<p>
I’m aware of that, I’m transferring in as a Junior. </p>
<p>My original question was: Does anyone have any input on the Wada Apartments in Unit 2?</p>
<p>I am a transfer currently living in Wada. Most people say that Wada is amazing-- and it is amazing compared to the dorms. It's only a few years old and includes 2 bedrooms with a common area/kitchen and its own bathroom. However, I would say that I felt that the compliments are just slightly overblown. Cheap Ikea furniture and a cement utilitarian look keep Wada from looking like a "real" apartment. Not that this is a huge problem-- I was just expecting more because of the way people talk about it. Also, be warned that there is practically no cell phone reception because of the cement walls.</p>
<p>Most apartments consist of a triple bedroom and a double bedroom, with a total of 5 people living in each apartment. The toilet and shower are separated into stalls, making it easier for this many people to share one bathroom. The kitchen includes lots of cabinet space, a microwave, a stove, a sink, and a refrigerator. </p>
<p>The nice thing about living in an apartment is the added privacy. If your roommate wants to go to bed early and you want to stay up it is easy to study in the common area. This definitely reduces roommate issues since it is easier to compromise on such things. </p>
<p>Many people say that the apartments are not very social, but I haven't had that problem. Since each apartment is self contained, many people do not venture out into the hallways except on their way to class. Also, people are less likely to attend hall activities and the RA's are more hands-off. However, during welcome week I was outgoing enough to meet many people on my floor and we have continued socializing for the rest of the semester. As long as you are aggressive in meeting people in the beginning you shouldn't have a problem. </p>
<p>Wada is listed as cheaper than the dorms, but it also comes with a smaller financial aid package and you must buy your meal plan separately. If you factor these things in, the prices are probably about the same. Since Wada apartments are significantly bigger than dorm rooms and come with a kitchen, they're a pretty good deal. </p>
<p>Let me know if you have any other questions.</p>
<p>1) do both genders ever share a room? o.0</p>
<p>2) hypothetically if someone entered Cal with 2.5 years of credits done because of dual-enrollment in high school, could they get junior standing and therefore get into wada..?</p>
<p>The apartments are single sex</p>
<p>Ok, you are allowed to have a fridge, just not a full sized fridge. You get something called a microfridge, where the fridge and the microwave are plugged into the wall/surgeprotector with one plug for the both of them...</p>
<p>Thanks karabear1 for the detailed info about Wada Apartments</p>
<p>I have a few more questions about the living situation.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>My EFC is 3940. I don't know how that corrolates into financial aid, but I believe I have no financial need. Does that mean that I will have no aid/grants if I choose to live in dorms? It seems to me that Wada + Platinum non-res meal plan is significantly cheaper than dorming with board. $10320 vs. $13,170, respectively, for double rooms.</p></li>
<li><p>Also, all of the residences state that we live there for the academic year. Provided that the students want to remain at Cal, where do all the students live outside the academic year?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>That's still a pretty low efc. I had $6,000 efc before I appealed my financial aid offer and still got a full financial aid package. The only difference was that my loans were unsubsidized. </p>
<p>If you have no financial aid, Wada IS significantly cheaper. If you do receive financial aid (and I think you will), they end up being about the same. According to the financial aid website, the off campus package for 07-08 was<br>
$21,328 compared to $25,308 for on campus. This means that they will give you about $4,000 less if you live in Wada. </p>
<p>Like I said, however, it's still a pretty good deal considering Wada is so much better than the dorms for about the same price. </p>
<p>As a side note, I would not suggest buying the biggest meal plan. Since you have a kitchen, you probably will end up at least eating breakfast/lunch at your apartment most of the time. I started out with the meal plan last semester and switched to the smallest this semester. I'm still substantially over in points even while eating at Crossroads almost every night. You will get tired of crossroads, especially since you have the ability to cook. Just thought I'd give you the warning that I wish somebody had given to me. </p>
<p>You will have to figure out somewhere else to stay during winter break since you will forced to vacate during the month between fall and spring semesters. As far as summer is concerned, there are plenty of options. You can sublet, apply for summer housing, begin renting an apartment for the next year (I hear that this is the only way to secure a decent apartment), or join a co-op. I wouldn't worry about that yet.</p>
<p>Also, don't worry to much if you don't get into Wada right away. Many many people here got in by appealing after they got their housing offers. Since a lot of students apply for campus housing as a backup in case they don't secure an apartment, many spaces will open up after housing offers are released. Every one of my roommates got in through appeal.</p>
<p>Again, thank you karabear1.</p>
<p>I just checked my SAR for 2007-2008 and 2008-2009...I guess I should qualify for Financial Aid...because last year my EFC was 13700...but since I quit my job to finish the last semesters...my EFC went down dramatically.</p>
<p>Clark Kerr Campus:
-Pro:Biggest/Newest looking dorms. Best quality food.
-Con:Small selection of food. Expensive. Farthest from campus/telegraph. May seem cliquey because it predominately has athletes living there.
Foothill:
-Pro: Pretty big dorms. Quiet.
-Con: Food is alright. Must walk a ways to get there unless most of your classes are on the East side. Far from central campus (Sproul) and a lot of the food (Asian Ghetto, Chipotle, Top Dog etc.).
Bowles [all male]:
-Pro: Looks cool from the outside. Dorm setup allows for people to be sleeping in one room and doing work in another. Cheapest. Close to Maxwell and Stadium.
-Con: All male. Must use Foothill dining commons. Tons of stairs. Isolated. All Male. Events on Maxwell field, or in the Greek theater, or in the Stadium can be heard (lacrosse games, the Cal marching band etc.). No Females.
Stern [all female]:
-Pro: Quiet.
-Con: Too Quiet. Same area as Foothill and Bowles (you will get used to a lot of hills and stairs).
Unit 1:
-Pro:Closest to main campus (Sproul). Close to a lot of the local restaurants/stores. Close to Crossroads. Newer than most parts of Unit 2 and 3. Has meeting rooms and lounges under the center court yard.
-Con:Can be too quiet or too loud depending on your floor. Rooms (especially triples) are not the biggest.
Unit 2:
-Pro: Closest to Safeway and the place where FPF students have most of their classes. Very similar to Unit 1.
-Con: A bit farther from campus. Shared dinning commons with Unit 1 (Crossroads)
Unit 3:
-Pro:Closest to RSF (Recreational Sports Facility). Close to a lot of restaurants/stores on Telegraph. Has its own dinning commons (Cafe 3) and store (Bear Market) in the middle. Closest to Shattuck and all the stores/food/theaters.
-Con: Older. Uphill walk to more of the Eastern classes.</p>
<p>For Vegan eaters, I would recommend Unit 1 or Unit 2. They both share Crossroads which has the largest selection of food (though not always the best quality). However, each of the DC's have vegan dishes.</p>
<p>In my personal opinion, having lived in Bowles and Unit 1 and having visited all the other dorms, I think the best dorm is Unit 1.</p>
<p>on the Berkeley website for a housing app, does a "quad" room in suite or mini-suite thing mean 4 ppl squish into a room?</p>
<p>basically I'm pretty sure most ppl want to have a lot of space in their rooms, but which housing categories should be avoided if possible? I saw the triples in the Unit dorms and I really didn't like that. I never knew there were rooms with even more than 3. are he suites or mini-suites much bigger than the regular rooms?</p>
<p>Foothill quad is four people squished in one room. Bowles quad is four people between two bedrooms and a common room. The bedrooms are about 3/8's the size of a double and the common room is larger than a double room.</p>
<p>Berky has several errors. Foothill and the minisuites are newest. Foothill is best for vegans. They veganize a lot of stuff at Foothill. Crossroads may have more food, but Crossroads is evil CROSSROADS</a> DELENDVM EST . </p>
<p>Unit 3 is closest to Sproul. Unit 2 and CKC are the farthest from Sproul.</p>
<p>Unit 1 and 2 were built and then renovated at the same times. They are exact replicae of eachother</p>
<p>Thanks for the corrections anon5524485. Personally, I dislike the Foothill DC and feel Crossroads is often better and it is right next to The Den (smoothies, sandwiches) and Pete’s (coffee). I feel there is more of a selection of food AROUND Units 1, 2, and 3. You will get tired of DC food, so it is nice to have a bunch of alternative places to eat at nearby.</p>
<p>clark kerr doesn't have the newest looking dorms.. that title belongs to the mini suites of units 1 n 2</p>
<p>Are mini suites in unit 1 + 2 different from WADA apts? Or are the names uses interchangeably.</p>
<p>They are different. I haven't actually been inside the mini-suites, but from what I understand they lack a common area and a kitchen. Essentially, the mini-suites consist of just a couple rooms and a bathroom. Wada is an actual apartment, with two bedrooms and a bathroom, kitchen, and common area in each.</p>
<p>As a transfer, I applied to Wada. I just received this offer...</p>
<p>Location Unit 2
Room Type RH Mini-Suite Tpl
Term Residence Hall 08-09 Academic Year
Effective Date Aug 24 2008-May 22 2009
Deadline of Acceptance Jun 29 2008</p>
<p>It doesn't say Wada or apartments, is it supposed to? Anybody in Wada that remembers?</p>
<p>You're in one of the units but at least you've got a mini-suite. RH stands for residence hall.</p>
<p>hey guys, i just got my offer...a double min suite in unit 1...i'm just a bit worried - people say that mini suites aren't as sociable as normal room? i'm gonna be an exchange student so i won't really know anyone? any advice on whether it'd be worth requesting a change of room or just more info on what mini suites are like?</p>
<p>thanks!</p>
<p>I lived in Stern last year, which is basically considered one of the most anti-social dorms (if not the most anti-social), and I was fine. So really...don't worry! Obviously it'd be nice to have a social dorm, but honestly, if you want to meet people and do things, you will find a way to do that, whether it's through your dorm or not. I happened to make some awesome friends at Stern and Bowles (plus people from other units through classes/mutual friends/parties), and I didn't even participate in the social events organized by the RAs. Everyone's pretty much willing and eager to make friends, so sociability of a dorm isn't the end-all be-all. Even if you don't end up making friends wherever you live (doubtful but still possible, I guess), you will make friends somehow and if it's important enough to you, you will drag yourself to walk to see them.</p>
<p>And in general, I've noticed that the less "sociable" dorms (at least as they're perceived to be) have more space. In Stern I had freaking HUGE closets and tons of storage space. Bowles is all-male but the room set-ups are pretty nice. And Foothill suites always seemed to me to be very close as are a lot of the floors in Units 1-3. And in terms of dining commons, sure maybe Crossroads is better than Foothill (even I thought so) but after a few months, IT IS ALL CRAP. I mean honestly, it's dorm food prepared in mass quantities for hundreds of people, not the delicious food you're used to at home.</p>
<p>So basically, unless you have a HUGE qualm with your housing assignment I personally don't think it's worth the extra effort to try and change it (I am also really lazy, so I guess you can take all this with a grain of salt). You will meet people and have an awesome time :)</p>
<p>hahaha...thanks...i'm a bit lazy too so i don't think i'll be bothered to change</p>