<p>I have a few questions about housing next year</p>
<ul>
<li><p>I am in BHP; I was wondering, could people who stayed in the Honors Quad (Andrews, Blanton, Carothers) comment on what they're like? I know that Blanton has beds that can be lofted, but has no sink, and that none of them have private bathrooms, but is the overall experience better than, say, Jester?</p></li>
<li><p>How are the rates at Dobie compared to the Honors Quad/Jester/San Jac? I also see that Dobie's dining hall closes at 8 PM, which is kind of a major disappointment to me...Is it possible for me to pay for room at Dobie, without a meal plan, and then purchase a meal plan on campus at UT? That way I have access to the campus dining areas? </p></li>
<li><p>Is it really that much of a disadvantage to stay off-campus your first year? Dobie seems so close to the campus that it wouldn't really matter, and the rooms look a LOT nicer...any general advice about housing would be appreciated. Thanks!</p></li>
</ul>
<p>I don’t know anything about the Honors dorm and am not by any means an expert on Jester, so i won’t comment on your first question. </p>
<p>Anyways, I’m not quite sure how Dobie works, but I do know that they rooms are generally nicer and you have more flexibility. It’s a bit more homey and it seems more like an apartment than a typical dorm at UT. Dobie’s overall rates are affordable, especially if you pay at once, and are cheaper than UT’s rates. The unlimited meal option that Dobie has is also a nice caveat, since UT only offers 1700 dollars for dining FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR (you can bet on running out). </p>
<p>I’m not sure if you can get a room at Dobie without purchasing one of their meal plans, so you should contact them ASAP. The one thing I’m fairly confident about, though, is the fact that you CANNOT purchase a meal plan (dine-in-dollars) at UT without living in the residence halls. Now, that doesn’t mean you CANNOT eat at their dining facilities. It simply means you will pay more to eat there compared to those who live in a Dorm. For example, let’s use J2 (the buffet on the second floor of Jester). If you’re a resident in any University dorm, you will play about $3-4 for the buffet. If you don’t live in a dorm, you will pay around $7-8. You can find the exact rates from the division of food and housing at UT. </p>
<p>My Recommendation: Live at Dobie and select the unlimited meal plan. You won’t have to worry about budgeting for food, and you will probably be better off health-wise since you won’t be on the typical “college ramen-noodle” diet as we phrase it. Dobie is more affordable than some of the dorms at UT, it’s pretty much ON CAMPUS since the commute is so short, you get room-service , cable/internet/utilities are included, there’s a pool and gym, and the Dobie Mall is a few floors away.</p>
<p>I thought I read that you can buy the Bevo bucks, however, and that gives you a slightly better price versus cash in the dining halls like Jester? And some offcampus places take those as well? I also have the ability to track the Bevo bucks usage too, and parents can add more $$$ as needed. My son is about to commit to Dobie, and likely opt for the middle meal plan and subsidize his on campus dining with Bevo bucks and cash.</p>
<p>Any student can use Bevo Bucks. If you live on campus, you get $300 in Bevo Bucks as part of your meal plan. For anyone else, you can add $ in any amount. Bevo Bucks can be used for printing on campus, at participating restaurants, and at the UT-run dining center. At the UT dining centers, Bevo Bucks give you 10% off.</p>