<p>I am going to be attending Hillsdale College in Michigan this fall. I was wondering what is the best freshman men's dorm and what is the party scene like on campus?</p>
<p>From what i’ve heard… partying is dead money.</p>
<p>Niedfeldt used to be a sort of “privileged housing.” It’s small and quiet. Simpson is massive and filled with jocks. Galloway is sort of the middle ground, medium-sized with some interesting dorm-mates mixed in. Take your pick.
As for the party scene, the honor code (which you may have signed by now) reads, “A Hillsdale College student is honorable in conduct, honest in word and deed, dutiful in study and service, and respectful of the rights of others. Through education the student rises to self-government.” Though there has been a crackdown on destructive partying among the frats, if you can honestly hold yourself accountable and do the college no wrong, party on. Not much free time at Hillsdale, but parties do happen and they’re not too hard to find. Best wishes.</p>
<p>thanks for the response. So there is an active party scene on campus.</p>
<p>oh I just remembered, I have a hookah that I want to bring to college with me. will hillsdale allow it on campus? I plan to only smoke shisha (tobacco) out of it. I also plan to obey all college rules on smoking.</p>
<p>Kev,</p>
<p>You can’t have hookahs in the dorms, as far as I know. When I was an RA back in the Days of Yore, some kids were careless with the coals and they fell off and burned holes in the carpet. There was at least one instance where the fire alarm went off. I recommend keeping it in your car or, if you don’t have one, quickly finding someone off campus to hold onto it for you. (I did this with firearms.)</p>
<p>Dorm preference is entirely on you. By reputation, Galloway has a tight community but also community bathrooms and no air conditioning. I lived in Simpson for two and a half years and it was fine-- it’s a place I worked and slept. Suite-style with 4 men per bathroom, and air conditioning. It ends up housing most of the athletes, notably the football players since they arrive weeks early in the fall for practice and it’s easier to put them all in one place. I lived in Niedfeldt for one semester-- also suite-style w/ tight community. It gets a bad rap as “nerdfeldt,” but Friday evening gin and tonics were a fine tradition that may continue to this day. </p>
<p>I recommend you remove “party scene” from “on campus.” If you want to have/attend good parties, be it wild or chill, go off campus. With the continuing crackdown on the Greek houses (which was already in full swing nearly 10 years ago), it’s far more fun to go off campus. I recommend the apartments downtown that are above the shops-- very few families live downtown so there’s nobody there to call the cops and complain about the noise. On nice evenings you can also walk home, or if you have a DD it’s like a mile from campus. Another great option is Baw Beese, but the rental houses are so nice that usually students who get ahold of one are understandably reluctant to throw parties, plus it’s a pretty far drive by 'Dale standards (like 4 miles). </p>
<p>You have an entire life to perfect self-government. Drink while you can. By your late 20s it will be quite declasse to be tying one on at the bar, whereas at 18 it’s perfectly legitimate to master the Power Hour and win eight games of Beruit in a row.</p>
<p>Thanks so much for your very detailed response. Perhaps the most helpful tidbit was the info on Air Conditioning. I think simpson sounds good. Is it loud with all the athletes though? I want a dorm that has a good quiet study environment when needed. Does simpson have that?</p>
<p>Simpson is certainly louder than Niedfeldt and Galloway, but when I was an RA it was usually quiet enough to read, etc. Friday and Saturday nights are louder, esp. after football season ends, but you shouldn’t be studying on those nights, either. </p>
<p>Hillsdale has a big enough library (which is dead quiet) and plenty of other quiet places to study without all of the distractions you’ll have in your dorm room aside from noise. </p>
<p>Don’t worry too much about your dorm. Socially, the less waking hours you spend in the dorms, the better. It might even be a blessing to get the worst roommate ever.</p>
<p>I have one final question, are there any current Hillsdale students willing to show me the party scene when I arrive on campus in the fall? I want to make friends and connections fast!</p>
<p>Hey kev2012, so I’m a current senior and I’ve become interested in hillsdale. Since you wrote that you planned on attending there; How’s the social scene? Do you like the school overall? </p>