<p>So, I'm leaning towards Cal now vs. UCLA. I have less than a week to sent my SIR, and I still haven't because I'm still trying to familiarize myself with Cal and see if I can stick. That 360 days of socal sunshine is making it difficult for me to decide, I guess.</p>
<p>So, if I do decide to join Cal, I'm considering living in a co-op. I really don't have a good idea of how co-op housing works, and it's real pros and cons. I'm considering it because I didn't get an on-campus housing X ( and I didn't bother the housing dept about it because I thought it was too expensive anyway.
And I don't think I can do well living at home. Besides, even though I live in East Bay, it takes me more than an hour to get to the campus by bus only, or I can take a bus to get to the nearest BART station. It is a very long and tiring commute. </p>
<p>Anyway, any thoughts on why co-op is good or bad idea, if it is cheap or expensive, if it's a good idea to stay in co-op with Cal meal plan...and stuffs..anything that can help me understand how it is to live like that. </p>
<p>OH, a quick question about SIR. So, when I send my SIR, I have to send my proof of California residency(?) as well. Now, I would not sent them at the last moment, but if it can be done online, is it a good idea or bad? </p>
<p>Sorry if my questions are not sensible.</p>
<p>Any advices would be very much appreciated.</p>
<p>I haven't lived in a co-op, but I have visited one. I'm still on the wait-list for fall co-ops even though I applied in Feb. It's understandable why I'm on the wait-list, but now, I just won't even think about getting housing from this program. A lot of people say different things about the co-ops; I just remember my friend telling me that she visited a co-op party and saw people doing lines of coke.</p>
<p>Damn, sparetire. That's shocking, and pretty funny how simply you said it.
But did you mean that it's already too late to even consider that sort of housing now? Cause that would really suck.</p>
<p>The bad thing I have heard about co-op is that they can be dirty. Like 14 people living in a house..makes sense. But if I can have my own bedroom, then maybe it's sth I wouldn't mind considering.</p>
<p>Well, I'm on this gigantic wait-list at the moment, so even though I applied semi-early in terms of finding housing for next semester, I didn't get squat because my preferences were for the smaller houses.</p>
<p>It's pretty hard to get a single room. Newbies usually get triples. You would have to be lucky to have it work out where, as a first year, you got a single.</p>
<p>I'm confused. I didn't know co-ops are University owned. i wasn't offered on-campus housing, but I did go check it out with an alumni, and yeah I noticed the triples...darn, they seem suffocating.
I just thought co-op (or common house?) is a different thing entirely. Correct me if I'm wrong. I don't know much about housing in UCB or the neighboring area. </p>
<p>Don't be surprised, but I haven't even send my SIR yet. I'm about to flip a coin between UCLA and Cal X )</p>
<p>The co-ops are not university owned or affiliated. They accept full-time students from any college in the Bay Area, but not all of their houses are open to all college students - some are UC-only.</p>
<p>I'm also on the big waiting list, and submitted my app in March. At Cal Day, I learned that sometimes people will put their names on the waiting list up to a year in advance, for instance, incoming freshmen who have on-campus housing will put their names on the co-op lists for the following sophomore year. I don't know how necessary this is, but I guess to get into the exact house you want it can't hurt. </p>
<p>All of the houses seem to have their own "personalities" and cleanliness levels. I went to a party at Cloyne several years ago and could not believe how dumpy it was (still is), but other houses, such as Euclid, are quite tidy. I have several friends who lived in and survived Cloyne, though, and they are definitely on the "cleaner" side of living. I honestly can't imagine any of them living there, but they all encouraged me to apply for co-op housing because they enjoyed it so much.</p>
<p>The co-ops I've seen/heard about there are said to be really dirty, and "disgusting," as described by a few people. I'd definitely visit before commiting yourself to one--most find housing or dorms more enjoyable. But whatever floats your boat, it's your living arrangement! good luck</p>
<p>Awh, man. Yeah, I should have probably checked such facility before. Now my friend at Cal tells me that everybody has either moved out since Graduation or gone home for break or sth. Sucks</p>
<p>Does anyone have suggestion to where I can find the information of different kind of housing (dorm, apt, co-ops and every other kind).
It would be very much appreciated.</p>
<p>Most co-ops tend to draw upon a "crunchier" culture. They're no dirtier than fraternities, then again many of those are quite dirty. There is however a very broad range of houses and cultures. Most are really well-located, on the eastern side of campus.</p>
<p>Kingman's is in a really nice spot, northside by a creek with lots of greenery. Davis House on southside is a great place, it's a Julia Morgan house with a gorgeous deck with Bay views, and it's a bit less hippyish than most coops. Cloyne is the big, loud place, Euclid is at the other end, a small nerdiish house. Loth is a hippy wannabe haven.</p>
<p>Apparently Cloyne will be closed for renovations in Sp09, with all its residents guaranteed housing at another Coop, so spots will be tight for Spring.</p>
<p>Best is to take a trip up to Berkeley and visit the houses, or at least look up their website. I wouldn't hesitate to call any house you're interested in and to talk with whoever answers.</p>
<p>S1 lived in the coops for 3 years...had a great time....it is social without being a fraternity...."crunchier culture" is an apt description...if you are interested in lower cost, communal living and aren't a clean freak, then the coops are a good alternative. As for the cleanliness, your mileage may vary but the bathrooms were always clean when I visited, but the common areas were perhaps a bit funky.</p>
<p>one strategy to get into a coop is to live there during the summer.</p>