretty sure RAs wont care if you just have a beer at the end of the day. Overall, it’s great. Here is a story: so bowles has this tradition where the residents run around the campus in their boxers at the end of the year. So our year, a bunch of residents…like 100 or so were getting ready to do it. It was a cold night too. These other residents decided they wouldn’t take part, and lined up with water ballons in the windows and as they started their run, they were bombarded with water ballons from different windows from the building. If you ever look at bowls from the front, it has like a E shape, and so all these guys with waterballons lined up at different windows, so no one knew where they were getting hit from. good times… :). Have fun!!</p>
<p>Bowles is a much better value than any of the unit rooms. The rooms are huge for the cost. I think the overall experience depends on the RA. I found some of the RA’s to be prudish this year, but if you get a good RA, like I did, it’s pretty cool. Most of the people disparaging Bowles have never lived there and run their mouths off hearsay, although if you get a bad RA, I can understand the dislike.</p>
<p>Overall, if Bowles was what it was 5 or 6 years ago, I would live there all 4 years, no doubt. Plus, it’s super easy to sneak in and out of the Greek Theater since no one from the Bowels end gives a ****.</p>
<p>“since no one from the Bowels end gives a ****.”</p>
<p>^^Sorry, but was that pun/misspelling intentional?! Hilarious!</p>
<p>Yeah, let’s go with that…haha</p>
<p>i loved bowles
i would live their again
miss my roomates 
jaja</p>
<p>I’m in an RH Quad in Bowles. When and what time is my move-in day?</p>
<p>^ August 20th!</p>
<p>Bowles is awesome, moreso if you really get into it and meet the people around you. The RAs are amazing guys, the mentors are really sweet, and your program coordinator is one hell of a singer (UCB Men’s Octet, anyone? ::fans self: and the slickest dude ever. Bowles and Stern have some of the best Cal traditions around, and if you’re concerned about the guy/girl exposure ratio, trust me–you’ll meet plenty of both, in a good way.</p>
<p>Other Pros:
- Foothill DC officially has the best food (while being consistently open), and definitely the best Late Night.
- You don’t have to swipe in every night with your ID card.
- Close proximity to Maxwell Field, Haas, and the engineering part of campus.
- Free (for you) concerts at the Greek. (And I suppose you also get free showings of Cal Band shows/practices, hahaha.)</p>
<p>Cons:
- You’re living immediately over the Hayward Fault in a building that cannot be seismically retrofitted due to its historical status. If you think the ground’s shaking, just jump out of the nearest window–it’s probably the best way to maximize your odds of survival.
- No sinks in many bathrooms–learn to pee without touching ANYTHING (e.g. doors, pants, yer junk, flushing mechanisms…).</p>
<p>^Lol the Cons scare me. Not sure which one is worst.</p>
<p>How long is the walk from Bowles to Foothill?</p>
<p>I’d say 3-5min to get to Foothill. Oh and Bowles is AWESOME. I wouldn’t mind living another year there.</p>
<p>@BerkeleyHopeful: You could argue that you’re safest immediately on the fault, as opposed to on reclaimed land closer to the Bay. Minor plus–if there is a major natural disaster, Maxwell Field right next to Bowles is one of the Emergency Management Areas where they’d set up tents and distribute food, supplies, etc. And as for the no-sink issue, Housing has kindly installed Purell dispensers at each of the lacking bathrooms, hahaha. Bowles is awesome–generations of Bowlesmen can attest to that. :]</p>
<p>Whoa, how the heck does a bathroom not have a sink? :'(</p>
<p>And, to the person who made this thread: If it makes you feel any better, I’m at Unit 4 as well (Foothill…have you seen the MONSTROSITY that is the hill?? I hope to God there’s no snow/ice in the winter. We’re all breaking our hips.)
I’m out-of-state and I knew nothing about the dorms, so I just checked the “Any dorm available” option. I got stuck with Foothill, which is more expensive, too! I heard it’s quiet though, with good food. I really don’t want to f-up with 1st semester GPA with a bunch of drunk crazies running around at 2 AM at the 1 and 2 units!</p>
<p>^Lemoncat, no worries, snow/ice is pretty rare!</p>
<p>The hill is fantastic. Great view, interesting wildlife, and THUNDER THIGHS (and/or HAWT BOOTY). YEEEEEEEEEAH!</p>
<p>No really, imagine how much of a calorie deficit (created by walking up the hill and up the stairs to your room every day) you can fill with TASTY FOOTHILL DINING. Homnomnomnomnom.</p>
<p>It’s right on the fault? That scares the hell out of me.</p>