Dorms

Colleges and Universities A-Z Marquette University
21

<p>Montegut</p>

<p>When I was at MU in the 70's McCormick was where the basketball team lived. I'm guessing that if Maurice Lucas at 6'8" and 240 lbs or Jim Chones at 6'11" and about 260 lbs could fit in the dorms your son can too! :)</p>

<p>Hearing about the dorms makes me chuckle. There was no such thing as coed dorms. In fact, I was part of the student government that lobbied for and started the process for coed dorms which came about either my senior year or the year after I graduated. I lived on the 5th floor of Schoeder freshman and sophomore year; 5 West.</p>

<p>The funniest thing was reading that Schoeder now had great food. Back then we had a company called Saga Catering that had the MU food contract and it was simply awful...mystery meat by Thursday's lunches and they used mushrooms in EVERYTHING for filler. To this day I can't eat mushrooms.....</p>

<p>You know it was bad when we got excited that they put in a make your own sandwich bar my sophomore year and we could make PB&J sandwiches.</p>

22

<p>Hey, Eadad, been thinking of you now that March Madness is upon us!</p>

<p>We were so excited to hear that Marquette got a berth, since we thought they were out of it with the loss to Villanova. I don't know if the games will be on ESPN, though. We did watch all the Big East matches Marquette was in on ESPN and were so excited to see our future team (Hopefully!) on TV.</p>

<p>Oh, Saga. That brings back such wonderful memories.</p>

<p>I worked at the cafeteria at UMiami to put myself through college. It was a great money saver because I didn't have to buy a meal plan. </p>

<p>And I loved those mushrooms! It was the only thing I would eat! I would get very inventive and make up recipes after closing, when I had the oven to myself.
But I do remember the mystery meat. Never, ever touched it.</p>

<p>Now for the real laugh. My daddy was an alumnus at Loyola New Orleans, so all three of his daughters, my sisters and I, got married at the small chapel on campus, St. Ignatius Chapel. We had our wedding receptions catered in the student union by Saga! Really, the wedding food was great: Fried shrimp, meatballs, usual Southern finger food.</p>

<p>On Miami's campus, the football players got to eat at the Ibis cafeteria, which had much better selection: steaks, omelets. They also did the catering, and some of my friends had jobs doing that. </p>

<p>It was fun to serve the football players in my cafeteria when they got suspended for breaking curfew. They were a bunch of knuckleheads and were a lot of fun.</p>

<p>On that subject, is there a special cafeteria that the basketball players eat at? Maybe my son can get a job at that one!</p>

<p>And I'm praying that at least one cafeteria has peanut butter available for the kids, since that's all my son will eat.</p>

23

<p>The initial question is a few weeks old, but I thought I'd answer it, anyways.</p>

<p>Though I no longer attend Marquette University (I've since transferred), I did live in Abbottsford my first semester and LOVED it. Those who say that fun and a party atmosphere can only be found at McCormick are w-r-o-n-g. I believe that Abby, as residents affectionately call it, offers the best of both worlds. Because it's so small, comparatively, students get to know everyone and it becomes a big family. The rooms are amazing - enough room to spread out, and the walls are thick enough that you can just shut your door and study without having to always head to Raynor (the library). The study lounges on each floor are really nice, too, and the basement has a TV, pool table, ping pong, and a bunch of couches just for hanging out. McCormick can be cramped, and it always sucks to share bathrooms.</p>

<p>Most of my best memories from Marquette come from inside Abbottsford. I'd recommend the dorm to anyone (I'm not a partier, and I enjoyed it, and the girls that lived on my hall were aaaaalways going out and they seemed to find their "group" as well - truly something there for everyone!). Good luck making your decisions!</p>

24

<p>If I may be so bold--why did you leave? Was Abbottsford your first choice or just end up there in the lottery?</p>

<p>We are just about ready to commit the deposit money and would love any advice, thoughts, suggestions you would like to share.</p>

25

<p>:) Certainly. I'll explain my situation, and also offer some other input if you'd like.</p>

<p>I left Marquette because of a couple of things - 1) I wanted to be back on the West Coast, 2) the science classes were large and frustrating (more on that later), 3) the weather was a bit cold for my tastes, and 4) as a non-Catholic, I found it hard to fit in at times. </p>

<p>Heading back to the West Coast was purely because of personal preference. People and their mentalities in the Mid-West are quite different from what I'm used to, and other students at Marquette from around the US echo my sentiments. It's not a better or worse thing - it's just personal preference. So, really, that was a minor issue.</p>

<p>The freshman/sophomore science classes were a bit of a bummer for this biomedical sciences major. My freshman biology and chemistry classes were in a large auditorium and it didn't allow for much in the way of asking the professor's questions. It's also very hard to sit in a lecture hall when 80 percent of the class is watching movies on their laptops, carrying on text conversations on their phones or other instant messaging devices, listening to their iPods, or talking to the classmate next to them. Marquette's science "discussions" aren't discussions at all - the freshman biology and chemistry ones are worthless in my opinion. The chemistry labs are terrible. I've not met one student who felt like they learned much of anything from them. Most of the lab (and chem discussion) TA's speak terrible English and are just as lost as you are. Vaughn Ausman, lab coordinator/director guy, is a hated man among science students. :) </p>

<p>The weather - I'm from eastern Washington state and while I'm used to buckets of rain/snow in the spring/winter, Milwaukee was just terrible, weather-wise. I don't mind snow (even four ft. of it, as we routinely will have) but when it's -30 degrees with windchill and Marquette is not closing...it's a VERY bad thing. Bring a great coat, boots, hat, scarf, and gloves if you head to MU. :) You should be fine, honestly, but I got pneumonia in November and had to have O2 treatments, etc. Horrible way to spend the few weeks before finals. </p>

<p>The last reason I left Marquette is probably a moot point with this crowd. I'm not Catholic, and those that aren't Catholic or don't adhere to any religion may have a hard time at MU. It IS a very religious school, despite what people will tell you. You do feel the Catholic influence on campus - I didn't mind it, but I decided I wanted to go somewhere that fit more with my own personal beliefs. </p>

<p>Overall, I'm happy I made the decision to attend Marquette (I made a LOT of friends there, I enjoyed Milwaukee, I loved Abbottsford, and I experienced living far away from home for the first time) and I'm also happy I made the decision to leave.</p>

<p>SOME OF MARQUETTE'S POSITIVES:</p>

<p>CLR: (Christian Leadership Retreat) is a retreat put on by the Manresa Project at the beginning of the semester for incoming freshman. If you're invited to attend and are remotely religious - attend it! It's fantastic. That's all I'm going to say about it, but there is almost a CLR brother/sisterhood on campus for the rest of your time there if you attend. Most people won't get an invitation - but if you do get one, by all means ATTEND! :o)</p>

<p>Milwaukee: Beautiful city, lots to do, and above all - it feels safe if you travel in a group! Of course, there are places you should not go, but you'll learn those areas quickly. </p>

<p>Marquette LIMO's: So useful. Make use of this free service.</p>

<p>Advisors: My advisor (College of Health Sciences) was amazing. I had to meet with her on a day when life seemed horrific, and I sat in her office and talked to her for more than a half hour. She was accepting, helpful, and really listened to me. </p>

<p>Campus dining: Not as bad as some people will make it. So many options - Straz, Cobeen, the AMU (veeery popular with students), McCormick, Mashuda, etc. Plus, many restaurants to eat at near Marquette. Oh, also the Brew Bayou and other places are popular student hang outs/study areas/places to eat for breakfast.</p>

<p>With all of these positives, sometimes I wonder why I even left Marquette. :) Quite honestly, I'm glad I left, but there were lots of great things happening at MU. I have many other friends who left Marquette at semester/will leave and all of them look back fondly on their MU experiences all while looking forward to a new beginning in the future.</p>

26

<p>Thank you for your thoughts. A couple of these issues have been a concern to me, and I sincerely appreciate your insight. </p>

<p>If there's anything else....I think we parents would love to hear anything you have to share!</p>

27

<p>Okay, this is kind of off dorms, but applies to on campus living. Just got this reminder when perusing other college posts.</p>

<p>Is there retail within walking distance, or even bus distance, from the campus?
I'm not talking clothes shopping. I'm talking essentials. Groceries, toiletries. </p>

<p>My son is a very picky eater, and being able to go to the grocery is very important to him. </p>

<p>Also, are there kitchen areas in the dorms? Or can you put a microwave and mini fridge in your dorm?</p>

28

<p>Laundry facilities!</p>

<p>I forgot this one, too!</p>

<p>What's worse than having to walk in thirty below to go eat?</p>

<p>Walking in 30 below to do your laundry.</p>

<p>Please tell me there are laundry facilities in all the dorms, and places to buy detergent!</p>

29

<p>We just returned from an admitted students weekend, and can tell you that there is a Walgreens (and other stores, but that stands out as we parked next to it!) almost in the middle of campus. </p>

<p>The school is divided in half by a main street in Milwaukee, Wisconsin Ave. On one side are the academic buildings, across the street the dorms, student union, etc. There is plenty of shopping/food almost "in" the campus. </p>

<p>Don't know about laundry, but the dorm we saw did have a combination fridge/microwave.</p>

<p>S has some of the same concerns about the Catholic feeling and "midwestern" vibe of the school, but it is still a viable, great option.</p>

<p>Thanks,Ibellibie, for your insight. We're from California, I'm curious where you're transferring to, and wish you well.</p>

30

<p>Ibellibie -- What a nice, thoughtful post. I hope you are very happy at your future school. I do want to say, though, that my daughter has friends from Southern California, from Phoenix, and from Philadelphia, and while they do get homesick at times, they like Marquette and are staying. </p>

<p>I can't believe you mentioned Vaughn Ausman -- I have certainly heard about him from D! She loves her chem professor but feels she got the really "good" one -- and she had a great Chem discussion leader but not so great Bio discussion leader last semester, so it really can be a mixed bag. The sciences can be hard, no doubt about it, and she's had to seek out help.</p>

<p>Montegut -- definitely there are laundry facilities in each building. In addition to the Walgreens right there on 16th, there is an Open Pantry on Wells that has a large assortment of food items, and they take Marquette Cash (the money you can deposit that is tied right to the student ID.) Kids almost all have microwaves and fridges in their rooms (provided by you not the school.) There are also a lot of restaurants there on Wells. </p>

<p>The Walgreens has a pharmacy and various sundries. For other retail, you can take a bus to Mayfair Mall in Wauwatosa (about 15 minutes away) or head east on Wisconsin
Ave. downtown, where there is a Borders and a couple of other stores.</p>

<p>Midwestern vibe -- yeah, I don't know since I must have it too. I think what I tell my daughters sometimes is they might misinterpret behavior from people from the coasts who won't SEEM very nice at first because they come across as more aloof, less smile-y -- more ironic, maybe? This is all gross generalization, of course, but sometimes I think younger D might be eaten alive out on the coasts. She is very earnest and nice, poor thing (LOL). But, basically the kids here and everywhere all see the same films, listen to lots of the same indie music (there is GREAT alternative music all over Milwaukee) -- quite a few of them voted for Obama (LOL). So I too wonder what the California kids see as so different. </p>

<p>And the Catholic thing -- we are Catholic but D has nothing to do with church and it doesn't bother her at all. Still it is definitely a very visibly Catholic school, and the opportunities for those who want them are very good, as ibell says above.</p>

<p>Glad you all enjoyed your weekend there. I have become very fond of Milwaukee this year as I get to know it better.</p>

31

<p>Oh, just wanted to add -- my daughter says that there is a rumor floating around that McCormick will be torn down in the next few years! I have to say I have never read that anywhere, and I can't imagine where they would put all those freshmen while they built a new hall. So perhaps it's just that -- a rumor.<br>
They should tear the walls down between each two rooms in that place and make them a tolerable size, maybe.
D just went through sophomore room pick -- there are tricks to the process, I have been told, like finding someone with an earlier registration time and getting the rooms then switching the actual roomies later -- not sure I quite understood. Anyway, the new ly renovated soph dorm filled up right away so they couldn't get into that, but she and friends got a triple at Schroeder, so she is very happy and they will have lots more room.</p>

32

<p>We recently attended a banquet for merit scholars at Marquette, and had a great experience. I realize the intention here is certainly best foot forward, but the staff at the various offices we stopped and at the actual dinner were very friendly and helpful. It really did give our S the feeling he wanted to be a part of it all.</p>

<p>We visited the Yale campus this last summer and got a feel for the east coast. While I am not sure what our vibe here in the midwest is exactly--we were happy to get back to it. Our son would be eaten alive out there as well. LOL To each his own. </p>

<p>At the banquet, the dorm lottery system was explained to our S. We got the impression he should pick a dorm and hope for the best, but it was not very likely he would get it. Yes?</p>

33

<p>
[quote]
We got the impression he should pick a dorm and hope for the best, but it was not very likely he would get it. Yes?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Yet another tip from our tour guide is that if you know which dorm you want, put in your first choice for, say a double, and second choice a triple to improve your odds of landing in your dorm of choice. I probably shouldn't be spreading that one in case S decides on Marquette!</p>

<p>I think Milwaukee is a great college town (UW Milwaukee and Milwaukee School of Engineering are also downtown), and if kids are looking for an urban campus, it's the best of both worlds.</p>

34

<p>Yes, we've spent time at all three and frankly--S would be happy at any one of them. They all have something different to offer. UW- Madison is just too large for our small town kid, even if the city is smaller. </p>

<p>Thanks for the dorm tip, I'll pass it on. At this point, he seems content to just be there, not concerned with any particular dorm, so probably very little competition. He's an easy going, easily pleased rural kid (hick? probably so)--who would get eaten alive outside the Midwest, I'm afraid.</p>

35

<p>Ok, I'll try to answer some more questions as best as I know how! :)</p>

<p>Is there retail within walking distance, or even bus distance, from the campus?
Yes, there is. As someone else mentioned - Walgreens is right up Wisconsin Avenue across from McCormick. Easy location, and they carry (almost) everything you could ever want.
Honestly, though, for groceries it is sooo much more economical to head to the Pick N Save off of Ogden. It's maybe a 10 minute bus ride on the 30 line. Cheap groceries, tons of stuff there, etc. There is also Metro Mart on the same bus line. I'd highly recommend either store, although the latter is more expensive. Downtown (easy walk, or you can bus there, too) there's an Old Navy in case you happen to run into a last minute clothes crunch. Also a TJ Maxx - my roommate find rain boots there because she'd left hers back in Ohio. It was a good solution.
*Also, are there kitchen areas in the dorms? Or can you put a microwave and mini fridge in your dorm? *
Most of the dorms have kitchen areas. Abbottsford does not. Abby residents are invited to use Schroeder's kitchen. Otherwise, I <em>think</em> they all have kitchens.
You can put a microwave and mini-fridge in your room, yup. Make sure your son knows how to make popcorn in THAT particular microwave before you send him...there is NOTHING worse than burnt popcorn smell lingering across the hall. :)
*Please tell me there are laundry facilities in all the dorms, and places to buy detergent! *
Yup. Each dorm has laundry facilities, but some of them are crap. Or so students say. I know that it's not uncommon to have to run your clothes through the dryer twice, but sometimes I wonder if students are just cramming too much into each dryer.
Bring enough detergent to last the semester, in my opinion anyways. The detergent at Marquette is ridiculously priced. (Well, as is the laundry services.) BUT -- you can just swipe your MUID in order to pay for your laundry service, which is beyond a beautiful thing.
*Thanks,Ibellibie, for your insight. We're from California, I'm curious where you're transferring to, and wish you well. *
Not a problem! :) I'm transferring to Biola. (Really tough decision, but friends/faith at Biola won out in the end. Also looked at Gonzaga in my hometown, Seattle Pacific University, UW, and some schools down in Portland, OR.)
*Midwestern vibe -- yeah, I don't know since I must have it too. *
I hated the Midwest because everyone wants to always be happy and not disagree about ANYTHING. I would say we are more "free-thinkers" out here on the West Coast. My roommate would ask me questions about how my faith differs from hers (I'm a non-denominational Christian, she's a Catholic who hasn't got a clue what that entails) and then get angry/offended when I would explain. In fact, my RA told me that it's considered impolite to talk "politics, faith issues, etc." when living in the Midwest and that since I'm choosing to attend Marquette IN THE MIDWEST (emphasis, hers) I should avoid talking to people unless I want to agree with them. I'm not ok with that. I AM ok with people choosing to vote for different candidates, AM ok with different religions, AM ok with different points of view - but I'm NOT ok with being told with what I can or cannot say.
*quite a few of them voted for Obama *
Late-October/Early-November at Marquette was disgusting with reference to politics. Marquette had a nice registration/voting process in place, which I appreciated, but the administration certainly could have put measures in place that didn't allow students to pester you everytime you even took a step towards the library. (Eventually, you had to get tough with those types. "No, I will NOT vote for Obama, and I'm voting NO on prop ___ because I don't think my tax dollars should go to funding other people's vacation days..." etc. Apologies if your daughter is involved with the Democratic group on campus, but the group was simply obnoxious. I have no problem with people voting for Obama...but they went above and beyond.) There were also tons of pro-Obama posters stuck on street signs around campus, and some peoples' cars were "stickered" if you will. Horrible behavior.
*We got the impression he should pick a dorm and hope for the best, but it was not very likely he would get it. Yes? *
Pretty much. If you know people in housing, they'll tell you that dorm selection isn't as random as you might think. (Note that everyone who is a freshman at MU and is the son/daughter of Marquette staff typically get housed in Abbottsford unless they request differently. Also, $$ talks.) If you want a good time for housing sophomore year, you'll keep your grades up and not get written up. My RD told me that people who get written up get pushed to the end of the sign up times. It makes sense.</p>

36

<p>Your description of the Midwest vibe.....LOL. Fair enough--guilty as charged,and I try to be more open minded than most. Bless your heart for being honest. This is what--I guess in reverse--I experienced out east as a fish out of water. I wanted to ask everyone if their mothers never taught them any manners. Just a more direct, no nonsense approach to everyone and any topic--simply unheard of here. Garrison Keillor has made a career out of noting it. </p>

<p>Good for you being true to who you are. You will succeed anywhere you go.</p>

<p>Thanks for your insight!</p>

37

<p>Do Carpenter and O'Donnell have kitchen facilities? How does that work, a kitchen on each floor or at the bottom of the building?</p>

<p>When we visited Marquette last summer, we stayed at the Marriott Courtyard, adjacent to the Grand Avenue Mall. There was an Office Max there, as well as a Walgreen's. There was also a food court.</p>

<p>Good to know there's a closer Walgreens. And thanks for the grocery tip. Will definitely make sure son knows how to get there before we leave him.</p>

<p>We visited Schroeder while we were there, and really liked it. There was a cafeteria on the bottom floor, and the halls seemed very clean. Liked the hall bathrooms. The rooms were a good size.</p>

<p>Which freshman dorm is most like Schroeder: ie, hall baths, kitchen facilities?</p>

<p>Good luck to all of you this month while you make your final decision!</p>

38

<p>Hello!</p>

<p>I'm a current student at Marquette. Hopefully I can give some student perspective from the dorms (at least how I know them to be). I'm in the Engineering program and happen to live on the Engineering floor in Carpenter (more on that later).</p>

<p>Abottsford:</p>

<p>In terms of comfort, space, etc. I would rank this as the top Freshman dorm. Your daughter/son will be in a room with 1/2 other people (I think? I'm not 100% really. I think it's Double/Triples but it could be Triple/Quads). It has great location (13th/Wisco, behind the construction site for those visiting soon) for a first-year who will most likely have to go all over campus for their classes.</p>

<p>Carpenter:</p>

<p>Fresh/Sophomore dorm. Renovated from an old hotel. Private bathrooms. Three specialty floors (1 female Engineering, 2 male). Decent sized rooms, xx10-xx13 being the exception. Short walk to a dining hall (Cobeen). Rooms have moduable furniture (no need to buy a loft). If d/s is an engineering student I cannot recommend the specialty floor enough. The first/second semester engineering course load can be heavy at times, and having an entire floor have the same homework helps sooo much.
O'Donnell:</p>

<p>Freshman, all-guys dorm. Used to have a cafeteria, renovated into a 'man cave'. I've never been, so I can't comment on room size and whatnot.</p>

<p>Cobeen:</p>

<p>All-girls dorm, decent room size. Must buy loft if living there. Dressers/Desks are locked into the walls. Not a whole lot of customization available. Dining Hall.</p>

<p>McCormick:</p>

<p>The pinnacle of all-freshman dorms. 700+ freshman in one building. As was previously said, small rooms (think of a piece of a pie, that's literally how they are shaped). YOU WILL NEED A LOFT. Upper floors can get hot. Social people will love it.</p>

<p>Straz:
Sophomore/Honors Program Freshman. AMAZING ROOMS. Private bathrooms, large windows. Work-out center, pool, dining hall, barber in lower levels. The only con about this building is how far off of main campus it is. It's on 9th & Wisconsin. There will be a walk to classes. I'm living here next year. Extremely excited.</p>

<p>McCabe:
New dorm. Doubles/Triples. 216 Capacity. Filled up in less than 20 minutes on sign-up day.
Sophomore only. Private Bathrooms, kitchen areas. Really don't know much else about it.</p>

<p>Schroeder:
Literally a sophomore version of McCormick. Italian style cafeteria.</p>

<p>When it comes to classes, I have to agree with the poster who commented on the science programs. Chemistry can be a huge pain. Expect lots of whining from your student! </p>

<p>Like I said before, I'm in the Engineering program so if your student is going for anything but Biomed (They take a different freshman curriculum), feel free to PM me!</p>

39

<p>I have to laugh when I see that O'Donnell (O-D as it was referred to by all back then) is now a mens dorm. It was THE dorm of choice for freshman women when I attended MU. Boy I can still vividly remember the times I made that long walk from 13th to 18th on a cold night to and from a date. :)</p>

40

<p>rtellier-can I PM you about the engineering program? Son is going for biomedical engineering, but will probably minor in computer engineering, wants to do the biocomputing track. Want to know how different his freshman curriculum is going to be from other engineering majors and if it will benefit him to be on an engineering floor.</p>

<p>I was on the Marine Biology floor at UMiami, and it was great. We all had to study hard, so not a big party atmosphere on our floor. And met people from all over who came specifically to Miami for that program.</p>

<p>Can you tell me a little bit more about Straz as well? Considering maybe applying to Honors program to maybe get smaller classes, but not a genius, so don't know if should. </p>

<p>Can you take the bus from Straz to campus, if it's on Wisconsin? Is Straz on the other side of the interstate?</p>

<p>What about kitchens/laundry in both Carpenter and Straz?</p>

<p>Please tell us more about your engineering major and what classes you've taken. You can PM if you'd like. Oh, and where are you from?</p>

<p>Good luck on the rest of the year. Thanks so much for your post.</p>