<p>Is it possible to get a nice double room as a freshman in the on campus UCLA housing? My son did not like the idea of a triple when he went on the housing tour last summer. Your thoughts please.</p>
<p>there is a small chance freshmen gets doubles but it has be done before, my neighbors are first years and got a double... but triples are not too bad either, i currently live in a triple and there is never a problem of space or anything, we even have 2 or 3 neighbors coming in to watch sports games with us and there is space for all that... and I also think when there is 3 person there is a good buffer person, so when 2 people gets into disagreement the room won't go into complete chaos :)</p>
<p>Also after you get your initial offer you can send a Change of Assignment request to try to get a different room. My friend moved from a triple to a double this way. It's a bit of a long-shot but something to note.</p>
<p>Are you happy with your dorm situation? Do the kids, in general, seem to be pleased with their housing? My son is concerned that it is over crowded and that there won't be room for his computer equipment--therefore thinks he is going to USC. He wants a quiet situation. Would be very happy to have a roommate who likes to play video games and go to movies. No drinking.
Thanks so much.</p>
<p>I have a double, spam has a double, two of our friends have doubles. We are all freshman. It is pretty rare, but not impossible.</p>
<p>mdcissp, your son can indicate on his housing form that he prefers a roommate who does not drink, smoke, etc. he can also indicate how neat he is and what timeframe he usually goes to bed in. a triple in a plaza should provide enough sufficient space. i currently live in a double in a hall and i feel cramped still, imo. i was in a triple last year, and i did not feel like i had a lack of space. there is room for computer equipment such as a hard drive, monitor, keyboard, etc. the desk is extendable. if he wants quiet, a plaza would be better than a hall. most freshman are placed in triples, the freshmen that i know that are in doubles tend to be regents scholars or some other type of scholar. however, you can still get a double if you are lucky enough to.</p>
<p>there is definitely enough space for his computer equipment in a triple in plaza, i can fit my printer, laptop, 22 inch monitor, ps3, lamp, mp3 dock player, books and still have room if I want to bring a desktop computer...</p>
<p>I know several freshman that have doubles. It's rare, but it's still possible.</p>
<p>personally, i would NOT go to USC (or really any other school) just based on the fact that a computer may or may not fit. in the case of SC, the overall dorming situation is far worse than what you get here. as is the entire area. our dorms may be pretty full, but they are new (or renovated, or soon to be renovated), in a great location, and they form a cohesive unit instead of being on random parts of campus like other schools. and as has been said before, there is room in triples for all sorts of things. it may take a little creativity, but what better way to learn ingenuity? one year in a triple is great life experience, and being in a triple doesn't automatically mean the year is going to go south.</p>
<p>Thanks to all of you for your excellent feedback. I really appreciate it. To Liyana: My son sensed that UCLA is overcrowded-the dorms and the classes due to UC budget cuts. He thinks he will get more attention and smaller classes at USC.</p>
<p>so just say at UCLA there is 300 students in a chem class, in USC will be like 200 students... and thats your chances of getting attention... it really depends on whether you seek attention or not, the professor isn't going to reach out and talk to every single student in either case but chances are they'll talk to you when you go talk to them... heck where did everyone get the idea that USC give tons of personal attention... they are not that small, if you want personal attention go to Stanford or similar privates with small classes</p>
<p>I don't have the numbers in front of me, but USC advertises itself as having mostly small classes. My son likes to develop good relationships with his teachers. I notice that UC is facing budget cut backs which will translate to large classes. I see both UCLA and USC as both having lots of strong points and that they are both truly world class universities with much to offer.</p>
<p>I shouldn't be responding here because I know nothing about the current dorm situation. But coming from a family that has both UCLA and USC grads, the serious "drinking" side of the family all went to USC . . . .</p>
<p>And I don't remember anyone inspired by the so-called "small" classes, especially lower division.</p>
<p>It sounds more like your son prefers SC to UCLA, so if you can afford it, that's where he'll probably be happiest, although based on his preferences, he sounds like a better fit for UCLA.</p>
<p>the attention is there if you want it, but its not going to be handed to you. yes, lectures are large and most students will not get face time with the professor.</p>
<p>but if you put in the effort you can have much more interaction and not just be an anonymous number. you have goto office hours frequently, sit in the front row, etc so that you have much more contact and interaction with the professor. usually only a very small percent of students even goto office hours.</p>
<p>well USC has roughly 2/3rd of the student population of UCLA, so in a 300 people lecture at UCLA there are 200 people at USC, in lower division classes there are rarely any class have less than 200 students, so just say there are 180 students in a class at UCLA there are 120 students at USC so I guess the professor there can talk to every single one of them... while here our professors don't talk to anyone...</p>
<p>USC dorms aren't as nice as UCLAs (at least the ones I've been to). Also, their doubles are smaller than our triple plazas. Even with 3 occupants, our triple plazas are quite more spacious. Like liyana mentioned, their dorm buildings are spread out all over campus, so it'd be less convenient to visit friends in other dorms (albeit the hills here are a pain too).</p>
<p>I don't think the class sizes will be that much of a difference between SC and UCLA. If your son really wants individual attention, maybe a small LAC is more for him. Personally I think its a good experience to go to a school where you aren't given so much attention - it forces you to depend on yourself and less on others (this isn't to say you can't get help when you need it). It's up to you(r son) to talk to the TAs or professors</p>
<p>Thank you for all of your caring responses. My son is going to UCLA and USC this week and is going to check out the programs and housing again. I think UCLA and USC are both great schools. My son needs to find his fit. We would have to pay out of state tuition for UCLA vs. a scholarship at USC. USC had a great presentation when he first toured the school last summer. However, he did NOT see the dorms at USC and was concerned about the triples at UCLA. This trip, he will see the dorms again at UCLA and for the first time, at USC. Both schools are strong academically. However, my son's interest in Engineering lends itself to a lot of small group projects and he thinks he will be lost in the crowd at UCLA. He is quiet and conservative-does not want a party school. In fact, he is passing up a fine scholarship to our state school because he thinks it is a party school. Thank you again.</p>