<p>hey everyone i was just assigned in the river cluster (judge hall, sub-free) everyone says the river cluster is horrible because it's so far from central campus and that we're all kind of isolated. are the rumors true? and are the dorms decent even though they're so old?</p>
<p>from a PM I sent to someone else who asked:</p>
<p>"Judge Hall (old McLane, I believe), is probably about identical to French, next door, which is where I lived. There are four floors, each with 21 freshmen and a UGA. Rooms are singles, two-room doubles, and three-room doubles. It's about a 10 minute walk from the green, so you may want to bring a bike, but if you don't, the walk really isn't that bad, and you get used to it. As for feeling isolated, I don't think I ever did. I mean, it is annoying not to be able to run back to your dorm between classes, and to have so far to walk if you want to go out to the frats, there are a lot of freshmen out there in the same boat -- about 200 this year (my year was 300, but Hinman is going to be closed for 06-07). You will get really close to your floor/dorm/cluster mates, because on a wednesday night when you have a paper due, sometimes it's just easier to order EBAs with friends than walk to food court. Then again, I think that's the case in all all-freshmen dorms. As nice as the new dorms are, I'd much rather have lived in the river with all 09s than in mixed class housing. You'll be fine. </p>
<p>As for the sub-free, it really depends on your luck. There were floors in my building where everyone partied and basically ignored the fact that the dorm was sub-free. Then there were floors where almost no one went out. Most were a mix though, with people who could go out fratting, but didn't have to do so to have fun. It's nice to come back to a calmer, more relaxed home, where there was little risk of finding your floormates vomitting in the hall.</p>
<p>Anyway, good luck next year! I loved living in the River, but if you don't, it's only for one year."</p>
<p>Everything is relative. Dartmouth is so small that nothing can really be that far away from the center. River cluster is farther than most other buildings but still only a 7 - 10 minute walk from the Green. The new Mcloughlin cluster is probably just as far from the Green and Thayer Dining Hall as the River is. And if you have a single or a three room double it's really nice spacewise.</p>