<p>There's probably one of these every year, but I don't think I've seen one recently so I thought I'd make one. I attended Open Campus and, from talking to a few current students, got a VERY broad idea of what the different areas of campus feel like in terms of personality. I recognize that what I'm about to write are generalizations and may or may not resemble the truth. That's why I'm looking for current and past Smithies to correct and/or expand upon these descriptions. </p>
<p>Green Street - Quietest, smallest party scene
Elm Street - Medium party scene, closest to town
Center Campus - Medium party scene, closest to academic buildings
Quad - Party central, most house pride </p>
<p>I imagine that in the near future I'm going to have to make my housing requests, so I want to be informed as possible. Any input is appreciated. Thanks!</p>
<p>Well, I wouldn’t necessarily say that Center Campus is the closest to the academic buildings. I’ve lived in two Green Street houses, and one of them was five seconds (literally) from one of the busiest academic buildings. The one I’m living in now is maybe a forty-five second walk from any of them (except Hatfield). My friends in Center Campus count their walks to classes in minutes rather than seconds, and while that’s still better than the commute to class at most universities, you can see who has the advantage there.</p>
<p>Elm Street houses are also close to some of the academic buildings (Chase, for example is across the street from the art building; Gillette/Norhtorp is just a hop/schip/jump from Wright, etc.)</p>
<p>It depends on where your classes are, but yes, Center Campus houses aren’t the closest to the academic buildings. Most of the Green Street houses and some of the Lower Elm houses are closer (if you live in Chase for example, and you have classes in Seelye, it’s just a quick jaunt through the art museum atrium to your class building). I would also definitely not say that the Quad has the most house pride.</p>
<p>^I agree with S&P about the Quad house pride. Some of the Quad houses have fierce rivalries with each other, but that doesn’t necessarily indicate more house pride than some of the Green Street/Elm/Center Campus houses. Capen, for example, seems to have a LOT of house pride.</p>
<p>Unless there are specific reasons you need to be in/near certain houses (i.e. you need an elevator, you only eat kosher or halal), don’t worry so much about specific houses and instead focus on where you would like to be situated geographically on-campus. Do you want to be 30 seconds from the humanities building, or is being closer to the science buildings or the performing arts complex more important? Are you planning on being an athlete and/or going to the gym regularly enough that that is an important consideration for where you live? Do you want to have to cross a street to get to and from class? Are you okay with having a 10 minute walk everywhere, and probably more like 15 for the gym and town?</p>
<p>Only after you’ve considered that should you really factor in stereotypes about social life for different parts of campus. Truth be told, the Quad and Green Street are probably the most opposite from one another, and everything else falls inbetween. And the distinctions between the two Elms are really not tremendously important unless there’s a specific house you really want or really hate (which is how I felt, but I don’t think it’s very common), and then rank them according to that. Center Campus you have a decent chance at a single if you want one but it will be in Cutter-Ziskind, which is centrally-located and has good house community but is unbelievably ugly and, depending on what room you get, you can get a fair amount of noise since it’s right on Elm Street.</p>
<p>P.S. Capen has incredible house pride and community because we are absolutely excellent. And we’re the only house with its own garden, which is tremendously beautiful.</p>
<p>I will second that center campus is crap for singles.</p>
<p>Cutter Z has a bunch as does Park, but Haven Wes has almost none and sessions is in the same boat. They’re closing parsons, and Hopkins and the Friedmans aren’t for first years</p>
<p>Cutter is ugly, but those of us that lived there wear it was a badge of pride. It’s a house only a resident could love And really, the rooms are pretty generic, but it’s nothing that some posters and lights can’t fix up really nicely. All my good friends from Smith I made at Cutter, though I was horrified to be placed there as a first year and vowed that I would transfer houses immediately. So glad I didnt, I stayed for two years and had a great single my sophomore year, I was also on house council and oversaw several beautifucation projects within the house.</p>
<p>I’ve also heard that Cutter-Z takes something like three days to burn down (whereas some of the Green Street houses are more like single digit minutes), so if you are afraid of fire, it’s a good place to be. :D</p>
<p>Yes! It’s true! We are the most fireproof house on campus. Chapin, by comparison has like a 30 second burn time, but i think that’s because its walls are insulated with hay and 100 year old newspapers.</p>
<p>Although it’s fun to hear the discussion on specific houses, I’m pretty sure that on my housing form I only get to indicate the area of campus I want and not the house so I’d love to hear more about the areas. </p>
<p>I guess my main question is, what’s the difference in environment between Center Campus and Elm Street? I couldn’t really get a handle on that when I visited.</p>
<p>Certain Elm Street houses are pretty central, so the difference can be a fine one. For example, Cutter House is considered Center Campus even though it’s technically across Elm Street. </p>
<p>If you’re in the Center Campus area, you’re going to be closer to things like the Campus Center, Seelye Hall, sometimes the pond and botanical gardens, pretty near to the library and Hatfield where a lot of the foreign language classes take place. The same could be said for some of the Elm Street houses, but some of them are set farther back from Elm Street putting them a little bit on the “closer to town” side of things.</p>
<p>Spirit, if the housing form is the same as it was two years ago, you are right about indicating preferences for the general groupings of houses. However, I seem to remember that there is a comment area in which you could be more specific with your likes/dislikes.</p>
<p>Green Street is great for some people, but I love that I’m equidistant from the quad and from Sage Hall. That means, I can feasibly go ANYWHERE for dinner. I also can easily visit friends in the quad, and go to the pond all the time, and go to town with ease. What’s not to love?</p>
<p>People have different preferences. I like having to cross Elm St to get to my academic life. I have learned to deal with the fact that the gym and the performing arts buildings are <em>gasp</em> 10 minutes away. I like having a shortcut into town behind Lamont that only takes 5 minutes to CVS. I like having a big house so I don’t see and eat with the same 20 people day in and day out. Most of all, I like the garden and the fact that people here are a really diverse, balanced, interesting mix of people and I can learn something from every single one of them.</p>
<p>I got overexcited/confused and filled out the housing form online (I’m under the understanding now that it doesn’t matter and I need to fill it out again later? I don’t quite know…) and I chose the Elm Streets as my top two choices, and put the Quads as my last two.</p>
<p>The housing form that’s in Bannerweb is for enrolled students, as far as I know (it has been every other year). You’ll be receiving a packet of forms in a few weeks with the housing form for incoming students, along with a bunch of other forms they need, that they’ll ask you to fill out and mail back. So yes, unless you’ve received explicit instructions from Smith that you should be filling something out online, you filled out the wrong form. You’ll have to do it again when the incoming students form arrives.</p>
And really, the rooms are pretty generic, but it’s nothing that some posters and lights can’t fix up really nicely. All my good friends from Smith I made at Cutter, though I was horrified to be placed there as a first year and vowed that I would transfer houses immediately. So glad I didnt, I stayed for two years and had a great single my sophomore year, I was also on house council and oversaw several beautifucation projects within the house.</p>