<p>Does anyone know which dorms are the best? Or what each dorm is like? If someone could make a list of each (freshman) dorm with its characteristics/reputation that would be wonderful! </p>
<p>for example:
dorm A-party dorm but big rooms
dorm B-gender-separated floors, normal size room, share bathroom with whole floor
dorm C-social but not too crazy
etc. </p>
<p>Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>You should check out this thread:</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-michigan-ann-arbor/724806-freshmans-guide-dorms.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-michigan-ann-arbor/724806-freshmans-guide-dorms.html</a></p>
<p>To sum up that thread:
Best dorms are central campus, worst are north.</p>
<p>Most social/party dorms:
Markley (TINY rooms)
West Quad (HUGE rooms)</p>
<p>Social but not too crazy: (all medium sized rooms)
South Quad
Mojo
Alice Lloyd
Bursley (sucky location, but dorm-like atmosphere)
Couzens</p>
<p>Quiet/Studious/Worst dorms: (these are suite-style dorms, privateish bathroom)
Oxford
Northwood
Baits II
Any of the all girls dorms</p>
<p>That pretty much covers what you may get freshman year.</p>
<p>I stayed in Markley for 3 weeks over the summer and wasn’t a huge fan (no air conditioning, weird cafeteria, etc.)</p>
<p>Thanks for the responses! I appreciate them!</p>
<p>A couple things to add:</p>
<p>Where you want to live depends on what you’re planning on majoring in. If you’re in Engineering, Music/Theatre/Dance, Art, Architecture, or anything else situated primarily on North Campus, you’ll probably want to look into Bursley, Baits II (Baits I is closing until further notice, possibly permanently), and Northwood Houses (freshmen only beginning next year). Anything else, try to get something on Central, but honestly, it’s not that big of a deal having to ride the bus back and forth most of the time (take it from an LS&A student living in Northwood at the moment).</p>
<p>Markley and Bursley are common “freshman” dorms. In addition, Northwood Houses is being expanded and all of what is currently Northwood III will be entirely reserved for freshmen next year.</p>
<p>In addition, newly renovated dorms are North Quad (newly built and SUPER nice, but usually reserved for sophomores and above), Alice Lloyd (closed this year but reopening in Fall 2012), Couzens (just reopened in Fall 2011), Stockwell (reopened in 2010, but usually only sophomores), and MoJo (reopened in 2009). </p>
<p>East Quad is going to be closed next year (2012-13) for scheduled renovations and overhaul.</p>
<p>I lived in South Quad for my first two years, and absolutely loved it. Great location, pretty good dining hall, big rooms with HUGE closets (I have a TON of clothes and I still had room to spare). However, I was in the Honors Program so that’s how I got in there my freshman year. I now live in Northwood, and although it’s a bit of a commute down to Central, it’s not that big of a deal.</p>
<p>Let me know if you need any more help! :)</p>
<p>@Wolvie2013, Thanks so much!
Are Alice Lloyd and Couzens freshmen dorms?
I want a dorm that’s not crazy but not boring either. A nice mix so that I can do homework when I need to but also have fun.</p>
<p>No problem! I totally understand - you want to be able to make friends and have fun in the dorm, but you don’t want it to be crazy and loud when you actually have to get work done. </p>
<p>I wouldn’t say that Alice Lloyd and Couzens are typically freshmen dorms (they’re both smaller, around 500ish residents each), although there definitely is a chance you could get placed in either. You typically have a better chance of getting placed in specific dorms if you’re part of a Michigan Learning Community (MLC). For instance, the Lloyd Hall Scholars Program is based in Alice Lloyd, the Health Sciences Scholars Program (HSSP) is in Couzens, and the Honors Program is based in South Quad, among many others. However, I do always give fair warning to not join a MLC just for the housing - it’s better if you have at least some idea of the purpose of the program, and most importantly, an interest in what that program seeks to accomplish (I know people who did Honors housing in South Quad just to be in that hall, not because they wanted to actually do Honors…this didn’t end too well for them, haha)</p>
<p>Even if you do get placed in a dorm that has a reputation for being loud (Markley is definitely one of those halls), many times there are study lounges within the halls that sometimes make things better (if people are actually quiet in the lounges, that is). In addition, there are a million different places to study on campus that you’ll be able to seek out once you get here. One of my personal favorite locations is on the 3rd and 4th floors of the LS&A Building (just off State Street, next to the Union) - not many people know that there are quiet lounge areas just outside the elevators with comfy chairs! Another is the Duderstadt Center/Library (commonly nicknamed the Dude) on North Campus - it doesn’t even feel like a library to me, which is great for my whole mentality when studying. </p>
<p>So never fear if you don’t get your top pick of residence halls - you’ll be able to make the best of it and then get a fantastic hall your sophomore year should you choose to return to University Housing!</p>
<p>There is nothing wrong with the girls dorms, at all, whatsoever. To put them in the same category as oxford and baits is ridiculous. They are across the street from Angell Hall and two doors down from the Union, it’s debatable whether there’s a better location on campus, and the girls go out in big groups to parties every weekend just like anywhere else-- and then have a relatively quiet dorm to come back to after to sleep. And it’s CLEAN and the bathrooms (community, like nearly everywhere else) have way more privacy. And there’s a workout room and a dance studio, for crying out loud.</p>
<p>In terms of how social they are? The girls dorms are absolutely the worst. Location wise they’re the best, but it doesn’t make up for the fact that no one talks to each other. </p>
<p>If you want a mostly quiet hall in a great location and you’re a girl who doesn’t enjoy the presence of men, go for the girls dorms.</p>
<p>None of the dorms are really that great. Squad and west have the best locations but are pretty old. The hill dorms are nicer but far from the diag. Anything on north essentially sucks. Also I wouldn’t call food one of Michigan’s strongpoints besides mojo and north quad. Looking forward to not living in the dorms next year, even after being in south quad this year which is probably considered the best or second best freshman dorm.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>That’s ridiculous. The girls go out in huge groups to parties every weekend, hang out in the numerous community spaces-- and unlike in the other dorms are open to newcomers and strangers joining in at just about any time, and they have the small community cafeteria that is EXTREMELY open and friendly. I got invited to sit with complete strangers the entire year I lived there. Those girls make for a way more open and friendly environment than the co-ed dorms, and there are men in the houses pretty much constantly. Maybe Barbour isn’t as good as Newberry, I wouldn’t know, but the entire space is open to all of the sister houses. Your prejudice is absurd and comments like this are what make young women afraid to consider these houses as options, and they’re GREAT options for a lot of people. Maybe not for everybody but they are certainly worth considering, it isn’t as though it’s a barren wasteland of testosterone where nobody talks to anybody else. FAR from it. I had people I didn’t know stopping by my dorm to chat because they realized they hadn’t met me yet as late as February last year!</p>
<p>Can you guys give me any insight about living in a triple? I met a few guys that want to room with me and the second one brought up the option of a triple. I wasn’t really thrilled with the idea but im not necessarily going to be flat out against it. When I visited for campus day I met the first one and could already tell we are going to be bud. I would say that we are all pretty laid back and share similar interests. We are also all going to be on the same club team next year. My question is what are the triples like? Are there some in every residences hall, and are they bigger than the doubles? Is it a bad idea?</p>
<p>@Emaheevul</p>
<p>I’m posting stereotypes because that’s the only way to differentiate the dorms besides location. Obviously you can find any group of people at any dorm on any part of campus, but in regards to overall feel it’s impossible to compare Betsy Barbour to Markley or SQ. The girls dorms are just like sorority houses, except many of the people who choose them are not social at all. I have been to several of these houses and have seen this for myself. I’m glad you had a great experience there @Newberry, and I’m sure that anyone could make the most out of the situation. The answer to this question is that depending on the environment you’re looking for, some dorms are better then others, even though you can find people of every type in every dorm as they all house 100+ people (except for Fletcher, which everyone can agree sucks).</p>
<p>which freshman dorms don’t have communal showers?</p>
<p>Nicki, I don’t know the dorms that well, but I think most (if not all) of them do except for Northwood. If you want to avoid communal showers, you should find a place off campus though.</p>
<p>Baits II doesn’t have communal bathrooms. They have suite style.</p>
<p>Not all halls in Baits II have suite style bathrooms; some have semi-private bathrooms. I was in Conger freshman year and I shared a bathroom w/ 5 others (2 double, 2 single) because it was at the end of the hall or a very short hall. In those bathrooms, you could walk in the bathroom while someone was in the shower. Downside is that (1) less privacy than the suite-style ones and (2) you share responsibility with your hallmates for cleaning the bathroom to your liking (everyone does have a different standard)</p>
<p>Yes most of the other halls have communal bathrooms but you learn to get used to it. The upside is that Housing is responsible for cleaning those and they’re usually in decent condition.</p>
<p>Baits II can be a bit antisocial but if you take the initiative you could get to know some pretty cool people. If your RA cares, getting started will be a bit easier. It doesn’t automatically mean that you won’t have a social life, but keep in mind that, depending on how it goes, your social circle may shift a bit over the 4 years or so that you spend at Michigan.</p>