<p>I'm trying to decide where to live my freshman year at UT.</p>
<p>I heard great things about San Jac, but I believe that it's too late to get a dorm there.</p>
<p>I did some research and off campus living appeals to me more than on campus.</p>
<p>What do you think about Jefferson 26 (first choice), Dobie Center, and The Castilian?</p>
<p>I'm so clueless..</p>
<p>Jefferson 26 is really nice, it's settled in West Campus so there's always something going around there at night. </p>
<p>Dobie Center is the closest of the three, I have friends who live there and it's pretty social.</p>
<p>The Castilian, I honestly haven't heard great things from there but to each his own I suppose.</p>
<p>I would strongly recommend visiting these places and even the on-campus dorms. Personally, I think staying on-campus the first year is a great choice (even if you don't stay in San Jac or Duren). I have close friends in Moore-Hill and I really like that dorm a lot (it's still in the main campus area and they're pretty social) - I almost wanted to switch dorms just to go there.</p>
<p>I highly recommend living on campus your first year. So nice to be so close to your classes. All of the on campus dorms are okay.</p>
<p>My daughter has a number of friends who live in the Castilian. It is quite close to Kinsolving and the honors quad, and much of the lower half is a parking garage, so parking is convenient. Her friends like it all right, no major complaints.</p>
<p>i lived at Kinsolving (on campus) for summer 08 and then moved to The Castilian (off campus) for fall 08...i live on the top floor, the 22nd floor and i love it though there are only 4 (not as fast as Dobie) elevators and usually one or two is out of service...the food is fine, better than Kinsolving and the RA i have is really lenient/ i never see her...i also live on a 'quiet floor' which is 24 hour quiet and is usually for biochem or honors business students who really do need to study...the parking is wonderful and the workout room is hardly used so its really nice if you want to think you have your own personal gym...the location is great because i would get up at 8:45a if my first class was at 9a...and i was closer to my Biology class than some people who lived on campus...</p>
<p>Really when you see this place, its amazing. I live there now and this place is 1) the cleanest dorm on campus 2) the best food on campus 3) the best location – right smack in the middle (but across the street from campus).<br>
You should know that there are a couple of bad posts about the Castilian on this board and others but go check this place out for yourself. You wont’ find a nicer staff anywhere and the maintenance of the place is top notch. The elevators are great. A couple years ago they had a heating issue that was fixed with all new equipment from what I hear - it just won’t happen again – what are the chances. Visit Dobie and its like a prison. Towers is like a dump. On campus is a guess – sometimes ok and sometimes not. I would live here again in a second.</p>