Hi all (particularly UMD students, recent alumni, parents),
I’ve heard mixed sentiments regarding the UMD dorms. Some describe them as quite awful (drugs/alcoholism); others describe them as pretty quiet and normal.
Are there particularly quiet and studious dorms (both honors and non-honors)?
Also, are dorms or floors gender separated? This is a big deal with parents.
Finally, what are the substance free dorms like? Are they generally more hardworking/undistracted students or are they recovering addicts?
Thanks for the input!
Each dorm building is very different, ranging from almost luxurious to uncomfortable. There are dorms hosting honors students like Hagerstown or Prince Frederick Hall and other LLP/LLCs like Carillon or Scholars. If there is gender separation, floors of some buildings are women only or men only. You can always request that. Some floors, if you allow it, are mixed. I would have assumed that all dorms were substance free, but I guess not. Let me know if you have other questions!
My daughter is a second year at UMD. she was in carroll hall her freshman year. this was advertised as a substance-free dorm. the students in this dorm signed a “contract” or took a pledge to be substance-free. of course, they put these “good” kids in the no-air-condition old dorm-lol. she didn’t want beer-sticky floors or the smell of marijuana in the hallways. it was co-ed, guys literally right across the hall from her. but dorm was nice and quiet. the only partying involved red bull and cheetos.
Hello! UMD senior here!
That is a great question! And it gives me a lot to deal with so I will do the best I can.
Most residence halls at the university of Maryland have AC. There are some 38 residence halls and 32 have AC. For those that do not, they will have lounges on each floor which are air conditioned. As a super shy kid who lived in a res hall without AC, it was great because it forced me out of my room and to make friends in the lounge. If you’re from the State of Maryland then you know the heat is only really for the first 2-3 weeks of school and then you’re good until May. If you have a legitimate concern about AC (due to asthma, mold allergies, or any other issues), email Resident LIfe (reslife@umd.edu) and they can help you out.
The bathrooms and common areas are cleaned by maintained staff each day of the week days and once on the weekends. Your room itself is up to you. Granted there are rooms that are nicer than others. Sophomores and juniors will pick those up before freshman housing is divvied out so I wouldn’t be too pressed about it as there is nothing much you can do there unless you have a medical concern.
In terms of being co-ed (this is where it actually gets complicated).
There are four types of housing: single gendered, winged, mixed, and inclusive
- Single gendered means that either you floor will be all one gender or your building will be all one gender. For the latter of these you will be placed there if you submit your housing form late or if you request it
- Winged is the most common. Most freshman res halls are high rises built on two wings. One side of each floor will be guys, the other will be girls. There will be bathroom for each of these group on the side they belong (boys bathroom on the guys side and vice versa). You can get this whether you request it or not.
- Mixed Gendered housing means that you will have a roommate with the same gender as you but the person next door to you or across the hall from you may be a different gender. In most, if not all cases, you have to request this to be put there. And just because you request it does not mean you will get it. The people that I know who got it loved it.
- Inclusive housing is typically a resource for students who aren’t binary or have other situations. It means that your roommate might have a different gender than you. You will only be put in this if you request it. Unfortunately no one I know, to my knowledge, lives in gender inclusive housing.
In terms of quiet vs. non-quiet residence halls, all residence halls have resident assistants on each floor. They help maintain order but this is college. There are all different types of people that go to the University of Maryland so any given floor is going to be representative of that. Even in an honor residence hall (which I lived in my freshman year). There will be nerds, there will be jocks, there will be shut-ins, and there will also be party animals.
Which brings me to the last point about substances and alcohol.
Let me say this first: The University of Maryland is a drug-free campus. Weed and other drugs are still illegal federally in the United States and state-wide in Maryland. If you are caught with illegal drugs in your room you will be written up and could be potentially put housing probation. That said you still have most of your Fourth Amendment rights.
In terms of alcohol, the University of Maryland is NOT a dry campus. This means that if you are over 21 years old you are allowed to have a personal amount of alcohol in your residence hall room (that means no kegs). Everyone else is not allowed to have it in their rooms and if caught will go through a similar process I outlined earlier.
A very popular program at the University of Maryland right now is the substance free residence halls. You sign a contract saying that you will not keep alcohol or drugs in your room, nor will you come back to the residence hall drunk or high… If you violate your contract you could lose your housing. It is very serious because the people who live in these residence halls care very greatly about these values. This is a decision your student should make for themselves but the option is available. Again, reach out to reslife@umd.edu if you have questions.
I know this is late and its a lot but hopefully it’ll give you and your child a better idea about what to look for when you move in.
Let me know if you have any questions
The OP has only made a total of 1 post . I don’t think he/she was serious about getting information, but I’m sure the answers are of value to others…
Not to be a Debbie downer but there was a recent article in Washington Post about a mold issue in UMD dorms.
Thanks everyone for your input! I really appreciate it.
There was mold in some of the dorms because this was the rainiest year in 100 years. There was also mold in dorms at colleges across the region and has been for several years now.
Dehumidifiers are being installed in all the dorm rooms at Maryland.