<p>Okay, now I'm admitted to UCI, and I wasn't even thinking about it as an option -- that is, until I actually got accepted. So, it's too far away from home, so I'll need to look into the dorm situation. I've looked at the website on housing, but am a little confused. It looks like there's residential housing and Arroyo something (too tired to look up the exact name). What's the diff? And is it all triples or is it doubles or singles -- is it with kitchens or meal plans? The housing looks kind of nice, actually. I assume all wireless, etc., but is there a common room for t.v. or are they like suites with living room? How close to classes?</p>
<p>Anyone who has actually lived there, any recommendations?</p>
<p>Yes, I'm going to visit now and see for myself, but I'd like some insight before I actually visit.</p>
<p>well, my bro goes there. so i speak some truth</p>
<p>there are two housing options i know of. </p>
<p>on-campus - you're actually on the campus where most of the buildings are. they're your typical college dorm campuses. one is themed LOTR, which is really cool... <em>tangenting</em> aaaanyway. and yeah, those come with meal plans and junk since they have their own cafeterias and stuff. they're cheaper and i think they're roomate-style single bedrooms.</p>
<p>off-ish-on-ish campus housing. this housing is "off-campus", meaning a city block (i guess) away, but they're still sponsored by UCI. those are arroyo and vista campuses. they don't have meal plans or anything like that. they are either two-room or four-room apartment-style housing, with a kitchen and living room and maybe, if you're lucky, your own laundry machine. these are obviously more expensive, but they're BRAND NEW, less than 2 years old. </p>
<p>well, i'll be a freshman too next fall. based on what i've heard, you can live in either middle earth or arroyo (a few freshman only). middle earth was really cool. spacious, up to date, and clean. its also right next to the core campus.</p>
<p>hit me up if u wanna talk about this at all</p>
<p>proxility I believe that you are thinking about Vista Del Campo/Norte on campus apartments. These are the new apartments that are pretty swanky and that everyone wants to live in (or so they would like us to think). This housing option is only available to sophomores and up. However, freshmen are guarenteed two-year housing so you might be able live there next year. I'll be at Norte starting this summer actually. </p>
<p>Arroya Vista and Campus Village are also on-campus apartments. Freshmen can live here. They are not too new I don't think. Arroya Vista offers "themed houses" (ie. a house for bio majors or a house for international students) Arroyo Vista is also home to a bunch of greeks. Kinda like the unofficial Greek Row. Campus Village is generally for the transfer students but freshmen are offered stay there also.</p>
<p>Because these on-campus apartments do NOT require you to buy a meal plan, they are actually CHEAPER than the dorms. This is why they are choices for those kids who want to save some money.</p>
<p>The two dorming complexes are Mesa Court and Middle Earth. Middle Earth is actually small (room size) and more....squished together. Mesa Court (where I live) has a bit of an apartment-complex kind of feel. I'm living in one of the newer halls (Cascada) so I am enjoying a bigger room, nice showers, cleaner amenities along with my wireless internet. However, there are claims that Middle Earth has a "family" feel to it, ie. everyone is really close and all that fun stuff.</p>
<p>If you work it out, dorms is like...1000 a month and the oncampus apartments are like half that.</p>
<p>Are they singles, doubles, triples, or a combo? And are there options for non-greek type liberals, or am I asking too much?!? I get the impression that UCI is a bit more conservative than some of the other UCs (not that there's anything wrong with that!).</p>
<p>If you're a freshman, you want to live in either Mesa Court or middle earth. Arroyo Vista is usually for upperclassmen and it's also farther away from campus. </p>
<p>Yes, there are singles, doubles, triples option for MC/ME. These dorms have kitchen, but if you're a freshman, you need to buy a mandatory meal plans.</p>
<p>And they're all really close to campus, usually about 10 min walk from my room to my class.</p>
<p>So I plan on housing in arroyo vista b/c I don’t want to pay for residence hall pricing. Do you recommend otherwise, I really liked mesa but idk if the dorm experience is with its price…help?</p>