Towers Housing

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Central Florida
1

<p>I'm looking into living in the Towers next year. Is it true you have to pay for Fall, Spring, <em>and</em> Summer--even if you're not staying there over the summer break? It comes out to almost $9,000/yr. if that's true. Yikes.</p>

<p>Ok, so forget the cost for my next questions. </p>

<p>What do you like about the Towers? Are there a lot of partiers that'll make a bunch of racket late into the night? Is the atmosphere in the actual apartments better than in a standard dorm room? Is having your own room a big advantage over, say, living in Nike in a double? Are the Towers located near classrooms, or would there be a lot of walking?</p>

<p>Is the Honors Tower worth it? If I have a friend I want to room with, can he live in the Honors Tower if he's not in the Honors College?</p>

2

<p>Towers are the best dorms on campus. Each student lives in a “single” in a full-service apartment complete with refrig., stove, etc. Students also have full size beds rather than Twin XL in the other dorms. The Honors Tower (III) is generally reserved for honors students, but if you have friend who is living there, it is possible for you to room with that person as well. As far as cost – yes, $9K - for three semesters (Fall, Spring, and Summer) – so be prepared to attend class in the Summer. There are three Summer sessions (A, B, and C) - and you can get ahead by taking 1 or 2 classes in a very relaxed summer atmosphere. The Towers area is very convenient as far as shopping and food. The Barnes & Noble Bookstore is downstairs as well as a plethora of food vendors (including Knightro’s - which is a part of the UCF meal plan). The stadiums/arenas are also right there - which is convenient during “game days.”</p>

<p>As far as partiers - Tower’s is a dorm with RA’s - who theoretically watch shop and prevent late night loud music, alcohol and drugs. But, as in all large universities, there will be parties, especially on the weekends.</p>

<p>Walking to class is not a problem - at the most - it should take 15 min. to get across campus. Living in Nike/Hercules is no different as far as walking as compared to Towers. They are both equidistant to the Student Union which is the “bullseye” of the campus.</p>

<p>You ask, “is Tower’s worth it” - and in my opinion it is. You can spend less on a UCF meal plan because you have a kitchen which enables you to cook or prepare some of your meals. Eat breakfast in your dorm kitchen. Use your meal plan for lunch or dinner. Or, plan to cook dinner as well. Check out the “dining dollars” rather than a full-scale meal plan. You can use your “dining dollars” for places in the Towers vicinity - like the pizza place, sushi place, subway, etc. If you are on the meal plan - Knightro’s is right down stairs – and the Barnes & Noble is also there.</p>

<p>If you are a sports fan – the stadium and arena are also on the Tower’s side of the campus.</p>

<p>Good luck with your decision.</p>

3

<p>I currently live in Tower 1 in a 4/2 so I thought I would give you my opinion on this housing option…</p>

<p>Yes, you are right about the fall, spring, summer agreement meaning that it costs about $9,000 to live at the Towers. (Granted most off campus housing options are also a 12 month lease, so you will have to deal with that eventually. Although you do have the option of subleasing your place when you live off campus, which is nice).</p>

<p>I really do like the Towers. It’s very aesthetic as you have probably seen from pictures. The apartments themselves are pretty bare and sort of uninviting at first, but once you put your own personal touches on it you can make it feel like home. Regarding the bathrooms, I thought having to share a bathroom would bother me, but it honestly hasn’t. Since I have my own sink it really doesn’t matter. But it mainly just depends on the roomate you share it with. Since I have early classes and my roomate has late classes the bathroom issue works out just fine.
I can’t say that I hear any late night noises outside my apartment. But I do get woken up occasionally from my roommates coming home at 2-3am on weeknights (like I said my roomate has late classes haha). But that honestly just depends on the roomate(s) you get and the people who live on your floor. Overall the towers is a pretty quiet, calm place. On the downside I haven’t met many people who live in the towers because everyone kinda keeps to themselves since they have their own room. As opposed to my friend who lives in Libra. Her whole floor is really close and they all hang out almost every night.
As to the atmosphere it honestly depends on who your roomate(s) are. There are pros and cons to both and it’s so variable it’s hard to say. It’s definietly nice to have your own space once in a while which is why I opted for the towers. Plus i’m a serious student and it’s nice to be able to study in my own room without being distracted by another roomate in the same room. (Then again my roomates can be loud and distracting too, even when my door is closed. But there is always the library or the Towers study lounge).</p>

<p>Luckily my classes have all been in the closest buildings to the Towers so it’s been great! But getting to the gym, intramural fields, or my friend’s dorm (which are all on the complete opposite side of campus) is kind of a pain. I brought my bike up from home and it’s been great. At first I didn’t think i’d need it since most people walk or skateboard, few ride bikes. But if you live at the towers it’s a must! Much more convient!</p>

<p>I don’t know anything about the honors towers.</p>

<p>Random information to mention: My roommate and I can hear the guys above us peeing, which is really gross. The room sizes are pretty decent, not too small. Don’t buy a meal plan if you live in the towers since it is so much cheaper to buy food. $50/week on groceries costs around $800/semester. Compare that to the $1700-$2000/semester meal plans.</p>

<p>About the prices again… the towers 4/2 are $800/month. I love being on campus and having my own room, but honestly that price is ridiculous. The brand new apartments right across from campus (sterling apartments) are $680/month for a 4/4 (Everyone has their own personal bathroom!) (granted you are not right on campus and the rooms are kind of small). You should be able to find a decent/safe 4/4 apartment off campus for around $550/month. So the towers pricing is def. high, but so are the other on-campus housings which go for around $700/month I think.</p>

<p>Regardless, you should def. stay on campus your first year as you will make more friends and get more involved on campus! But then I would seriously consider moving off campus and getting a better deal.</p>

<p>Let me know if you have more quesitons!</p>