<p>I'm an arts 'n crafts-y kinda person. I like tie dye, sparkles, painting murals in my spare time, wearing ruby slippers to school -the works- so from the Cornell provided description Risley seems like my kind of place, but after reading some of the posts on here I'm a little bit worried. Do Risley people tend to be quirky/fun or just downright weird/socially awkward? Is the Risley scene super intense or is there "off time" during the week where people just go about their business?</p>
<p>Also, I love the idea of living in a castle but whats it actually like? How do the rooms/common areas compare to those in the regular freshmen dorms?</p>
<p>I think Risley people are quirky and fun, but they try a bit too hard to be "weird", so they all end up conforming to the same kind of weirdness. I'd say live in a normal dorm freshmen year, and if you like what you see in Risley, apply there sophomore year.</p>
<p>will you have a chance to visit this spring? If so, go over to Risley and talk to kids. While there is a Risley stereotype, there are exceptions. You can always live in the freshman dorms first year and then go into Risley as a sophomore if you decide that you would like it. Also, I think you can live elsewhere and still join Risley as a non-resident member which allows you to participate in whatever it is that the artsy Risley kids do (maybe put on productions, maybe they have darkroom facilities - I don't exactly know).</p>