As an incoming freshman, what housing complex is the best? What are the pros and cons to each? Thank you!
It depends on what you’re looking for. On that note, I’ll list the general features of each area. And just for kicks, I’ll include my own opinion on each area. For reference, I lived in Thoreau Hall in Cuarto from 2012-2013.
Overall cost: All areas cost the same amount. A single costs more than a double, which costs more than a triple.
Cuarto, consisting of Emerson, Webster, and Thoreau:
- Across the street from campus
- Across the street from the U Mall, which contains Trader Joe's, Subway, Cost Plus World Market, Old Tea House, Rite Aid, and other stores
- Suite style dorms. This means that you will live in a suite, which consists of a living room, 1-2 bathrooms and 2-4 bedrooms. In Webster and Emerson, you either have 2 rooms with 2 occupants each and 1 bathroom, or 3 rooms with 2 occupants each and 2 bathrooms. In Thoreau, you have 4 rooms, 2 with 3 occupants, 2 with 2 occupants, and 2 bathrooms. NOTE: The suite bathrooms in all buildings are private and are cleaned every other week by student housing cleaning staff. Toilet paper is available at the main desk upon request, so no need to provide your own toilet paper unless you're really picky on what you use.
- Emerson and Webster have pools that anyone living in Cuarto can use. Thoreau has a cool fountain courtyard instead.
- The DC has 2 floors and is smaller than Segundo's or Tercero's DC. It has more single seats, or "asocial seats" as some people call them, then either Segundo or Tercero. Cuarto definitely has the most extensive salad bar, and has actual ice cream instead of frozen yogurt. Cuarto DC likes to emphasize locally produced food, and includes information on where exactly ingredients come from. The foods at Seasonality potentially differ from Segundo and Tercero, but the other food stations (besides the ice cream area of the dessert station) serve the same general food as their counterparts in those areas, albeit with varying menus between the DCs each day.
- Lowest capacity area (around 1000 students)
My personal opinion: People really have a grudge against Cuarto for no valid reason that I’ve found. They complain about it being far, but it’s literally about a minute or two away from Segundo (which conversely isn’t considered far). They complain about it being antisocial because the suite layout makes it easy to hide in your suite all day and only come out for class and to eat, and while it’s true that it’s easier to hide from everyone else in Cuarto, people will be antisocial in all housing areas if they really want to. Conversely, if you take the time to visit the other suites on your floor, hang out in the living room with your door open, etc, you’ll have no trouble being social in Cuarto. It may not be everybody’s cup of tea, but it’s not as terrible as people like to make it out to be. In my personal opinion it’s the best housing area, and I actually requested it.
Segundo, consisting of the high rises, Segundo North, and Regan Hall (too many individual buildings to really list):
- In the north area of campus, down the street from the ARC
- Kitty corner from the U Mall
- Closest area to the frat houses, if you're into that
- Mostly traditional dorms, where your room is attached directly to a hallway and you share a bathroom with your floor. Last I heard the high rises and Regan were set up such that each floor had either a men's or a woman's bathroom, so if that's still the case you may have to go up or down a floor to use your respective bathroom. But I'm not sure if this is still the case. And as far as I'm aware, Segundo North has both men's and woman's restrooms on each floor.
- Some dorms in Segundo North have a quad style configuration, where you have a living area connecting two sleeping areas with two occupants each. This isn't the same as a suite style, because each quad doesn't have its own restroom and as far as I'm aware there aren't doors between the sleeping areas and the living areas.
- The DC is probably the prettiest looking; there's a reason they show this one on tours. Plenty of windows to peoplewatch as you eat!
My personal opinion: Segundo North is nice. The rest of Segundo…not so much. And you can’t request a specific building when filling out your housing form, so you get what you get. I’ve been hearing rumors of renovations the past couple years, but who knows when and if that will come to pass. The ARC is nice and close, but frankly it’s not so much closer than the other areas that it’s at an advantage. And in my personal opinion, this area has the worst DC in terms of overall food quality and crowding but the best DC in terms of views and appearance. It’s also tough to find seating at times, which is sometimes a problem in Tercero (not as often there from what I’ve noticed) and is rarely a problem in Cuarto. The food stations are the same as Tercero. Personally I think this is the worst housing area because of the high rises and Regan, but if you get Segundo North it’s a very nice place to live. When/if the high rises and Regan are renovated, it has the potential to be a very nice overall area.
Tercero, consisting of too many buildings to list:
- In the south area of campus, by the engineering and science lab buildings
- Across the street from the cows, so be prepared for cow smell
- Traditional dorms, both doubles and triples
- The DC is on the second floor of the service building. Probably the biggest DC in sheer size, so expect to walk a bit to get your food
- Has the newest dorm buildings in the eastern section (closest to the engineering buildings), and they're currently building a new one where Leach used to be.
- I'm pretty sure this area has the highest capacity now thanks to the new buildings
My personal opinion: Tercero is nice, with the main downside being the cow smell. On the upside though, you get to visit the cows easily and potentially see them from your room (this is assuming you like the cows, even if you don’t like the smell). It’s down the street from the ARC in the opposite direction from Segundo, and not as close to the ARC but the difference is negligible. This is the area you want to live in if you’re a STEM major, because you’re literally across the street from a lot of your classes.
If I forgot something and realize it later, I’ll mention it.