<p>Hey everyone! I can NOT decide if I should live in a dorm or if I should get an apartment (Lucky or The Towers)</p>
<p>For one academic year, Lucky is: $7650, The Towers are $850/month (not sure if that's a binding year contract?), and Sellery is $6779 and Smith Hall is around $7600.</p>
<p>Is Smith's location far away?</p>
<p>So why is Smith Hall (a little nicer/more spacious than the other halls) about the same as Lucky??? Is there a trick? Lucky has kitchens and the location is great! Is it better to live there? Also, for The Towers, would it be a charge for $850 a month for the seven/eight months of the academic year, or a 12 month charge.</p>
<p>I entered a contract with the school for dorms, but I'm really considering changing my mind.</p>
<p>Sorry for the tangents. Let me know your opinions, I am so lost!</p>
<p>If you signed on for a dorm and are going to UW you are pretty much on the hook for that unless they want to release you–not a given. You do get a nice discount on dorm food with Smith and not Lucky. Smith is farther away but not that far. A few blocks. Area around Towers gets really noisy at times. Also mopeds parked out front get abused.</p>
<p>Yeah, you can’t get out of the dorm contract unless you decide not to go to UW, I think. Smith is nice and fairly close to classes, it’s maybe two blocks to University which is kind of the main street to the class buildings. Smith also has a small dining place inside which is really much more awesome than you think, especially in the winter. Ogg is also a good choice if you want something newer…Smith is in high demand because it is newer and more spacious, plus sophomores sometimes like to live there, so you need a few options. The dorms are all really nice though (some of them are not very fancy or large but they are all perfectly nice places to live), and most of them are close to classes whether you’re in Lakeshore or Southeast (they’re on opposite sides of the same class building area).</p>
<p>Remember that you are not guaranteed a specific dorm. You list preferences. It’s been mentioned several times on CC that many Freshman often get their 4th, 5th, or 6th choice…unless you pick a learning community. Whether those generalizations are accurate or not is debateable, but don’t assume that if you decide Smith is your top choice, it’s a slam dunk.</p>
<p>I just realized that I was in a binding contract- oops! Hah, but it’s okay. Honestly, as a transfer I feel the social aspect of the dorms/dining is something that I really need to experience. They give transfer students (sorry I didn’t mention I’m a transfer) the option of choosing our specific dorm and room, so that’s why I am debating between Sellery and Smith. I know Smith is a little nicer and newer, but I’ve only heard great things about Sellery. Also, Smith is about $950 more…</p>
<p>How old are you? Would you feel comfortable living with freshmen who are fresh out of the nest and wanting to party like crazy? Sellery is a perfectly nice place to live (even for those who don’t want to constantly party) but the majority is mostly freshmen looking for a certain type of atmosphere. If this sounds good to you, Sellery is a great choice. It’s definitely fun, has a great location, and you’ll meet lots of people (and regardless of what anyone says, you’ll be able to study in the many study spots available). If you’d like a quieter atmosphere or would be annoyed by a lot of freshmen, pick Smith. Majority freshmen of course, like all dorms, but a few more sophomores choose Smith because it’s nicer. I think Sellery is perfectly fine for any student, but if you’re being offered the choice, consider your own unique needs to decide which dorm is right for you.</p>
<p>They have a transfer house in Adams but I do not want a single room, and I was more interested in the Southeast dorms. I’m going to be a sophomore; I’m looking forward to meeting a lot of people so I think Sellery may be the best option! Thank you all for your help!</p>
<p>Even being a sophomore it can be difficult to associate with someone brand new to college. A lot of freshman still have a “high school mindset,” where they see college as just more school. After the first year most realize this isn’t the case and that in many ways college is a lot more “real world” than people give it credit for. Study habits, new social expectations, and new academic requirements tend to be a shock for a lot of freshman as well, and they often spend much of their first year trying to deal with them.</p>
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<p>When I transferred to Madison in 2010 I definitely did not have this choice, are you sure you aren’t just talking about the ranking that they let everyone have? I actually put the transfer house (then in Tripp) as my #1 choice and I didn’t get it (I ended up in Adams, which was still good).</p>