<p>My son was just assigned a room in Dickinson Hall A. I know that these are the older dorms without air conditioning, but he feels lucky that it is not a forced triple. I'd like some feedback on the pros and cons of this dorm and and specific hints in terms of things to or not to bring given the small size of the accommodations. Thanks!!!</p>
<p>My D was in Dickenson A floor 1 two years ago… it can get warm… a box fan for the window is a must. Not much room for extra stuff in there. In my D’s room one girl had the TV on the top shelf of the closet and the other kept the microfridge in the closet. The closet openings are a pretty good size so they can fit a good amount in them… My D had the micro fridge in hers and she still had a good amount of room. She missed her Dickinson closet compared to the wardrobe she had in the towers last year. We fit the Sterlite 3 drawer containers under her bed nicely with room for other storage behind the containers. It’s vital to put the bed on the highest position so you can maximize under bed storage. My D used 3 12" drawers and one 24" under there as well. The dresser does not have alot of room in it but I’m guessing it’s better for the boys. My D needed a lot more room than the dresser… it’s really closer to the size of a night stand with 4 drawers. My D used those plastic shoe box containers for the top of her closet to hold her first aid supplies, medicines, electronic stuff like her digital camera, flash drives, etc… Stuff she needed but didn’t need to get into every day. Having a good organized plan to your stuff helps make the room far more spacious than you’d think. My niece was in Dickinson C last year and used the same plan as my D and was amazed at all she fit in her room with room to spare. (not a lot of room but it worked nicely) </p>
<p>Get lots of plastic tubs that are not too tall, so they will fit under the bed. Dickinson is about as bad as it gets, aside from a triple. Also the heat is not so good either, none of the old dorms have great heat or a/c if they have it. I would contact the roommate and agree on stacking the bunks. It really adds a ton of space and you can actually get a couch and make it a decent room. ( I saw a room where the 2 guys were gamers and stacked the beds. got a huge tv and chairs. and covered the windows… it was a gaming dungeon ). The rooms are a bit easier for the males, because they don’t pack tons of clothes. The closet space will probably be okay for a male. </p>
<p>Do people ever loft dickinson beds? </p>
<p>My S was in Dickinson “D” last year. They really are the worst dorms I’ve ever seen in my life but I guess they are better than a triple. </p>
<p>He had a couple of plastic drawers that he kept under his bed because the beds are very high off the ground. I just measured them, they are 24" tall. Definitely bring a fan, it was REALLY hot last September although so far we’ve had a cool summer so hopefully that will hold out for Fall. He kept a fridge in his closet and it fit depth wise. The closets don’t have any doors on them. As a guy, he didn’t care. But I would buy a shower curtain and an adjustable curtain rod to hang so you don’t have to look in your closet all the time. Also make sure to bring a couple of power strips. There aren’t enough outlets in the room for all the current electronics. </p>
<p>Don’t bring any “extra furniture” unless you know that you are going to bunk the beds. There is no room for a bean bag chair or anything like that. Anything you can hang rather than take up floor space would be better. For example, I got my son a laundry bag that he could hang in the closet rather than one that sat on the floor. We also bought him a tempurpedic mattress topper which made the mattress much more comfortable but also made the hot nights a bit hotter in the beginning. He said it was worth it though. </p>
<p>If you can, definitely bring a bike. My son rode his bike everywhere since you are sort of “across the street” from campus there. They had a ton of bike racks out front. There is a Bike Line in Newark for repairs and tune ups, etc.</p>
<p>Sorry, the only pros I can say about the place are that he isn’t in a triple and he’ll only be there for 9 months. Maybe that he’ll appreciate living at home more? I found the whole place depressing and the hallways made me claustrophobic. </p>
<p>I was assigned to dickinson D and I had two questions. 1) I know it’s kind of cramped, so I was wondering you’ve ever seen anyone loft their beds in dickinson. 2) are we allowed fans in the window? Like a box fan? I know we’re not allowed to have AC units. </p>
<p>My daughter was in Dickinson E last year and at first she was really disappointed. I must say that within days of her living there, she felt it was the perfect place for her. Yes, it is hot in September and May, yes, it is a far walk to some buildings – but it is also a very social dorm area due to it’s somewhat isolated status. With all of the cons, and there are many, my daughter said she would not have changed a thing and would live there again as a freshman. Bring a fan, a box fan works well, you can loft your beds if you’d like, put your bed at it’s highest height and get risers as well. We purchased a feather bed to go on top of the mattress which is a lifesaver. We also had a nice area rug for the middle of the room and had a fridge, microwave, keureg coffee pot and two printers. We maximized every inch of space under the bed, had a tv on the shelf in her closet (which she insisted on having and rarely watched), we put the dresser in the closet and the desk up again the footboard of the bed. Good luck! Stay open minded, it will be a great experience!</p>
<p>I asked my son about the lofting of beds in Dickinson and he said he hadn’t seen any lofted. He seems to think it isn’t possible.</p>
<p>I asked him what the pros to living in Dickinson were and he said the floor and dorm camaraderie. He said Dickinson was known for having a strong feeling of community which makes sense since they are sort of their own little “student city”. </p>
<p>He totally enjoyed his time there last year. His only complaint was those few hot nights in September. </p>
<p>I asked my D who was Dickenson A 1 two years ago and a few of the boys lofted their beds… they were able to put a futon in and a bigger TV set for gaming. </p>