<p>Could someone who attends/has a child that attends/etc. give some insight on the dorms? I know Southwest is the party scene and Orchard Hill and Central are quieter, but I would like specific information.</p>
<p>I was accepted RD as a Psychology major but I don't think I want to do that anymore. I am interested in History, Political Science or International Relations. That Psych. major choice isn't binding, correct? I want to become a lawyer, if that helps..</p>
<p>At Southwest, we’ve heard that the towers are worse than the low-rise buildings re: animal house-like scene. Northeast has oldest buildings, but very close to science and engineering buildings–populated by lots of science/eng majors. Are you in the honors college? They open brand new, air-conditioned dorms this fall.</p>
<p>Hi … My daughter is a freshman in one of the Towers in Southwest. She’s got a z-room on one of the top floors with huge window and great view of the campus. This is a freshman only dorm and it is not a standout when it comes to partying. Her floor is pretty mellow. There are a couple of floors (guy floors) that have parties but they are not insane, out-of-control or round the clock by any means. In fact, the parties she goes to are often in one of the non-tower buildings in Southwest. She has no problem with getting to sleep at a reasonable hour or being interupted by noise and partying if she’s trying to study on the weekend (during the day). It’s a fun group in the towers, but not nearly as crazy as the reputation would have you believe. The craziness seems to happen outside of the dorms, i.e., the St. Pat’s party they had outside last week. EVERYONE went to it and it was nuts.</p>
<p>Psych major is not binding at all, I entered as a psych major and just switched out of it. (Side note: if you do history, try to get Jessica Fronc, she’s great.)</p>
<p>I am transferring out of UMass because the residential areas are incredibly segregated and stereotypical:</p>
<p>All of the athletes are thrown into Southwest. “biddies and bros.”
MADad is correct. The towers are worse than the low-rise buildings. as for marls, I have no idea what he/she is talking about. Either daughter is incredibly tolerant, lying or was very lucky in her housing. When I lived in Southwest I was often kept up until 5-7 am. My friends love it here, though, so it depends on the person. If you’re in Isenberg (business/management) you will probably live here.</p>
<p>The hipsters and pot smokers live in Central(/OHill). “stoners”
This is where I live now. My RA smokes weed with my floormates. You get used to it. I prefer Central over Southwest by far; leaving that place improved my quality of life tenfold. It is quieter and students are more artsy. </p>
<p>Orchard Hill is like Central’s twin sister. No one really wants to live here because of the long walk, but the dorms are REALLY nice. I wouldn’t mind living there.</p>
<p>The foreign exchange students and nerds live in Northeast. “really good at math”
Basically all of the engineering students live here. Dorms are really quiet but old. I have friends here who like the residential area but hate the rooms. Definitely for the studious type. This was my second choice next to Central.</p>
<p>And no one cares about or likes the other residential areas. (sylvan’s rape trail/suicide rate, etc) I wouldn’t recommend you bother looking.</p>
<p>This ought to sum it up: [Sketch</a> 22 Presents: Where To Live At Umass - YouTube](<a href=“- YouTube”>- YouTube)</p>
<p>advice of where to live?</p>
<p>First of all, I would hardly say the stereotypes are totally true. There are tons of people here and you’re bound to meet people with similar interests no matter where you live. I live in gorman, which is one of the lower buildings in central. I think central is quite nice. People are fairly friendly and it does not get extremely loud at nights like in Southwest. </p>
<p>I would definitely avoid living in Southwest if you like to sleep early/have early classes. I know people who moved from SW to central purely because they couldn’t get enough sleep. But, if you want to be around a lot of people/don’t mind a little bit of craziness then go for it.</p>
<p>Orchard Hill is pretty nice as well. I know a few people who live there and really like it. It’s a fairly studious crowd from what I hear, but again not everyone is. O Hill has the biggest rooms on campus too, which is a nice bonus. And don’t believe the people who say the walk up the hill is brutal, cause it’s not. You will get used to it and it will not be a problem.</p>
<p>Northeast is near the math/science buildings so if you’re an engineering major and want to be near your classes you might want to try living there. I’ve never really been over in NE much. It’s pretty quiet from the few times I’ve been.</p>
<p>It seems for Isenberg Southwest is the place. Are some buildings in Southwest better than others if you don’t want a total party dorm? Can you ask for a specific building? Do some Isenberg students reside in the other dorms? If so which ones? Also for some complicated reasons I’ve not yet declared for UMass and won’t until next week. Will the best Southwest dorm rooms be already taken? Finally what are the best rooms, and/or best buildings in Southwest? TIA</p>
<p>Orchard Hill is not that far off from the main campus, only about 10 minutes to Isenberg if you hustle. So business students can and do live in Orchard Hill, and it is more quiet from what I’ve experienced. Plus, if you are in the Honors College you can live in the brand new dorms that are being finished this summer. If that is not an option, I think O’Hill is a great option for those who want to be more focused on academics. But that by no means implies that the area is a bunch of geeks - O’Hill has a very relaxed and friendly atmosphere.</p>
<p>You don’t HAVE to live anywhere based on your major. It just happens that most people who live in Southwest have majors where most classes take place in Isenberg because Isenberg is so close to Southwest. </p>
<p>Northeast is where all the engineering/math/science folk live because (similarly) the engineering/math/science buildings are all right across the street from Northeast. </p>
<p>Central houses a lot of the fine arts/humanities majors because it’s right across the street from the fine arts center (about a 5 minute walk) and right behind the fine arts center is all the humanities stuff (english/foreign language/etc.). </p>
<p>Orchard Hill has a good mix of everything. I lived on a floor primarily composed of science majors, but I was a music major (then switched to math/comp sci). There were also business majors (Isenberg) and fine arts majors. OHill just has the nicest dorms, I think. It’s also a lot calmer than Southwest. There are parties to be found at OHill if you want, but it’s nice to sleep in on Saturday mornings without being woke up. Definitely choose OHill! You’ll develop great thigh muscles!</p>
Lots of students love Southwest-and not just for partying. It’s a great location for certain majors-and close to two great dining halls. It depends on the specific dorm-and sometimes the specific floor. It can be a great place! Visit the residential areas and see for yourself.
@FullerBass @AccountOnMe hi guys, I’m a computer science major and I plan to study lots during the week and chill on weekends. Get a little of both and also get a good amount of sleep. Based on what I’ve read, orchard hill seems to be the best place to do this but from what I’ve heard, orchard hill is a long walk from the campus. Could you tell me how far the science and math buildings, the gym and the Library are from there?
@tokyodrifter2895 Here is a map http://www.umass.edu/visitorsctr/sites/default/files/maps/campus-map.pdf
As you can see Ohill is not really that far, it’s just on a hill that people don’t like to climb to and from.
@fallenwinter ash I see. Thanks