<p>Post away!!</p>
<p>It can just be very simple, maybe just post the dorm you want and WHY you want it.</p>
<p>not 100% sure but MANZANITA. its newer, nicer, and closer to campus than FT.</p>
<p>Manzanita</p>
<p>Pros:
-newest dorm (built in 2005)
-1 bathroom for every 4 residents (aka 1 bathroom for every 2 rooms on each floor)
-next to Carrillo, which everybody says is the best dining common on campus
-on campus and near classes
-has its own beach
-has its own pool (next to Carrillo)
-next to IV, but not necessarily next to it (it depends on which house in Manzanita Village)</p>
<p>Cons:
-antisocial
-people don't come out of the rooms
-least friendly out of all the dorms
-isolated/secluded, very easy to be stuck in your room and never go out</p>
<p>FT aka Santa Catalina</p>
<p>Pros:
-most social dorm
-1 bathroom for every 2 rooms
-has its own dining common (Portola)
-has its own gym
-has its own pool
-looks like a hotel (was rumored to be a Marriott in the past)</p>
<p>Cons:
-too many people (1200 freshmen in two towers)
-off-campus, farther away from UCSB than most IV apartments
-10-minute bike ride to and from campus, easy to be tempted to skip class (especially when it rains during winter quarter)
-on the outskirts of IV/Goleta, nowhere near the ocean</p>
<p>San Nicolas</p>
<p>Pros:
-next to the ocean, best views especially if you're on the 7th/8th floors
-community feel
-small enough so that you know people from other floors and don't feel like a number
-next to 2 dining commons (Ortega and DLG)
-5-minute walk to Campus Point (one of UCSB's beaches)
-newest out of the Channel 5 Island dorms (San Nic, Anacapa, San Miguel, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa)
-on campus and near classes</p>
<p>Cons:
-Public bathrooms (2 on each floor)
-smaller rooms (much smaller than FT/Manzanita)</p>
<p>San Miguel is similar to San Nicolas, except it's older and everybody says it's more "ghetto."</p>
<p>Anacapa
Pros:
-next to Science buildings
-great view of the ocean
-near Sands Beach and Campus Point
-DLG and Ortega dining commons
-tight-knit community
-near classes</p>
<p>Cons:
-Public bathrooms (2 on each floor)
-smaller rooms (people usually bunk their beds)</p>
<p>I don't really know much about Santa Cruz or Santa Rosa, but I imagine that they're probably similar to Anacapa and San Nic because they're all in the Channel 5 Island dorm area.</p>
<p>I'm currently a first-year at UCSB, so if you have any questions, ask away.</p>
<p>thanks candy wave. my top 3 are going to be FT, Santa Cruz, and San Nicholas</p>
<p>Could you please rate the dorms from the ones you like most to the ones you like least, candywave? :)</p>
<p>How bad is it to have public bathrooms? what the heck does that even mean? How would one take showers there?</p>
<p>Public bathrooms aren't exactly "public" it just means that in one wing of the floor (of the same gender) share a bathroom that has five stalls and about eight shower stalls that have curtains. Since i've been here i've never had a problem whenever i've had to use the bathroom or shower. Since most people have different schedules it won't get to the point that you'll have to wait to use the bathroom/shower. I've never even had to wait.</p>
<p>lostinmotion, is there ways to make sure no one peeks? I mean I'm sure no one will, its just the curtain part makes me nervous.</p>
<p>Well I don't know a 100% way to make sure no one peeks, but the curtains, atleast in my dorm are white so you can't see anything but the persons feet. The ones towards the back of the bathroom to me are more "private" because they are built a bit smaller. I can't explain it structure wise without showing pictures...wonder if I should.. but don't worry about it. :]</p>
<p>haha yes, you should show us pictures!
at first i really disliked the sound of "public" bathrooms but FT & manzanita are starting to sound too unappealing to me so i guess i can sacrifice having a more private bathroom..</p>
<p>I think I'm leaning toward San Nic just because it's right in the middle of the campus and still has a pretty good social aspect to it without the party rep of Santa Catalina or the anti-social rep of Manzanita. I don't really mind the whole public-bathrooms thing because I've had to deal with that (at a much worse level I'm sure) at summer camps and things, and at least this way you don't have to spend time bickering with a few roommates/hallmates on who gets to use the bathroom when sort of thing, you know? Which I'd imagine is more of a problem at the res halls where it's 4 students to 1 bathroom.</p>
<p>But when I visit the campus I want to try and look at all of the res halls and make up my mind then.</p>
<p>I really like San Nics laundry room XD That's just me though. They have tables so you can do homework and stuff while you wait for your clothes(my hall doesn't) and since they have more people they have more washers/dryers than my dorm hall does. Plus it sits between the two dining commons (ortega and dlg). </p>
<p>As for the 4 students to 1 bath i've heard stories from a friend that you can accidently get locked out because in FT the bathroom is between two dorms so each dorm has their own door to the bathroom but when you go to the bathroom and/or shower you have to lock both doors and if someone forgets to unlock one door someone's going to get locked out xD. Doesn't happen often but it's happened. </p>
<p>if i get to it i'll take pics. And captainpookey i'm pretty sure if you ask people will show you their dorms(i saw a few ask during spring insight) or you can pretend to be a student and just walk into a res hall just to check it out. XP</p>
<p>ive been leaning towards manzanita because of the bathrooms... but i went there and damn it was pretty far and secluded... i ditn even want to waste my time to walk there!</p>
<p>probably living in san nic i guess</p>
<p>ive been leaning towards manzanita because of the bathrooms... but i went there and damn it was pretty far and secluded... i ditn even want to waste my time to walk there!</p>
<p>probably living in san nic i guess</p>
<p>i have never ever shared a bathroom, not even with one person so the whole public bathroom thing is a HUGE problem for me.</p>
<p>"ive been leaning towards manzanita because of the bathrooms... but i went there and damn it was pretty far and secluded... i ditn even want to waste my time to walk there!"</p>
<p>Isnt manzanita right on campus? how is it far?</p>
<p>Manzanita is on campus but it is a bit seperated from the center of campus. Though it shouldn't take more then 5-10mins walking to get to the ucen if you take the path by the lagoon and with a bike it's much faster. Here's a map, Manzanita is near the bottom left UCSB</a> Campus Map Plus Manzanita has the best dining common next to it, carillo. </p>
<p>As for the bathrooms, ssarahs I guess FT(4 to 1) could be better or Manzanita since less people share those bathrooms. It takes getting used to, but it's not bad. :]</p>
<p>If im a transfer, is manzanita and san rafael m ONLY options? there are some other dorms that have some benefits and I wouldn't want to be surrounded by a lot of people who have already been going to school there</p>
<p>Alright, here's my ranking of the dorms. I'm not going to rank Santa Cruz, San Miguel, or Santa Rosa since I've never had any personal experience living in those residence halls</p>
<p>1) San Nic
2) Anacapa
3) FT/Santa Catalina *tie
3) Manzanita *tie</p>
<p>It's a trade-off between Manzanita and FT because it depends on whether or not you prefer:
a) living on campus, having the newest facilities, relatively private bathrooms (1 bathroom for every 2 rooms) but not being able to meet many new people (most people don't come out of their rooms). (Manzanita)
Keep in mind that Manzanita is divided into houses, not floors, so it's likely that you'll only meet people from your own house.
or
b) having to ride 10 minutes every day to and from class without taking breaks to go back to your room but getting one of the craziest social experiences you'll ever have... everybody is friendly and you're bound to meet new people all the time (FT)</p>
<p>candywave, why do you rank san nic before anacapa, and those two before FT?</p>
<p>someone said FT is the best because it so the most social and has the most freshmans, so im curious why you didnt rank the first</p>