<p>I'm finishing up my freshman year at Amherst. I live in a beautiful dorm and it's not even the newest one. As I write, sun is streaming from 3 windows and it's a great place to be. You'll be fine with a fan as autumn cools things off a bit relatively quickly.</p>
<p>As for sophomore housing on the Hill--I've actually chosen to live in a house on the Hill for a number of reasons. They're old frat houses so they're more like a home than a college dorm. Yes, they aren't as shiny as Charles Pratt etc., but they have a lot of character and the rooms have cute little quirks that the newer ones don't. Many have fireplaces and mantles, stairs up to windows that look out to town, and other homey touches. I'm a woman and I don't feel at all unsafe walking there at night. It's only two blocks from campus and it's in a quiet residential area (right where Emily Dickinson lived!). It's also closer to town, which is nice, and helps keep you from that Amherst-bubble state of mind. SO in conclusion, you really can't lose with Amherst housing. Every option has many, many upsides!</p>
<p>North is usually the sub-free freshman dorm.</p>
<p>And if you don't feel safe walking back at night, the college runs a free safe ride service that will pick you up anywhere on campus and bring you to your dorm. But the town of Amherst is very safe, so that isn't a particularly big issue.</p>
<p>-Yeah, the hill is a little bit of a hike, but it isn't really that bad. I think we're just used to walking like 2 minutes to class everywhere whereas at other schools it is a longer walk.
-Amherst and the college are about as safe places as you get.</p>
<p>I have one more worry. In the end of August, at the time of the inauguration ceremony, how cold will it be? I am from a really hot country, and is the August weather really difficult to adjust to? Will I need heavy jackets and parkas etc?</p>
<p>A printer is nice to have, but you can print in libraries and computer labs for 10 cents a page if you don't have one. Whether you bring a TV or not is your preference, all of the common rooms have one. A fan is kind of nice for the first few weeks of the year, but isn't really useful thereafter unless you have a ton of people crammed into your room for a while.</p>
<p>I have a TV, but I only use it to play video games. We only get basic cable, if that helps your decision at all. I'd also check to make sure that your roommate isn't bringing one, since you probably won't need two. If you just want to watch TV every now and then, though, there is a TV on the main floor of every dorm which is rarely in use.</p>
<p>As for singles, they are available, but typically only for RCs and students with medical justifications. I wouldn't count on getting one unless you fit into one of those categories.</p>
<p>Also, I'd recommend getting a printer. Walking to the library for every print job, especially during the winter, is a pain. Fortunately, the freshman dorms are all near the library, but you still have to make it across the quad.</p>
<p>I read on the website that the beds can be bunked (except for a few specific floors here and there.) I'm sure my son won't want to bunk the beds, but what about lofting his? Are the rooms set up so that is possible? North, specifically.</p>
<p>^^Try calling Residential Life for the answer. I seem to recall, a few years back, that students could loft beds but had to have it done by a trained team, to ensure it was done correctly for safety. They make an appointment for the first week of school.</p>
<p>On the 2-room doubles, asked earlier in this thread: There's a thin divider between two halves of the room. Some students like to each take half, with one walking through the other's space.</p>
<p>But here's another way: put both beds in the back room, and put both desks in the front room closest to the entry door. This way, one student isn't always the one to have his sleeping space walked through. Also, when one is sleeping, the other can feel free to turn on study lights, computers and so forth. </p>
<p>Each has its advantages, so that could be something to discuss with a future roommate. </p>
<p>If one half of the room seems better than the other, for example, a nicer view of campus...consider switching spaces midway through the school year.</p>
Trying to revive this thread…Does anyone have more recent information on the dorm situation at Amherst? Have any dorms been renovated since 2008? Do Freshmen get to request a dorm from the 7 Freshmen dorms? Thank you!