<p>I saw the layout of the dorm rooms on the UM website, but can't find info about what is on which floor. If you want to avoid elevators, is that possible in the UM dorms? Can you request, and get, a lower floor and then have no real need to go to the higher floors, or are there facilities on the higher floors that students would want to use on a regular basis?</p>
<p>The freshman dorm setup is two residential colleges, each consisting of two towers, 12 stories each. You don’t get to choose which floor you live on but you do get to mark your residential college preference when signing up for housing. Students with disabilities can live on the first floor, but I’m not sure if you can out of sheer preference. There are no disadvantages to living on the higher floors unless you have special circumstances, so it shouldn’t be a big issue anyways.</p>
<p>Speaking from someone on the 11th floor of Hecht, it is a bit of a hassle to have to take the elevators, but the view completely makes up for it.</p>
<p>Thank you, but can you tell me how the building itself is set up? Are there things on the higher floors that someone who has a dorm on the lower floors would need to access, like maybe study halls, laundry, kitchen? Or would someone who has a dorm on a lower floor never really have any need to go upstairs?</p>
<p>I’m on the 12th floor and totally content ;).</p>
<p>@shoboemom: There are no kitchens. Every floor is equivalent in terms of setup, same rooms and bathroom layout. The first floor (lobby) of each residential college (which connects the two towers) has the mailboxes, laundry rooms, a study room, a computer lab, and couches, etc. There is never any reason to go anywhere other than the first floor and your floor other than to hang out with friends.</p>
<p>Thank you! That is exactly what I wanted to know.</p>