<p>I've just received my room assignment and it's so far from everything I specified on my housing request form that even a bluejay couldn't laugh at it. Does anyone know if it's possible to appeal this assignment? Does anyone have experience in it?</p>
<p>Leave it. Some people don't like their housing assignments. It happens. You'll live. You may even like it in the end.</p>
<p>If you sent in your housing form toward the end of the month, or your specific requests could only be fulfilled by a few, small, and/or popular dorms, then you're much less likely to get the type of assignment you want.</p>
<p>I agree with corranged. If you have more particular questions about your housing, you can PM me.</p>
<p>Just so you know, housing was WAY overcrowded this year, and about 30 first-years were put in Blackstone, which has traditionally been for upperclassmen only. My impression is that because you are a transfer, and you've already experienced college life, your request was towards the bottom of the list.</p>
<p>Also, there is no "bad" dorm on campus. All have their ups and downs. If you still despise your options after the first three weeks of the quarter or so, there may be some room in Maclean, Shoreland, Stony Island, Blackstone, and Breck, and less likely room in Max, BJ, Pierce, or Snitchcock.</p>
<p>There are always some no-shows at the beginning of the school year-- for example, somebody moves off-campus and forgets to notify housing, somebody doesn't come back to the school for family reasons even though they were slotted in, somebody is offered a spot at another school last-minute, etc.</p>
<p>I have a feeling your adjustment will be okay.</p>
<p>Housing changes throughout the year when students take terms off, study abroad, or get kicked out of housing, but it's better for most students, particularly first years/transfers, to try to stay in the same house for the year.</p>
<p>You think so? I think it depends. I know first-years who have moved around a bit and are much happier for it.</p>
<p>Just so you know, my son [a transfer] also was given a housing assignment that was not on his request list. Since you can't do anything about it until 3 weeks into the qtr., I suggest you try to look on it positively- you are going to Chicago!</p>
<p>My parents were quite fumed when I got the Shoreland back in the day as a freshmen. My father could not understand how he was paying so much money to put me in a building that in his opinion was so patently inferior. It was somewhat decrepit, I had to take a bus to campus, and it faced the waterfront which with Chicagos weather is not at all positive. But in the end I lived through it, and found that the overriding factor as to whether or not you click with UChicago dorm life is whether you click with the people who stay in it after their freshmen year as opposed to the building or location itself. </p>
<p>Finally, if the OPs gripe is that the building is off campus, bear in mind that most of the decent private buildings are farther than any of the dorms.</p>
<p>I thought that Shoreland would be a terrible dorm, given its distance, but there are people there who wouldn't trade it for the world. It's still decrepit, though I think it is officially in its last year.</p>
<p>I love the Shoreland.</p>
<p>I'm wondering, RMOoS, which dorm did you get put into? Maybe some of us current students can let you know the positives of that dorm.</p>
<p>hehe my thoughts exactly.</p>
<p>Based on rather extensive counselling from his sister and her friends, my son made the Shoreland his first choice, and was thrilled to get placed there.</p>
<p>After spending about four minutes in the Shoreland, I wanted to kick myself for putting down Burton-Judson.</p>
<p>The one thing that might be bugging rainman is the divide in campus housing between dorm-style living, apartment-style living, and those that are in between. BJ, Snell-Hitchcock, Max, Pierce, Breck, and Maclean all fall under dorm living, Blackstone and Stony Island are apartment-style living, and Broadview and Shoreland are somewhat between the two.</p>
<p>The main thing about UChicago housing is that dorms all have stereotypes of one sort or another. The stereotypes do tend to be pretty accurate, perhaps due to self-fulfilling prophesy more than actual characteristics. You can't be upset about that already though since you haven't lived on campus or met your housemates yet.</p>
<p>I'd switch Max to your Broadview and Shoreland group. Max a suite-style with private bathrooms, similar to Broadview and many Shoreland rooms.</p>
<p>Yeah, but Max is pretty dormy-- I think of it as pretty similar to what other colleges offer. A Shorelander would be offended to be put in a Max double, but Max people think they're living high with AC, supernice bathrooms, and all-around new facilities.</p>
<p>I think the distinction is more along the lines of private spaces. Broadview, Max, and Shoreland are all set up with private living/sleeping space and private bathrooms, while Pierce, BJ, etc. have community set-ups like traditional dorms. Broadview, Max, and many Shoreland rooms are pretty much the same set-up besides the number of people in a room and the fact that some Shoreland rooms have living rooms and kitchens. The three dorms have different traditions, atmospheres, and everything else, but the dorm set-ups are more similar to each other than to Pierce and such.</p>
<p>I'm in Stony Island, which is made up of two double/two bathroom apartments -- it's definitely not a bad situation, no, but I prefer dorm living rather than apartment, and my biggest problem is that I'm in a double when I pretty much wrote everything short of "I will die for a single" on my form. I was in a triple last year, and, while I'm still great friends with the guys I roomed with, I find that I study much better and live much more comfortably when I have my own space (I'm an introvert but I enjoy being social sometimes, hence the dorm/single combination).</p>
<p>On the offchance that anybody here (or at Chicago) has one of the reportedly abundant singles in BJ, Breck, Blackstone or Maclean, is there an easy switch-it-up process? And is it possible to request a place on the room change waitlist before the first three weeks of the quarter are over?</p>
<p>The configuration of the room (apartment vs. dorm, double vs. single) are the only things I mind. Too bad they're such significant qualities. I'll suck it up -- find the good in what I've got, right?</p>
<p>If anybody's interested, I also have some cheese to pair up with the whine. </p>
<p>;D</p>
<p>rainman
my son is also in Stony Island. Pm me and let me know what room you are in-you may be roomates.</p>
<p>There is no way to "trade" rooms if you're not happy with your selection.</p>
<p>Stony is a very quiet dorm, so you may have an easier time studying than in your previous dorm situation.</p>
<p>I've received Broadview :)</p>
<p>I think you might like Stony Island more than you think. I have a friend who lived there after living in BJ and she said that the Stony was quieter. You have terrific access to downtown Chicago, you live across from the greatest coffee shop/cafe of all time.</p>
<p>For studying, a lot of students frequent the Reg, which is quiet, and Crerar, which is quieter. Harper Library is also a fantastic place to study, but distractingly pretty.</p>
<p>See how it is first and then see if it's worth switching out.</p>