<p>ThisIsMichigan:
First of all, thanks for the description of Baits. It actually doesn’t sound too bad the way you’ve put it.</p>
<p>I live in Ann Arbor, and I pass Northwood V (for grad students) regularly. I’ve never been inside them, but they look like relatively small apartments from the outside and I believe they come in different sizes (singles, doubles, triples etc.). Many people say it’s more difficult to make friends while living there, and I can understand why, because the apartments aren’t connected in the traditional way dorm rooms are and they resemble individual housing. Also, the dining halls are other facilities are located some distance away, making it more isolated from rest of campus. Please correct me on any of these points if I am mistaken, because I’m definitely no expert.</p>
<p>Right now, I would probably opt to live at home if I got assigned to Northwood. This is because one of the main reasons I would fork over the money to live on campus over staying at home is to be more connected to everyone else, which seems to get somewhat compromised on Northwood. I also want to have a normal “freshman experience” as silly as that sounds - more independence, the dorm rooms and facilities, dining halls, having friends next door, etc. While Northwood probably has its perks and would certainly make me more independent, it’s not what I imagined for myself as a college freshman.</p>
<p>I completely agree goblueUM.</p>
<p>Northwood isn’t a bad option for upperclassmen who have classes on north and already have a good group of friends. What I don’t like is how they put freshmen there. Freshmen should really be in a traditional residence hall where everyone lives near each other and it’s easy to meet new people. Yes, it is more space and privacy but the benefits end there. It’s a long walk for some people even to just the bus stop and dining hall. Plus the apartments aren’t too nice.</p>
<p>Baits, a bit better than Northwood, still isn’t the same as a traditional residence hall. The rooms are suites in which 2 double rooms and a single room share a common space and bathroom. Having 5 people share a bathroom who probably have classes around the same time in the morning can cause problems. Students also need to clean it themselves. Even though there are hallways, the suite arrangement makes it less open for people to open doors and meet each other. In fact, this used to be graduate housing until a few years ago.</p>
<p>What the university needs to do is to build more residence halls rather than spending so much money to renovate the existing ones and make on-campus living mandatory for the first 2 years. While Ohio State is creating a similar policy, I have to admit it is a good one. Dorm life is what college is about: having a ton of friends in the same building who have their doors open for people to come. In addition, you always meet new people studying in the same spaces. You have the rest of your life to live in an apartment or house. You will never get to live in a dorm again after you graduate</p>
<p>I know freshman just moved over to Northwood last year. I’m not sure if this was because another dorm was being renovated and they needed to move them, or because they just got too many freshman. </p>
<p>You’d be living in Northwood III. Honestly. as far as living conditions go, it’s way nicer than any dorm you’ll fine. Two single bed rooms (one slightly larger than the other), a bathroom, a “family room”/living area and a kitchentte. </p>
<p>Its not exactly set up like a dorm but you still have an RA. Each building is a cluster of 16 or more apartments. I know when I was there Soph year they had some freshman at one of the larger buildings and it seemed like they all made friends and did stuff. You aren’t going to be in your narrow hallway with other freshman all sharing the same bathroom and getting that college form experience you think you should be getting from tv and movies, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Plus, its like a 2 minute or less walk to Bursely, so its there if you want it. </p>
<p>When I was in Baits I freshman year it was just two doubles sharing a bathroom in between. Again, bigger than a normal freshman dorm, and you get a shared bathroom if that’s what you want. </p>
<p>I liked the ability to go to everything that happens on Central, but still have the ability to go back to North and get away from it all. I mean, there are some nights you just don’t want to put up with yelling frat bros or drunk freshman screaming or whatever that may be. </p>
<p>All I’m saying is that posters on here will ***** and moan about anything north campus until the cows come home. It honestly wasn’t that bad freshman year.</p>
<p>Its not a waste of money. It will be a great experience especially for your first year. Then after that if u want you can stay at home, but that first year live in a dorm regardless.</p>