<p>I just recently received my acceptance to the UMN honors program and was looking online about the honors housing. The idea of being on the west bank doesn't excite me that much and most people on the internet say that students in Middlebrook Hall are "weirdos." How are the students in Middlebrook hall and how is living on the west bank? Also, is being in the honors program but living outside honors housing a possibility? If so do many people do it? </p>
<p>Thanks for your responses</p>
<p>I am in the same situation that you are. When I visited campus, all the students recommended the dorm that they themselves had stayed in. It seems like they all have their advantages. I’m not one for partying though, so I’m planning on avoiding the SuperBlock if I attend.</p>
<p>I do know for sure that Honors students have the option to choose another dorm while still participating in the Honors program. Housing at Middlebrook is guaranteed though. </p>
<p>@mh3353 I’m glad to hear that students can stay in another dorm. Thanks</p>
<p>I have also been accepted into the honors program for next year, but since I have been a full-time PSEO student for the past few years, I have been able to ask classmates who are current Honors students about their opinions. The general consensus is that it depends on your personal preference. </p>
<p>If you really value living with students that are exceptionally gifted and value education, then live in the Honors Community. Keep in mind that everyone around you will be Honors students, so you won’t be living next to random students. The other kids in Middlebrook are often Carlson students, social studies majors, and arts majors. If you aren’t one of these students, most or all of your classes will likely be on either East Bank or St. Paul campuses. There are free buses the circulate between the campuses every few minutes, but being near your classes is still nice because it means less commuting time in the frigid MN winters.</p>
<p>If you value being close to your classes and other students within your major, then you can live in another dorm. I personally will take this route and live in 17th avenue if I attend the U. This is because all of my classes will be on East Bank or St. Paul because I will enter as a junior with a major in Neuroscience. </p>
<p>What do you plan on majoring in? I know where classes for most majors are held, so I can help you find nearby dorms for what you will likely be taking freshman year. If you are undecided, you will likely take Lib. Eds freshman year, which are often located on East Bank, but some are on West Bank.</p>
<p>My daughter has been accepted into the honors program there as well, so we’ve researched everything about the dorms (will be visiting there in January). </p>
<p>Many of the top STEM students will be staying in Frontier Hall in the Superblock because that is where students in the College of Biological Sciences and College of Science and Engineering can stay, and admission to those colleges is as competitive as getting into the honors program. That means the honors students at Middlebrook are likely in non-STEM majors for the most part. They are probably also not foreign language majors in European languages, as those students are probably staying in Stanford Hall which has living learning communities for many languages and is near Folwell Hall where language classes are located. Also, as mentioned above, other students in Middlebrook include performing arts and visual arts majors, and the music performing halls, art gallery, etc. are in buildings right there next to Middlebrook. There is also an international student living learning community there. So it depends on your own interests, major and what kind of students you want to be around. </p>
<p>In addition to walking across the bridge and riding a bike across the bridge and the free buses, there is a brand new metro “green line” train that opened over the summer, with a stop on West Campus and a stop in the middle of East Campus, so that would be another transportation option. <a href=“http://www1.umn.edu/pts/rail/green.html”>http://www1.umn.edu/pts/rail/green.html</a> Also consider proximity of various housing options to the Gopher Way: <a href=“http://www1.umn.edu/pts/walk/gopherway.html”>http://www1.umn.edu/pts/walk/gopherway.html</a></p>
<p>Look at all your options. Freshmen can choose to live in apartments or dorms, and there are many different living learning communities to choose from. Honors at Middlebrook is just one option among many. Many honors classes and events are actually in or near Northrop Hall on East Campus, the same building where the honors department office is, but I would imagine that there are loads of activities at Middlebrook as well. </p>
<p>I’m a current freshman in CSE living in Middlebrook and here’s my input after being here for a semester.</p>
<p>Wherever you live, you’re going to have a walk a lot to get to your classes. It’s a huge campus so there’s no avoiding that. However, you can get to most classes in less than 10 minutes, whether you live in Middlebrook or Superblock. The bus system is very efficient and they run every 5 minutes or so, and the light rail goes about every 10. I rarely use the light rail from Middlebrook unless I’m going to TCF or Mariucci because the bus stop is closer.</p>
<p>West Bank certainly has fewer restaurants and stuff to do than East Bank, but for a college student on a limited budget, it’s helpful to have less temptation around. All of the restaurants on Washington Ave are only a 15 minute walk away if you want more options. Middlebrook has the best food after 17th, which is a step above everywhere else. However 17th has small portions and very long lines, so I always end up eating at Middlebrook out of convenience. It’s not great, but it’s not terrible! There is always pizza and a panini station (but not on weekends).</p>
<p>I’ve visited rooms in 17th, Centennial, and Frontier, and Middlebrook definitely has the most desirable layout. Instead of long hallways, the elevators are in the center of four small wings with a central lounge on each floor. Each double room shares a private bathroom with one other room, so you only have to share the bathroom with three other people. No communal bathrooms is a wonderful perk of Middlebrook! The lounge is where everyone hangs out and where I’ve met everyone on my floor. Some of the other dorms use their lounges as expanded housing, so there isn’t a good central location for everyone on the floor to hang out and get to know each other well. The lounge really helps build community and relationships since a lot of people are in the same classes and work on homework together.</p>
<p>I believe 5 of the 12 floors in the Middlebrook tower are honors. Some floors tend to be somewhat dominated by a particular college. My floor is probably half CSE, so it’s very helpful to have other people in my classes around to work on homework with. The workload is very heavy so I don’t think I would be able to handle it without them. Being surrounded by such talented and intelligent people all of the time seemed scary at first, since I thought I’d always be comparing myself to everyone else. However, everyone is very supportive and helpful and I know I will be lifelong friends with many of the people on my floor.</p>
<p>Now, I have to address the Middlebrook stereotypes. There are a lot of “weird” kids, but I’m sure that’s true in every dorm. Honors kids tend to be very well rounded, not just the “stay in and study all day” type. Everyone takes their studies seriously, but people also like to have fun. A good chunk of the dorm parties, it’s just not as in your face as it probably is in places like Territorial Hall. Most people go over to Dinkytown to party since there’s not much to do on West Bank. Whether you party or not, there are people of all types at Middlebrook.</p>
<p>Definitely consider living in the honors LLC. I had the same doubts, and deciding to live here was one of the best choices I’ve ever made! If you have any questions I’ll try to reply, but I don’t come on here very often anymore since I’m so busy loving the college life here at the U of M!</p>
<p>My college senior honors STEM child is sitting across the room from me and I read him a couple of these posts. Here is what he said: “Pretty much very Honors STEM kid he and his classmate know lived in Middlebrook their freshman year. Most of the STEM kids who live in Frontier are not the honors kids. Heptagirl is right in that you will have to walk a lot no matter where you live. Every dorm has its share of weirdos, nerds, partiers and loners…” Son was simply glad that a) he didn’t have to constantly step over vomit in Superblock bathrooms and b) he feels like a better person for having lived with and interacted with non STEM honors kids while living at Middlebrook. Most of his friends are the ones he met during his Middlebrook stay and they are a very diverse group who all take pride in their studies…liberals and conservatives with a variety of majors - education, pre med/CBS , pre law, lit, journalism, film studies, ecology and engineering. </p>
<p>All the dorms have pluses and minuses - just don’t write off Middlebrook without giving it more thought.</p>
<p>Kajon, should I be worried about a lack of science and engineering majors if I opt for Middlebrook? I think I like Middlebrook better, but I don’t want there to be a lack of kids in my major. The workload is going to be tough, and I certainly want to have friends with whom I can do my homework.</p>
<p>I probably didn’t write as clearly as I could have. Almost all of the honors science and engineering kids live at Middlebrook freshman year. (along with other honors majors) You will find plenty of common minded CSE students and an environment which encourages study time and teamwork. Plus the honors calc and physics classes hold study groups right at Middlebrook. (plus the rooms and the bathrooms are much better) My son says that many STEM kids who are not in honors tend to live in Frontier which is in the Superblock. Both are very smart groups of students.</p>
<p>Hope this helps. </p>
<p>My son graduated in May but he stayed in Middlebrook his freshman year. Most of the people on his floor were from the College of Science and Engineering, and his roommate was also an engineer. He said that Middlebrook had the best cafetaria food on campus, and his floor was very friendly. He did mention a few parties, but mostly it was not a party dorm. An upside was that the bathrooms were in the hallway across from his room and 2 rooms shared a bathroom and these were cleaned by the university. Downside was the cold/snow and having to travel over the bridge during the bad freshman winter he had (third snowiest on record). He did take the bus, but on Saturday and Sundays it didn’t run as often. Also he hesitated to stay on the East Bank late at night so he missed going to movies etc. on the spur of the moment. He stayed in Comstock his 2nd and 3rd year which was much more convenient to his engineering classes and to the Coffman Union (however, he might have stayed in Middlebrook his sophomore year but at that time it was only open to freshmen.)</p>
<p>My 2nd son was accepted to UMN (although went elsewhere). I would have suggested to him to look at Middlebrook again, and to look at the new 17th Street dorm which I believe has an engineering floor.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>In reference to post #6 about stepping over the vomit in the Superblock bathrooms, my son said it was good to be on the 4th floor (he lived in Taylor house/Frontier) since most kids could not make it up to the 4th floor before vomiting. So I guess the 4th floor didn’t have as much problems with the vomit situation as the lower floors did.</p>
<p>@KMizzle my D has been admitted into CBS and plans to major in neuroscience. She picked
the LLC in Frontier as her first dorm choice. What other dorms would you recommend? She is social but not a partier. Convenience to classes would be important to her</p>