Looking at housing for UT Austin and was wondering people’s opinions on both the on-campus housing and the UT affiliated housing. I’m specifically interested in both Jester W and E, San Jacinto and University Towers.
Any input helps! Thanks in advance
Jester West - most social dorm (cool people dorm). And when I mean social, I mean people actually hang out in the lounges (but this may be because there’s more people). People in smaller dorms usually stay in their room or go somewhere else. West’s quiet lounge is a good place to study. Good for freshmen that aren’t afraid to talk to people, bad for everyone else.
Jester East - used to be crap, now it may have even surpassed west after all the refurbishing. Little less social than Jester West. East’s quiet lounge is even quieter than west’s (good thing). Basically has a good balance of quietness and sociability. Good for freshmen, bad for anyone older than that.
San Jacinto - more expensive than Jesters. Some rooms have private bathroom (big plus if you got the $$ to live there). Don’t know if this has changed, but I remember that it was where the scholarship athletes got to live. Good for rich freshmen, bad for everyone else.
University Towers - Filled with greek freshmen and older international students usually here for a semester. Depending on the hall you live in, may or may not be loud (people party in their rooms, and you are also in the center of west campus). Drunk people in elevators from 11-3 every night. Units are WAY bigger than on-campus dorms (it’s like an apt… kitchen, walk-in closet, etc). Towers cafeteria serves way better food than dorm cafeteria. Good for rushing freshmen and people needing a half year lease, bad for everyone else.
Personally I would advise staying on campus if it’s your first year in Austin. Unless you are a super popular high schooler, and everyone in west campus knows you already.
San Jac is hard to get in.
Duren is nice, especially if you are an engineer.
There used to be a set of video tours of the different housing options. Google around and see if you can find it. Some I had never heard of and they sounded pretty cool, like the coops.
Can I get some detail on Duren? That’s where my son put as first choice…potential engineering major.
Relatively new, built after 2000, maybe 2004. It is big, but not as big as Jester. Close to the engineering buildings and to the drag (or strip…whatever the kids call the fast food places on guadalupe). Private baths so a little pricier. I don’t know what the room choices are, but do know there are singles and doubles and that kids loft their beds. Lots of nice common areas to study or watch TV or just gather. The laundry rooms seemed better kept up to me. There is a little office at the entrance, so some security and easy to send packages. There is no cafeteria in the building but Kinsolving (an all girls dorm) is across the street.
In my limited experience, it seems to be populated mostly by serious STEM types, so quiet. It is coed.
There were occasional incidents at Duren, pot, drunkenness, but I heard about them not from my son, but from the campus police blotter. I highly recommend getting on that email list btw. When you go to orientation, go to the police presentation. No, UT isn’t dangerous, don’t go because of that. Go because the presenter is hilarious. He will offer worthwhile tips for staying out of trouble, and he will offer you the chance to be on the email list to hear about campus incidents. The emails are also quite humorous.