<p>What kind of living arrangements does UChicago offer for first-year students? I'd assume dorm-living is the norm, but is that mandatory?</p>
<p>Yes, it's mandatory. There are 8 or 9 dorms where first-years live (all of which have second-years and some upperclassmen, too). There is a variety of room arrangements -- singles, one-room doubles, two-room quads, some with bathrooms "inside" and some with shared bathrooms on the hall, and very different sizes, depending on the dorm. Everyone eats in one of three dining halls. Two of the dining halls are in dorms, and one is across the street from the relevant dorms, but some of the dorms are a considerable distance away from the dining halls where the residents eat.</p>
<p>The general shape of things is going to change meaningfully next year, when The Shoreland -- currently the second-largest dorm, and the farthest away from the main campus area -- is replaced by a new, slightly larger dorm that is next door to an existing dorm on the south side of the campus. That's going to shift the center of gravity for first-years. Whereas now maybe 1/3 of the class lives about a mile east of the main campus area, next year that will be less than 10%.</p>
<p>Does anyone know if the new dorm will have its own dining hall, or is B-J going to get really crowded?</p>
<p>From the UChicago website</p>
<p>The NRH is being built south of Burton-Judson Hall. The undergraduate dormitory facility includes 811 student beds, a 542-seat dining facility incorporating the existing Burton-Judson dining commons, a 75-seat retail dining component facing Ellis Avenue, and a partial underground loading dock that will also serve the Law School.</p>