<p>How big is the campus? Does it feel spacious and is there a lot of green space/quads? How are the dorms and how far is it from the heart of St. Louis?</p>
<p>There isnt quite as much grass as some schools, but theres definitely plenty around campus, and theres never a shortage of quads/open spaces to play guitar or frisbee, or whatever your into. The new dorms are extremely nice, the best I saw when I was doing my college searching, and the old dorms (what about 35% of kids are in) are not as nice but have a more social environment. It is kind of far from the heart, but there are metrolink stops on the edge of campus, so its just a 10 minute no-hassle ride if you want to go. Also the loop is a thriving area which is in fairly short walking distance of campus where you can do like everything you need. There arent really any complaints that I can think of...</p>
<p>I think WashU's campus is relatively medium sized. I don't have exact dimensions, but the walk from the Brookings Quad (for all intesive purposes, where the campus starts) to the South 40 (main res area) is about 10 minutes (if ur walking @ normal speed). The buildings are all close together. The campus is closed so the only street you have to ever really cross is Forsyth (between the 40 and main campus); however, there is an underpass which goes under that street so u never really ever have to cross a street to move around campus. I've never had to use a shuttle to get around or anything. I think there are plenty of grassy areas on main campus and on the 40, in fact, the 40 centres around a huge grassy field, sand volleyball courts, basketball courts, and swings (an area known as the swamp) and I see kids playing frisbee and stuff around all the time. Although it is true some grass space may have been temporarily lost due to construction, that will all change one the new university centre and new social sciences and law buildings are built</p>
<p>When is all of the construction scheduled to be complete?</p>
<p>the university centre & underground parking garage will be completed at the beginning of the 2009-2010 school year </p>
<p>the social sciences and law building should be finished in about 22 months </p>
<p>however, i am pretty sure that there will be construction on the 40 in the near future as Lee House, Beaumont House, Umrath House, and Ruby house are going to be rebuilt</p>
<p>There are definate green spaces-and LOTS of flowers. This might not be the best situation if you have allergies.....but it is a pretty campus in spite of all the construction. And it does have "quads". At least I traverse over a great deal of grass to get from one class to the next in the mornings. Well, I guess that gives you the sense that it's a long trek, but no, it's a shortish walk, but there's grass on it.....not just a few strands here and there, but plushness....okay....now that that's clear......
I kind of got the impression that you were also asking about the size in terms of students-and I would say that you're always meeting someone new. At popular times the eating places are crowded, but I've never had to wait in line for an exceptional period of time. And when we have popular events on campus (like the lecture by Bill Nye), yes, you do get a sense that 'wow!' there's a lot of people here, but in general, it's a nice feel.</p>
<p>Another thing-the old dorms are definately NOT that bad. For one thing the walls are thicker so you get more privacy/quiet. And yes, we do have a reputation for being more social, because our doors naturally stay open, and our hallways are smaller (and not as sterile and hospital looking as the ones in the new dorms). Also, although this may change as the old dorms are being torn down, we are closer to the main campus (even if it's only by a negligible amt, it /does/ make for a nice situation when you realize that you have class in ten minutes (for those of us who apparently walk below normal pace as stated above lol) . Also the food is good. There are a few places scattered around campus to eat. Most of the people on the S40 do end up eating in Bear's Den, which is like a small cafeteria, but during the day, you can vary where you eat. Given they offer pretty much the same food, so you can get tired of it, but you're not eating EVERY meal in the same exact place (unlike some other campuses)...</p>
<p>and also if you really like ot be outside and surrounded by nature forest park is literally across the street from campus and makes for a nice walk when it isn't really hot or raining. i know that technically its not part of campus but its really convienient.</p>