Housing ?s (again)

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Minnesota
1

<p>Okay, I asked about housing a few months ago. Since then, I've visited campus and decided to attend the U next year! But I've also developed a few more questions.</p>

<p>When I originally submitted the housing application, my ranking was Frontier > Middlebrook > Comstock. But after visiting, I'm wondering whether to move Middlebrook up. The West Bank was not as sketchy and inconvenient as I expected, and I thought the facilities at Middlebrook were a lot nicer than the Superblock. Also, I kind of feel like the Honors community will have more OOS kids who are in the same position I am.</p>

<p>I take my work very seriously, but outside of studying I mostly like to run, bike, ski, etc. and generally just stay active outdoors. I like music but have never really fit in with artsy groups of kids in HS. I watch a lot of sports but never TV shows. My normal pattern is to wake up and go to bed early. I lean right politically but usually keep those views to myself; however, I'd prefer not to live in an environment where literally everyone else is very vocally liberal.</p>

<p>Would the Honors community in Middlebrook be a good fit for me?</p>

<p>Also, did anyone here use the online roommate search thing? It seems kind of awkward to me, but I guess there are advantages over letting the housing people sort things out?</p>

<p>Thanks for any thoughts!</p>

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<p>noimagination…The advantages of the Honors LLC in Middlebrook is what won D1 over to listing that as her top choice. In her mind the benefits of living around like-minded students was extremely important, and the perception that Honors students are stuffy nerds is ridiculous. Regardless of which dorm you live in you’ll find students of all interests, political affiliations, religions, races, eating, sleeping, hygiene habits. That diversity is what makes living in a dorm such a great experience!! I also lean strongly to the right (that’s why they call it right…right?) but my roommate was very much left leaning. I drank semi-heavily (and I’m being very kind to myself) and he didn’t drink at all. We roomed together for 4 years and are still extremely close to this day (best man in each others weddings). Embrace the horror that is the mixed bag of humanity in any dorm. It will broaden your horizons and you’ll enjoy all of it…except the hygienically challenged folks. :)</p>

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<p>Add my son into the mix and that means there will be at least 3 right leaners in Middlebrook. :p</p>

<p>The one thing that stuck in my mind during our tour of Middlebrook was when the guide said “if you want to study and you ask your roommate/neighbors leave you alone/turn down the noise, they will gladly do so.” </p>

<p>I also really liked how you could lock up your bike in the center courtyard of the building so no outsiders could get at it.</p>

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<p>Yeah i still don’t know how to choose. But i put Frontier first and Honors Middlebrook second. I guess whatever I get assigned to is what ill stick with</p>

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<p>OP, yesterday I was looking at the CampusVibe visit reports for the spring and was interested in your visits as you went to many of the schools that S2 is considering for the 2012/13 year. It was a pleasant surprise that you posted on this site since you helped me, I can help you with your question. S1 is an honors student at UMN and is at Middlebrook. He liked the atmosphere, thought the cafetaria was the best on campus (although he really only went to 3), and liked the fact there was one bathroom for every two rooms (and these were cleaned by maintenance.) He actually intended to stay for his sophomore year but would have to go to the suites (which he would have to clean the bathroom and cost was more) so he decided to go to another dorm. He walked to his classes most of the time over the bridge, but took the shuttle when it was too cold. It wasn’t too bad for him, but he did not go to the East side very much at night which might have been a problem. He also found that on weekends shuttles do not run very regularly so he had to walk to the football stadium or other stadiums for the games he wanted to see. Middlebrook is definitely quiet so there are not as many parties going on as in the other dorms although people are nice and there is something always going on. He’s a quiet student who studied in his room alot so this was an upside for him, but may not be for you. As a Freshman I would consider one of the freshman dorms in Frontier (Territorial is known for partying) or Middlebrook. Comstock is nice and very convenient but not many freshman stay there. Hope this helps a little.</p>

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<p>Thanks to all for the comments. I don’t mind walking :)</p>

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<p>As a former Community Advisor (UMN’s version of an RA), and former resident of three of the halls, I can provide a little insight to some residence hall questions.</p>

<p>Honestly, I would say there isn’t a bad residence hall. Each has their own pros and cons. As a large university, I would say that no matter which hall you stay in, you’ll find your fair share of students who like to party, who like to study, and who like to do both.</p>

<p>The all freshman halls - Territorial and Frontier - are both known for being a little outrageous on the weekends (which at UMN, means any day that ends in Y), but you’ll have a great opportunity to meet a lot of great people. These two halls are also home to a lot of LLCs and do have some quiet hallways too - it’s really up to chance.</p>

<p>As a Freshman, I lived in Comstock and Pioneer. Comstock was about 60% first-years - all halls are majority first-years. The proximity to the West Bank and the Mall was ideal, and it was close to the Union, which was great, too. Pioneer, while not the most pleasing amenities, really fostered a great community and you didn’t have to worry if you spilled on the floor (they have tile).</p>

<p>As a Sophomore, I lived in Centennial (before I went abroad), and then also was a CA there, my following year. My experience differed greatly - as a resident, the 5th floor was quiet and was great for studying and hanging out with friends. The lower levels tended to be a little louder, as they were generally filled with more first-year students. As most of the rooms in Centennial are single rooms, Centennial works really hard to create community-building opportunities for people to get together. Overall, I really enjoyed the Superblock experience, over Comstock, due to the proximity to the Stadium, Washington Ave. restaurants, and a greater overall college atmosphere.</p>

<p>I had quite a few friends that lived in Middlebrook, Sanford, and Bailey, as well. Middlebrook was good - the bathrooms were a huge plus. If you’re studying social sciences, I would say Middlebrook would be great. If not, I would recommend a different hall, as Middlebrook is rather out of the way, for classes on the Mall (the bus fills up quickly during the winter). Same goes for Bailey - if your classes are in St. Paul (mainly CFANS, Design), this is a great option, and will cut out the 1/2 hour travel time to class.</p>

<p>Sanford, I think also has a great community, a great location - close to the Knoll, the Mall, and the Campus Circulator, and is quieter than the Superblock. You’re also relatively close to the Rec, Dinkytown, and the West Bank.</p>

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<p>While you may say that you don’t mind walking, remember that the U rarely closes, meaning that you will be walking rain, sleet, snow, and bitter cold. The closer to your location, the better, as the buses are frequent, but fill quickly during peak times of inclement weather.</p>

<p>All that said, I love the U, and am actually looking at moving back up to Minneapolis sometime soon!</p>

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<p>The west bank is definitely much quieter than east bank. The graduate programs in business, public policy and the law school are there, so you won’t find people hanging out on the lawn playing ultimate frisbee. The east bank definitely has more of a “big university” vibe.</p>

<p>I attended a grad program on the west bank and had a couple of classes on the east bank and the trek from west to east during the winter was do-able but required some planning. You will be dependent on the busses, which are dependable and efficient.</p>

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<p>I crossed the bridge several times when visiting and it is not a long walk. I walk quickly and dress for the elements. Regarding weather, I have lots of experience walking in foul conditions - including temps well below what I’ll see in Minneapolis - and it’s not a big deal.</p>

<p>My gut is telling me to go for Middlebrook just based on my experience visiting.</p>

<p>Thanks for the detailed responses!</p>

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<p>If you want to have a quiet environment to study in in an unquiet dorm than just get the headphones that gunman wear to practice shooting:)</p>

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<p>My son’s application date for housing is 1/15. Is that considered late? Does he have a chance to get one of his top choices, or will he likely be in one of his last choices? Thanks!</p>