<p>With 35+ residence houses I suspect differences exist in just how spacious
dresser/closet space might be. Which residence houses have the most dresser
and closet space?? I suspect this question is directed toward current students
but moms and dads might have 2nd hand opinions.</p>
<p>Thanks for responses. David</p>
<p>Ooooh, tough question. Not only do the sizes vary by house, but they vary widely by room. The only houses I know of where the closets are standardized are in Cutter and Ziskind. Huge closets there, same in every room.</p>
<p>Cutter-Ziskind has huge closets and you don’t have to share them. The other houses I’ve seen have pretty small closets and some of the smaller doubles only have one closet for the room. However, a girl I know lives in Comstock and she told me she and her roommate have a huge double with two walk-in closets.</p>
<p>Smithie and elon – thanks much. David</p>
<p>This question has as many answers as there are houses. My own daughter’s room has two closets and two sets of drawers. Seems to be sufficient but there’s always hope for more space next year. :D</p>
<p>Our D got her house’s smallest double with but one closet…and that only 6 X 3. This was the biggest downside of her move in, and yet she LOVES her house, so its but a speed bump. Luckily, we are close by and she can exchange shoes with far more care than a Museum curator refreshing a Museum’s installations from the vast, vast, vast collection at the warehouse/home. Even so, this spring break she was wearing a fellow Smithies boots…clearly part of the “revolving” collection of some consortium…</p>
<p>You may soon learn the magic of Bed Risers (Bed Bath & Beyond) which can lead to copious under bed storage. More on that and the other lists of things you need which your fellow Smithies will no doubt share with you as you get closer to… MOVE IN day. </p>
<p>BTW, “Move in Day”, how does that sound? No tears, parents, its still more than 5 months away. And students try to reign in your “Free at last” speeches*…at least until parents are out of earshot.</p>
<hr>
<p>*I have no intention of minimizing the words and work of Reverend MLK, I still get goosebumps when I hear the original speech. Also, full disclosure, I get no residuals from Bed, Bath and Beyond…but if you have any extra 20% off coupons…Start saving them!</p>
<p>Bed risers are, I think, a must for Smith. Not only does it allow you ample under-bed storage for bulkier or winter items, but it also makes the beds a normal height, thus improving the look of the room, and the usefulness of the bed as a sitting area. I don’t know why exactly, but Smith bed frames are rather low to the ground (actually, I do know why, they don’t have box springs under the mattress) so you will not be sorry if you get bed risers. </p>
<p>Re: closets and rooms in general: keep in mind that most Smith houses are OLD. And some were schools and/or private residences before becoming houses. Some rooms in these houses were designed for students. Some were designed for students’ maids (no, I’m not kidding. Many a Smithie brought her own maid once upon a time. Corsets don’t lace themselves, kids). Sometimes getting the maid quarters are good, since several maids might have shared a room, they can be actually larger than student rooms (though they are usually now shared by many students, vice maids). Sometimes it really sucks, cause the maids rooms are very small and have small closets. So you just never know. </p>
<p>For example, I lived in Chase one year. Chase used to be a school, so it has several very nice living rooms downstairs. The rooms at the front of Chase House on the upper floors are usually large, and many have ornate mantles. But the rooms at the back of the house are much smaller. We think this is because the rooms at the front were probably classrooms, while in the back was probably either servants quarters or maids rooms. Even the rooms at the front can vary. Some are huge. Others are quite small. And they’re right next to each other. Talk about luck of the draw!</p>
<p>Very useful info. Basically the housing draw assures the student at its’ completion
of the residence house in a particular area but rooms may very widely in square footage,
and storage space. This makes sense. With charm comes a little unpredicability
re storage. Under the bed storage bins (I guess called bed risers) are the order of the
day. Will do!!</p>
<p>Thanks David</p>
<p>Well let’s see the “risers” give you the room to place those plastic storage containers underneath…I think. Haha. Think of them as “bed elevators” that lift up the bed leaving room underneath.</p>
<p>Yes, “bed risers” (sometimes called bed lifts), which you can find at Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, and similar stores, are basically plastic blocks that you put your bed on. The come in sets of four, one for each leg of the bed, and they literally raise your bed off the floor, so you have more space underneath to put storage boxes or suitcases. </p>
<p>If you’re getting bed risers, you may also consider a bed skirt, but that’s more of an aesthetic choice.</p>
<p>David, since you are inquiring about closet space, etc. already before admitted students day, it sounds like your d is leaning towards Smith. Good choice! </p>
<p>Also, don’t forget about trunk rooms where empty luggage can be stored during the school year and large items like mini fridges can be stored over the summer. So you won’t have to lug everything back to Fla. We were impressed with the size of our d’s room and the closet space (1 for each student) and quality and amount of furniture.</p>
<p>njcdmom-- Yes, Daughter, wife, me plus the brothers are pretty much in agreement
that Smith will be the choice. D will experience Open Campus 19,20th to confirm the
choice before signing and putting down confirmation money. We learn more that we
like about Smith from every thread we participate in. D is a bit of a clothes horse (in
a nice way) so I was curious about closet/storage space. I suspect she will want to
peak into a few of the residence choices she might make in the housing lottery during
Open Campus Days.</p>
<p>Thanks .02 David</p>
<p>That is great news. I am sure her overnight visit will seal the deal as it has done for many of our daughters over the years.</p>
<p>The housing placement for first years is not a “lottery” per se. She will be asked to rank her preferences in order(by area I believe, not specific houses) and will try to match her to an appropriate house. From all I have heard most people get within their top areas picked. By areas I mean “Green Street,” “Center Campus,” “The Quad,” etc. The lottery comes in to play after the first year. Good luck.</p>
<p>If she stays overnight during Open Campus she’ll be staying in the room of a current student, and she may travel with them to other residence halls either to eat or just to visit her host’s friends, so that should give her an ok sense. </p>
<p>One word of caution, the hosts who work on the regular overnights are Gold Key guides and trained and used to hosting prospies. For Open Campus they let just anyone host, and so there’s some great hosts and some not-so-great hosts. So if she gets a not great host, she should just keep in mind that it’s one person out of a huge campus (2800 women, I garauntee you won’t get along with a few), and keep her eyes open for other pros and cons. And it’s ok to hang out wtih other vistiing prospies and/or their hosts. But hopefully she’ll just have a good time.</p>
<p>I live in the smallest double in my house, and the closet has more than enough room for both my and my roommate’s stuff. However, closet sizes vary within houses as well as between houses – some doubles in my houses have two closets, some have one closet that is twice the size of my closet, etc.</p>
<p>SmithieandProud-- I just scored a set of bed risers. $7.44 at Walmart. They make sense
but I’d never seen these items until this a.m. Just in case there is a run on them in
Western Mass toward the end of August we’ll bring ours.</p>
<p>Thanks Much</p>
<p>David</p>