How intense is the party scene? Is the campus a work hard/play hard campus? Can you avoid parties when necessary and have fun when you want to? What is the life like in general, especially during winter. I’m from the northeast so I can handle cold, but does the campus shut down in the winter?
Bump
You can avoid the party scene - no one is forced to party. Don’t rank the party dorms high on your housing choice list.
The campus doesn’t shut down during spring semester.
Depends on what you mean by “avoid”. Every weekend people go out to party here, and it is pretty hard to just ignore the fact that people are going out and getting drunk. That being said, if you live in the lakeshore dorms, you will not be near many parties at all. Unlike some other schools, students don’t drink a ton at the dorms but rather at houses/frats/apartments. It is up to you to find friends that want to stay in on the weekend, though, because a very high percentage, even in lakeshore, do want to go out on the weekends. So, you’re not forced to go, but sometimes it can be challenging to find a fun alternative Friday/Saturday nights.
My D17 wants a boring dorm that she can study in. Quiet hours/quiet floors would be a bonus.
What dorm(s) would everyone recommend she look at?
Chadbourne Learning Community - rank it first, pay an extra fee of about $300 and she’ll get it.
Thank you @Madison85! I’ll encourage her to look into it!
How intense is the party scene? Is the campus a work hard/play hard campus? Can you avoid parties when necessary and have fun when you want to?
If you like to party, you can party every night, 21 or not. If you don't, you can avoid it most of the time. If you're in a party dorm there will be times you can't avoid it on the weekends. Lakeshore dorms tend to be quieter and Sellery/Witte are the loudest ones. Many students spend one year in the dorms, some spend two. Off-campus places depend on where you live and who you live with.
What is the life like in general, especially during winter. I’m from the northeast so I can handle cold, but does the campus shut down in the winter?
No. You won't find people just sitting around outside, but unless the weather is very bad people still go out to eat, spend time at the unions, explore State street, or go to a party like normal. If there is good snow people will go tray sledding by Liz Waters. There's ice skating in the Shell as well as a few outdoor rec sports and Hoofers activities.
Getting around campus is similar. Many people use their bike or moped year-round while some take it home for the winter. During snow sidewalks on campus are cleared fast, off campus it depends. Dorms do not have covered bike storage so it will take a beating in winter. You'll definitely see someone fall off a moped and a bike when it's snowy, be careful if you ride in the snow!
JB: Chadbourne is a good choice. Lakeshore dorms are usually on the quiet side, but not always depending on your floor. Ones with smaller floors will be a little quieter-for example Liz Waters or Kronshage. I would put Chadbourne as a first choice too.
Thanks @aqsewfqq she’s thinking Chad and then Waters and/or Kronshage. She’d love AC but willing to give it up if the dorm is quiet!
The Bradley Learning community is also an option as well. I knew several people who lived in Bradley and enjoyed it a lot.
Pretty much anywhere that isn’t Witte or Sellery for dorms will be fairly non-party. I live in Liz Waters, and it’s the best location with really nice sized rooms for the same cost of the cheapest southeast dorms. I really appreciate the sub-5 minute commute to classes during the winter.
Yes, the campus will shut down in severe weather- every 25 years or so. It happened once in my time and again once or twice. They know how to clear streets and sidewalks on campus. Weather bad enough to shut down the local K-12 schools does not mean the university shuts down (school systems pay attention to kids needing to walk/take buses/wait in very cold weather).
Several factors to consider in choosing a dorm. Students need to figure out priorities. Some like/dislike different buildings 9high rise, low, newer, old…), locations (close to urban, trees and grass…) and so forth. btw- changes can be made in dorm rankings in the spring.
My DD is a housefellow in Chad and loves it. It is a perfect balance, however my other DD lived in Sellery and also loved it. She never had any problems, never a fire alarm etc. Every year each dorm has its own personality and there are no guarantees that one is more quiet or rowdy then the other. My older DD was in lakeshore for the less parting aspect and COMPLETELY HATED IT. The community was just not their and she wished every day she was in the SE dorms and no she doesn’t party even being 21 lol. IMHO opinion I would really think about if yiu really want Lakeshore.
Community is important but quiet is important too.
Just hope my D has the opportunity to make a choice. Decisions come out in a couple weeks.