I’m renting an apartment in Berkeley, about a 15 minute walk from north campus, for the Fall semester. It’s nice but I feel like I am definitely missing out on some of the cool experiences you have when living in the dorms. I’d like to put in an application for the Spring semester but I’d like to know if anyone has lived in one of the units and could give me some insight as to how life is really like.
I think getting into on-campus housing for the spring might be very difficult to a no-go as there is a severe shortage. That being said, you can always apply. Are you a freshman? That would help people give you recs as residences may give priority to certain years. Yes, you will meet more people and feel more “in the middle of it” living in a dorm, as long are your roommate(s) isn’t/aren’t nightmare(s) - then you’ll be wishing you were back in that apartment!
Another thing: the north side of campus tends to be quieter - a lot more action on the south side. If you cannot get housing on-campus but want to move, try finding something in that area if you want more interaction with students and the social.