<p>Yeah, it's that time of year again! :) It's looking like, unless I somehow magically get into Swarthmore and decide to go there, I'll be going to Wes. I went through a bunch of the old housing threads during Programming today (instead of programming >_>), but I was confused by a few things.</p>
<p>First, what's the general ratio of singles to doubles in Butterfield? I remember reading in at least one place that it was primarily singles with a few doubles, but I also think I remember hearing that there were plenty of doubles. Butterfield (do you say Butterfield? Butterfields? or just Butts?) seems like a good place for me, since it's quiet and near the science center and science library, but I really want to live in a double. Is it feasible for a freshman to get a double here?</p>
<p>Also, can anyone give a report on Substance-Free Housing? I know that it's in Butterfield, but not too much more than that. I read that it's 10 rooms. So, only 10-20 people do Substance-Free Housing? Also, what exactly does it entail? I've heard from our neighbor who did substance-free housing at his school that there, you get in trouble if you come into the substance-free dorm obviously drunk or high. I'm someone who's never used drugs or gotten drunk in high school. I think I'd be okay maybe drinking in a controlled atmosphere in college (like with a small group of friends), but in general I think I'd want to keep alcohol/drugs and my residential life very separate.</p>
<p>Thanks for taking the time to read this! All responses are very, very appreciated. :)</p>
<p>I don't know much about sub free housing, so I can't be very helpful there. I do know that we also have a well being house, a program house for sophmores and up who are sub-free and generally want to focus on a healthy lifestile, so the ten or so rooms in the sub free hall are a little deceptive in terms of number of people who opt for that. As far as I've heard, our sub free hall is not as strict as your friend's, but, again, I'm not actually sure. </p>
<p>Anyway, there are definitly a number of doubles in the Butts (which is what we call them). Since doubles in the Butts aren't generally what most freshmen want (they either want singles, or doubles somewhere more "social"), I doubt you'll have a problem getting that, if you specifically request it. I think on the new housing forms you actually only get a choice between "frehshmen only" dorms (Fauver and Clark) and "mixed class" dorms (The Butts and Nics), but if you ASK for a double in the Butts in the extra comment space or whatever, I bet they'll be able to accomidate you :D</p>
<p>adaman-
yo i feel the same way. i don't mind my friends getting high or drunk, but i don't want that mixing with my res life. and i'm also interested in studying sci @ wes!</p>
<p>You can absolutely get a double in Butterfield. The way the halls work is that there are doubles on the ends (corners) and singles in the middle, so there will be other people living in a double near you. When the university overenrolls, those doubles turn into triples (because they're gigantic).</p>
<p>Sub-free housing at Wesleyan is a little different from other schools, I think. I know plenty of people who lived in regular (non-sub-free) housing frosh year and definitely don't drink or do drugs, or do so only very occasionally. I'd say that if you aren't completely morally opposed to drinking-- which it sounds like you aren't-- I wouldn't go for sub-free. You'll be totally fine in normal housing, especially if you request mixed-class.</p>
<p>Also, Wes is way cooler than Swarthmore. So perish the thought of going there.</p>
<p>I don't mean to hijack Adaman's thread, but I have a question about housing to which others might appreciate an answer as well (I'm still a junior, but I'm getting a head-start on all my in-depth research, heh). Anyway, what is mixed housing like at Wes? When my brother went to college, he asked for all-freshman housing because he thought he'd have an easier time making friends on an all-freshman floor and, well, he was a bit intimidated by the idea of living with sophomores and juniors. I see his point, but I'm a bit more social than him so I'm not sure if I would benefit from all-freshman housing the way he did. That being said, what are the advantages and disadvantages of living with all freshman, and living in a mixed dorm, at Wesleyan?</p>
<p>Thanks for the responses, guys! jumble_j, I think you're probably right. I was thinking about substance-free housing because my brother, now a sophomore at Colgate, suggested it. He chose not to do it, but ended up regretting it the halls of his dorm building were littered with beer cans, and he ended up spending almost all his time with the people in substance-free. But Wesleyan, of course, is not Colgate. When I visit Wesleyan I'll ask around about it a bit more, but your response was very helpful.</p>
<p>Also, how social/anti-social is Butts? I've read before that you guys don't think the stereotypes that have become attached to each dorm are very accurate or helpful, and I'm sure that no matter what, there's still cool socializing going on there, but still, any thoughts on that?</p>
<p>I still don't know how I feel about Swarthmore vs. Wes... and at the moment, I'm doing my best to reserve judgment until I know my options. The odds that I'll have to make that decision are slim enough as is :P. I'm still pretty surprised I got into Wes. If I get into both, it'll be an Easter miracle :P</p>
<p>Thanks again for all the responses! And I second gg0624's question about mixed-class vs. freshman-only dorms.</p>
<p>All frosh housing can be good if you want to have an easy built-in social group. The main disadvantage of this is that all-frosh housing tends to be crazier and louder, because people pregame/party on the hall, go out as a group, and come home late and rowdy as a group. This doesn't happen in mixed-class housing because people are more likely to have friends all over campus that they're going out at night with, and there's less of the hall-party thing going on. </p>
<p>And, for what it's worth, it seems that a lot more athletes are requesting all-frosh housing (possibly because these dorms are closer to the gym than the mixed-class ones?).</p>
<p>If you want to have your own room (either a single or a two-room double), you'll be in mixed class housing (Butterfields or Nicolson). The frosh-only dorms (Fauver or Clark) have only one-room doubles, so everyone will share a room with one roommate. </p>
<p>WestCo is another option, frosh there are in doubles, mostly one-room.</p>
<p>Also, you shouldn't forget 200 Church Street, which is not a dorm at all, but rather a converted frat house with only 30-40 residents or so. It's focused on diversity and combating oppression of all kinds, and is a really cool, close, community-feeling place. If the idea of dorm life seems kind of impersonal to you, check out 200 Church.</p>
<p>Yeah, there's no way that you'd need sub-free housing at Wesleyan the way you would at Colgate. People definitely drink at Wes, but I don't think it's at all the same kind of culture around drinking that bigger, more sports-oriented schools have.</p>
<p>The Butts are definitely not anti-social at all. They can sometimes FEEL a little more isolated because more people have singles, there are more sophomores on the halls, etc., but that does not mean that you won't have friends if you live there. Rather, it's just that Fauver and Clark are more of a constantly-social environment. It can frankly be kind of tiresome. I lived in Fauver and wished I hadn't, just because people on my hall were kind of crazy.</p>
<p>Adaman: I’ve heard mixed things about the Butts for freshmen. Most people I know who lived there really liked it. They said their halls were very social (open doors, lots of people hanging out together, etc) and they made a lot of friends that way, but there weren’t as many loud dorm-parties as you often get in Clark, Fauver and WestCo (which was a plus for them, and, it sounds like, you). </p>
<p>OTOH, the Butts are shaped really weird, and I do know a couple of people who got stuck in isolated areas surrounded by sophomores, and they all were/are not very happy with their living situation, because they found it too anti-social. That said, I don’t think the doubles are as likely to be isolated in that way. </p>
<p>Gg0642: I’ve never lived in mixed dorms, so this is all from second-hand evidence/observation from friend’s dorms, but I’d say in general the Freshmen housing is easier for making friends with the people that live around you, and therefore also normally, as jumble_j says, bigger on the loud dorm parties/large groups of people all going out and coming back together. </p>
<p>This is not to say that sophomores and juniors wouldn’t be willing to befriend freshman living on their halls, or anything they aren’t actively LOOKING for friends on their halls the way other freshmen are. That said, all the mixed dorms have a fair amount of ureshman, and if you’re outgoing, you’ll also easily make friends with some of the upperclassmen on your floors, and, of course, with people from other areas of you life. The mixed dorms have the advantage of generally bigger rooms for regualr doubles, and the options of two-room doubles and singles, and are generally slightly quieter (not that there won’t be dorm parties, esp. in the Nics). WestCo is the exception to this last rule. If you’re looking for mixed class but still very active and party-full, WestCo might be the way to go.</p>
<p>Cool, thanks for the responses. I've still got a year to go, but it's good to start thinking about this stuff early on, since I'll be living on a college campus for a good 4 years of my life. :-)</p>
<p>There is nothing wrong with the Butts. It's only anti-social if you are anti-social. You get large, spacious rooms with a good view of the courtyard. WesWings and Summerfields are basically right there, and PAC, Olin, and College Row are right across the street.</p>
<p>I lived in Clark and it was a good experience. It was kind of loud, since I lived on the first floor next to the elevators and bathrooms, but not so loud that you can't concentrate or fall asleep. But if you are shy and quiet, it might be a good idea to live there; just how close the rooms are to each other basically forces you to socialize and not be a recluse and open up.</p>
<p>If you play a sport or like to work out, Fauver is the closest to Freeman.</p>