<p>Hi!</p>
<p>I'm a freshman contemplating housing options for next year. This year, I lived in a single in Balch. I liked the large rooms, and semi-quiet atmosphere and social hallways. Now, I'm debating between a single in Becker or Bethe. </p>
<p>1) Which one has the bigger singles, or are they the same size? If anyone can provide dimensions, that would be awesome. On another note, what's a super single, and how big is it?</p>
<p>2) Which side is better to live in, North or South? (for both) Are the laundry rooms and dinning rooms in the same wing, or opposites?</p>
<p>3) I've heard that they're both very much like hotels- even in the social atmosphere. I have friends I made this year, but I would love to make new friends next year in my hallway. Is this probable?</p>
<p>4) How is the food in each of the dining halls?</p>
<p>Thank you so much for your help- I appreciate it!</p>
<p>I think all five of the new houses have a hotel-ish feel. I would also say that their rooms are all about the same size. however, I have limited experience with them, so others may have more specifics to offer.
in Becker, the dining and laundry are right in the middle between the two wings (like if it were an H, they would be found in the horizontal line.) in Bethe, this is also the case with dining, but I am not sure where the laundry is located (it’s not as close to the dining as it is with Becker, I think it’s fair to say.)
I think the quantity of food for a given lunch or dinner is pretty consistent among the different houses. for breakfasts, some houses have more elaborate breakfasts than others. also, some houses have lunch and others do not, which is new as of ~2 years ago due to budget constraints. the trouble is that, so far as I know, there is now way to know ahead of time which houses will have which amenities each year. I know that Alice Cook at the full breakfast last year, and Flora Rose has it this year, so I guess it could go to either Bethe or Becker next year. your freshman meal plan allows you to eat in any west campus dining hall besides on Wednesday evenings, so you could check them out yourself sometime before the housing lottery!
one other thing: if you liked Balch, you might consider living in one of the gothics, since some of them have quite large rooms. unfortunately you’ll have to use a floorplan to find out exactly which ones, since I haven’t investigated all of them, AND since smaller and larger rooms are sort of mixed up in the haphazard way that those 1920s builders seem to have been fond of. for some reason (maybe since they were intended for male students?!) the gothics don’t quite have the same interior beauty of Balch, but I would say that the general old atmosphere vs. new amenities ratio is about the same.</p>
<p>quick answer: i would go with becker. they have better food. i live in bethe now and i hardly ever go to its dining hall, aside from mondays.</p>
<p>super singles dont really exist in the moderns. in bethe, laundry and dining hall are on the north side i believe.</p>
<p>it’s kind of rare to make new friends, at least in my experience. everyone lives with their own circle of friends (most likely) and they tend to keep to themselves.</p>
<p>Thank you both for your input!</p>
<p>In your experience, what would be a good housing lottery time slot? I have one for the first day at 6, and I believe it starts at 4. Do you think that it will be sufficient to get housing on West?</p>
<p>Also, if anyone can follow up on the location of the laundry and dining room in Becker, I’d appreciate it!</p>
<p>I live in Becker now, and I’d say that the laundry and dining rooms are closer to the South elevator. South Becker also includes the House Office (where you can pick up packages, get a spare key if you’re locked out, etc.) and mailboxes (plus an outgoing mail slot). You can get from North to South without going outside, but you need to take the elevator to the ground floor, walk across the building, and then switch elevators. </p>
<p>Super singles are in the gothics, and cost more than regular singles do. I also came from a large single in Balch, but the transition to a smaller single in Becker really wasn’t too bad, and I think it’s worth it for the other perks (indoor laundry, dining hall, elevator, etc). I actually prefer Bethe’s food to Becker’s, but Becker has a much nicer TV lounge and a cooling system that basically functions as air conditioning in the warmer months. </p>
<p>As far as friends go, I agree that most people tend to stick with the same group of friends that they made the previous year. At least where I am in Becker, doors usually remain closed, and while you’re “friendly” with your hallmates people generally come in with a pre-determined friend group.</p>