<p>I understand that microwaves and the like are not officially allowed in the dorms, but given that I don't like using microwaves anyway, I was wondering:</p>
<p>Do the dorms (or buildings containing them) contain conventional cooking facilities ("conventional" would basically be a stove/hot plate and a conventional/convection oven)?</p>
<p>Are small refrigerators/freezers allowed in the dorm rooms?</p>
<p>Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>I think it varies from dorm to dorm, except that small refrigerators are definitely allowed in the dorm rooms. My daughter's dorm had a former institutional kitchen where one could do serious cooking in volume. My son's dorm had a kitchenette off the common room, with an old four-burner/oven, a refrigerator, and a sink.</p>
<p>You can have a fridge up to 4 cu ft. Microfridges are also OK, but those you have to rent from Chicago (at least accoridng to one housing-related source S got in the mail). No microwaves in the rooms otherwise. </p>
<p>S's dorm has a huge communal kitchen; the kitchen fee is $25 for the year. Because his dorm is realtively far from the dining commons, older students tend to take the minimum or moderate meal plan and have group meals at their house.</p>
<p>(Don't tell my S, but he'll be getting a brownie pan, spatulas, etc. for the holidays. ;))</p>
<p>Microwaves <em>are</em> allowed, regardless of their source. The official statements are nebulous about origin and what other appliances are (coffee makers: probably, halogen lamps: probably not), but there are no room inspections and housing staff are not particularly concerned about these things.</p>
<p>Every dorm has some form of public kitchen. How big it is and how many people have access to it and when depends on the building.</p>
<p>I think the rate to rent a micro-fridge is $137/year and from a picture I saw they are fairly big.</p>
<p>You can buy them used on campus for much less than that.</p>
<p>I know microwaves are absolutely not allowed in our rooms. My old resident heads were fairly strict about the policy too...if they noticed one in your room you were politely asked to have it removed. I don't know what the consequences were if you didn't remove it though. You can definitely buy a new fridge for less than 137 dollars but if you ask around campus or go on marketplace a lot graduating students or students leaving the resident halls have theirs up for sale for much cheaper.</p>
<p>Even within dorms, there is an enormous range of cooking situations. Last year, my first-year daughter had a basic non-cooking room, for which they bought or rented a fridge. Other first years in her house (i.e., on the same floor in the same dorm) had full kitchens in what are really small apartments. Everyone had access to the house kitchen near the common room, but it wasn't the most inviting of locations. This year, she'll remain in her house, but have a full kitchen, dining room, etc. (for three students). She and her roommates have taken minimum meal plans (something like 3 meals a week) and will cook for themselves.</p>
<p>Ah, your daughter is in the Shoreland.</p>
<p>Right now, the dorm with the least pleasant kitchen situation is Burton-Judson, which has nothing kitchen-wise (but a great dining hall attached). Max and Shoreland have house kitches, which, like Seashore said, are not places you'd spend a lot of time. But some Shoreland rooms have great kitchens. But that won't be an issue come next year anyway.</p>