<p>@mumoftwo: Based on what you said, your son should indeed avoid the Six-Pack / Ikenberry Commons area. These residence halls are party dorms in the extreme. Additionally, this complex tends to be socially homogeneous and unaccepting.</p>
<p>The residence halls in Urbana are a better choice in general. They’re relatively more diverse and inclusive. They’re generally healthier environments. Most students there drink, but usually not to the extremes of the residence halls in Champaign.</p>
<p>ISR (Illinois Street Residences) is generally the closest to Computer Science classes. However, it might not be that much more convenient in practice compared to PAR (Pennsylvania Avenue Residences) or FAR (Florida Avenue Residences), given that there is decent bus service from these areas to the rest of the campus.</p>
<p>All of the University residence halls are fairly basic in terms of room layout and facilities. In general, the private certified residence halls have better amenities but are significantly more expensive.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>