<p>During my tour of Brown, I had the opportunity to step inside a real dorm, and I thought that the room itself seemed rather shabby and ill-kept. The walls and floor were pretty bare and it seemed more like a basement than an actual living quarter. Can a Brown student please comment on how representative this is of the rest of the campus dorms, and if so, whether or not he or she feels this is a problem?</p>
<p>You don't even say what dorm you looked at so people could tell you if there are better or worse ones in general. Brown dorms are all over the place.</p>
<p>Brown dorms go from bad to okay. I've been in all but one on-campus housing building. I'm in the biggest single on campus right now and I'm still not happy with it. People call my room awesome, but that's only relative to the other crappier rooms on campus. Of course, I'm used to having an apartment so...</p>
<p>Well, the walls and floor are going to be bare if the resident doesn't put anything on them, yeah....</p>
<p>I don't think the dorms here are that great, really (but, then again, how much more are we paying for room than at a public school?). While rooms here are on average more spacious than those I've seen at my state's public universities, they're definitely not luxurious. They're your basic grossly carpeted/unattractively tiled floors with white-washed walls and crappy shades. It's disappointing how cool the dorms look on the outside and how boring they are on the inside. That said, some of them have really cool lounges and libraries; there is a lot of variety.</p>
<p>I'll second what poubelle said. Compared to the dorms at a state university, Brown's dorms are nice. Compared to some other selective/elite private schools, not so much. There aren't many interesting architectural details, no fireplaces, etc. Let me put it this way: I wouldn't select Brown on the basis of its dorm rooms. But I've seen much, much worse.</p>
<p>I'd put Brown somewhere around 60th or 65th percentile on dorms. Higher for freshman, lower for upper classman.</p>
<p>However, we do very well with off-campus housing as well, so the effect is even more muted, IMO.</p>
<p>...or the fact that dorms usually suck at most places</p>
<p>I know it's a policy that we have to live on school for the first 3 years (correct me if I'm wrong), but I have friends who live off-campus as well. Does that mean that they pay for both, but primarily reside in their off-campus apartments?</p>
<p>That policy, Dudboi, is not really enforced. You have to get permission any year you go off campus and are just less likely to get permission when your standing is lower. You pay a small commuter fee but do not pay for housing you're not living in. That's ridculous.</p>
<p>The dorms may suck (I wouldn't know since I've never seen them) but that doesn't stop Brown students from being the 2nd happiest college students in America.</p>
<p>dorms for freshman are quite good here. the problem is that they don't get substantially nicer as you get older. </p>
<p>the dorms for frosh blow the dorms for frosh at my old school, tulane, out of the water</p>
<p>many people start living off campus their junior year. i am a junior, I live 5 blocks from campus (next to jason (modest)) in a nice little apartment.</p>
<p>Thanks modestm, that's what I thought when someone told me they paid for both, so I had to ask. </p>
<p>I'm just thinking, given my financial situation, I'm trying to minimise cost as much as possible, and for some reason I'm under the impression that off-campus living is much more affordable (when you share it with people of course)</p>
<p>Oh geez I talk as if i'm a student there already.</p>
<p>My dd went off campus Junior year. But the building was virtually on campus (1/2 block from Thayer St), however much she thought she was saving, and she furnished her entire place from castoffs from graduating seniors, she did end up paying for the off campus meal program. To save time, but also she said it is very social to meet ppl in dining hall. the ratty.</p>
<p>I have to disagre with Clay. my dd was in Perkins first year. A concrete block iwth communal bathrooms. But her second year was much better. She looked at the building plans carefully, and her group bid on, and got, a suite in Grad Building. They got a free living room (which she furnished for free from Sr giveaways) because it had no plugs. They just ran extentions cords for it. They each had own room, plus two person bathroom, and the LR.
l</p>
<p>I also have to disagree with Clay. My D was in New Pembroke last year (first) and I really thought it was very shabby and it would have been depressing for me. However, she really loved the dorm. Go figure! This year her dorm is much much better. It's right on campus on a lovely quad and the building is in much better shape. She is hoping to live off campus next year but stay on the full meal plan. She really does not want to bother with planning meals, cooking, or cleaning up while being a student.</p>
<p>I'm amazed at how many students go off campus but stay on meal plan. The housing on campus is actually quite good for suite style living if you don't need a kitchen.</p>
<p>NP is a definite exception. But at many schools all frosh dorms are like NP</p>
<p>And I said substantially nicer. All frosh dorms have communal bathrooms. welcome to life. I still think Grad Center is a concrete prison.</p>
<p>I'm currently living in Andrews, and I really like it-- I have a sink, walk in closet, and deep window sills that make for great shelves/windowseats. I also have a sink and mirror, and no ugly cinderblock wall. Nonetheless, I know my room is definitely a bit bigger and a bit nicer than other one's I've seen, like in Keeney and NP. </p>
<p>Then again, I've only been here for a couple weeks-- I've yet to really experiene the full array of housing options at Brown.</p>
<p>i did summer@brown 2 years ago and stayed in the quad, in mead, and in my opinion the dorms were around a 4 / 10, not horrendously horrible, but not good by any means...it felt tiny and the closet was basically big enough for 2 jackets....everything felt old and shabby, but of course, thats only my opinion. Of course in september and october and april to june it will be BOILING and if you're in the basement, you will NEVER be in your roon because it is so hot. My friend was in the basement and she never went to her room except to sleep...</p>
<p>lol, anyways everyone's opinion is different! =)</p>