<p>Phuriku, if it's okay, what are your overall thoughts on Broadview? I decided to pick it because it's right on the bus line to go downtown and I'm one of those people who loves doing that sort of thing. (I have a feeling Hyde Park will get boring pretty fast.) Is it hard to keep up with school activities? How reliable are the buses? What is the overall atmosphere at Broadview? I've heard polar opposites on that matter. I really don't mind living that far away from campus, as I like to explore. :) </p>
<p>Broadview is very diverse. A lot of people apply for the singles, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it's an anti-social dorm. </p>
<p>At least in my house, we have more physics/math majors than economics majors, which is definitely a rare sight here. On the other hand, we also have a lot of social people in my house, although I heard that some of the other houses are a lot less social. However, I know a fair amount of incredibly social people in the other houses, so I don't know the truth of that statement.</p>
<p>Yes, Broadview is about a block from the Museum of Science and Industry, and we sit right on the bus line, so it's very easy to go downtown. A definite plus.</p>
<p>Before coming here, I heard that the buses for Broadview were awful, but I don't think this statement holds a lot of truth. The buses all run on schedules, so if you're good with time, you'll be fine. I come out of the dorm at exactly 8:07 each morning and have never had to wait more than 3 minutes for a bus to come. Typically, a bus will come every 5-10 minutes in the morning, although at night, the buses come around less frequently. However, the campus shuttles drop by our dorm all night, so that shouldn't be a problem. Also, we're only about a 10 minute walk from Pierce and a 15 minute walk from the main quadrangles, so if it's nice weather, you might want to just go ahead and walk. On weekends, the bus system is a lot less reliable, and I've waited 20-25 minutes without getting a bus multiple times. This is probably the most inconvenient fact about living in Broadview, but I don't think it's as disadvantageous to really cause any harm... more of a slight annoyance.</p>
<p>I don't know of anyone who really has a problem with the location of Broadview such that it's really affecting their lives, so I don't think you'll have a problem with school activities, either.</p>
<p>No, juniors and seniors are not forced to move off campus. If you want housing, you can find housing. However, I'd say a large portion of the junior and senior student body do live off campus. It seems as if a lot of the dorms have quite a large percentage of freshmen and that a lot of people move out after their freshman and sophomore years. However, there are dorms reserved specifically for upperclassmen and transfers (Blackstone and Stony Island) if you're looking for a more mature environment.</p>
<p>what exactly is a community bathroom?
is that the one you share with your entire floor?
I went to a volleyball camp at the University of Florida (maybe not the best example, but whatever) and they had these dreadful floor bathrooms, with two showers and three toilets for like 50+ people. I had to use them for 4 days and have been traumatized ever since... Is that how it is at U of C?</p>
<p>I don't know the toilet-to-student ratio is in other dorms, but in BJ, it's about 1:4.</p>
<p>Hallway bathrooms are really not a big deal, though. I'm sorry you had subpar experiences with them, but I've found that the difference between sharing amenities in college and in camp is huge... when I was in camp and we had a similar toilet-to-camper ratio, it was difficult to organize shower time because everybody was scheduled to take a shower at the same time. In college, you might be taking showers at 4 in the afternoon (like me!) and might have the bathroom all to yourself.</p>