<p>Dorm 1:
Freshmen only
Dining area in hall
Smallest rooms on campus
Loftable/movable furniture
Somewhat far from central campus, but not bad</p>
<p>Dorm 2:
Mixed classes
Also has a dining area
Bigger rooms
Fixed/unmovable furniture
Closer to central campus
"Suite-style", so four double rooms with a shared lounge/bathroom area</p>
<p>Help! I can't decide if lofting furniture should really be a deciding factor or not.</p>
<p>OR
Dorm 3:
Also mixed classes (fresh, soph, etc)
Biggest rooms on campus
Loftable furniture
No dining area except a convenience store
Same good location as dorm 2</p>
<p>Dorm 3
10 char</p>
<p>I’d go Dorm 3 and borrow the dining area from either 2 or 1.</p>
<p>I would chose between 2 or 3 first. But I would also like to know how far a dining area would be from Dorm 3 before I made a big decision. But if the furniture isn’t move-able its probably spaced out practically. If you are the type of person that likes to move furniture around a lot I’d go for Dorm 3, but if you usually keep your furniture in one place live in Dorm 2. But personally I’d just cancel out Dorm 1, especially if your going to be in the center of campus a lot. Personally I think I’d chose Dorm 2, but thats just my opinion.</p>
<p>Momo, is this for UW? haha. If so, you’re forgetting the levels of sociability in each one, with Dorm 1 (lander I am guessing) as the most social.</p>
<p>I would say Dorm 1. If you’re all freshman, you guys will probably get pretty close which is definitely a good thing:)</p>
<p>Dorm 1 for freshman year. Dorm 3 after that.</p>
<p>I was in kind of the same situation and I went with 2. Very glad I did.</p>
<p>Also if this is indeed for UW, I’m going to assume that 2 is McMahon. I’ve heard great things about it.</p>
<p>Dorm 2 10char</p>
<p>If you are a freshman and have a choice, always ALWAYS go with the more social dorm (dorm 1 in your case). You can always study in a library or coffee shop if you need some peace but you can’t force unsocial dorm-mates to become social. The people you meet freshman year will have a big influence on your social trajectory over the remaining 3.</p>
<p>Social dorms are overrated.</p>
<p>Aside from my roommate and couple of suitemates, none of my friends live in my building. You just have to work a little harder to meet people if you’re in a less social dorm.</p>
<p>
This is a given, but it’s besides the point. If you’re in a position to choose, you should give yourself the advantage and live in a dorm where a bigger proportion of people are friendly and outgoing. In the long run, this is more important than having slightly larger rooms or insignificantly better amenities. This has been my experience.</p>
<p>
Unless you prefer to hang out with the introvert crowd. I did much better in the “anti-social” dorm my sophomore year than I did in a social dorm as a freshman.</p>
<p>Please don’t listen to Caillebotte. Normally, social = partying. If that’s your thing, then cool; however, often if these are your main friends, you’ll get pushed into doing things you might not want to. I’ve seen it happen over and over again.</p>
<p>I would consider myself very shy. Last year, by chance, I had a single room in a very, very anti-social dorm. This year I’m in an apartment with two roommates I don’t really ever talk to, and no one on our apartment floor every talks to each other. But I still managed to make more friends and close friends than I could every imagine in the last two years. Moral of the story?: it really doesn’t matter where you live if you aren’t a jerk. My theory is that by not living in a “social” dorm, you’re better able to meet people with similar interests as you.</p>
<p>Oh, and for the record, my vote goes to Dorm 3. If anything, not having a dining hall so close will probably help you avoid putting on the typical 15 pounds (though, then again, having a convenience store so close can be just as bad).</p>
<p>
No, normally social = social. Being social means being friendly, outgoing, proactive, confident, and fun to be around. Partying is a tiny constituent of being social. Stop misleading people with terrible, sh**ty advice colored by your own social ineptitude. </p>
<p>Being introverted will always put you at a disadvantage. It’s a liability in every facet of life and isn’t a trait desirable to anyone. If you’re shy, you should challenge your social skills by putting yourself in social situations. Living in a social dorm will give you the opportunity to bolster your social acumen and broaden your network. Never limit yourself.
Quit the fear-mongering D.A.R.E. bullsh**. This is college, I promise that no one will care if you refuse something that you aren’t comfortable with. </p>
<p>
Well if we can be frank, your theory is ■■■■■■■■.</p>
<p>
That’s exactly what I tried to do as a freshman. I ended up feeling inadequate, depressed and lonely. I agree that overcoming shyness is a good goal to word towards, but surrounding myself with people significantly more outgoing than myself only set me up for failure. </p>
<p>The social students were nice to me on a superficial level but had no interest whatsoever in developing closer friendships with me. Retrospectively I am not surprised. Being as self-conscious as I was, I probably wasn’t very fun to be around and the outgoing students had plenty of other people to socialize with. However, at that time everyone else’s distant behavior towards me just reconfirmed my own inadequacy and made me even more self-conscious. After a few weeks I actively withdrew from people. I felt like I was the only student in the school without any friends and spent my Friday nights by myself in my dorm room. </p>
<p>Fast forward a year. Now living in an “anti-social” dorm, I was surrounded by other shy students who felt as lonely as I did. I realized that others are struggling with the same issues that I was struggling with, which made it much easier for me to approach them. We bonded over shared challenges and soon I had a few close friends. These friendships built up my self-esteem and allowed me to practice and refine my social skills. Slowly I ventured out and started to socialize with some of the more outgoing kids. The second time around was more successful, but I really needed a secure base of introvert friends first.</p>
<p>b@r!um you sound like me! 
I think I’m going with dorm 2, with dorm 3 as my second choice and dorm 1 as my third option.</p>
<p>I think the whole social = partying thing is specific to certain kinds of schools. I go to UW-Madison, as does baumann. Here, the word “social” DOES mean partying. It’s a literal euphemism. You kind of do have to decide between party dorms and antisocial dorms. For our school, baumann is completely right. This may not be the case at your school, and that’s fine. I think you can generalize that if you don’t go to a party school there will be dorms that are social but not partying. Here, it’s kind of polarized in all honesty, which bothers some people but not others.</p>
<p>And while the whole “no one will judge you if you don’t party/drink/do drugs/etc” thing is mostly true, the culture in which you start college will influence what you try, unless you are extremely committed not to try anything. Who you hang out with will have some bearing on what you think is okay. The degree of influence will of course depend on the person, but it’s a real thing.</p>
<p>I personally would have gone for Dorm 2. I love having a dining hall connected to the dorm. It’s so ridiculously convenient, especially if you get snow or anything…I had one that wasn’t connected first semester and I like this a lot better. And a good location is key.</p>