<p>My son is a prospective engineering student starting next fall. Let's say he's looking for a dorm that's quiet during the week but fun on the weekend. No hibernating to play video games. Actual human interaction. In terms of this desire and the usual ones such as nice rooms, decent-sized rooms, quality of food, comfortable lounge areas, etc, how would you rank the choices available at Marquette? And any additional comments as to why would be helpful too.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Going to piggyback on this one.</p>
<p>Any new dorms being built, or old ones renovated?</p>
<p>Also, what dorm is more the “suitcase dorm”, where everyone goes home on the weekend?</p>
<p>Gleaning from other posts, that many Marquette students are from the midwest and head home on the weekend. Looking for a dorm where son will not be alone all weekend.</p>
<p>I can only speak to Carpenter Tower. S is a freshman in the engineering program.</p>
<p>His room is a double with a private bath. A very nice room–lucked out and got a corner with 2 windows. Obviously, the corner adds a little space, but all the rooms are larger than what I would consider average dorm size. However, I will note that there is a lot of traffic noise–located right next to the Marquette Interchange. Those of us from the Midwest know there isn’t that much school year when they will be able to keep windows open at night, anyway. Carpenter is on the east edge of campus. S says the longest trek on campus so far has been a walk of about 8 minutes, almost all are less than five.</p>
<p>No cafeteria in Carpenter, closest is Cobeen, across the “street”. More like an access road/really big sidewalk, not really a city street. Cobeen is noted to have the best food on campus, although they do have limited serving hours. S says it’s worth working your schedule around it. <w> </w></p>
<p>I asked S about the weekends, sounds like about half the kids stay. He likes to stay to get caught up on school work, as he finds the weekends quiet there. Lots of parties somewhere, if you are in to that. He’s not. The kids are friendly with doors always open when we visit, so I don’t think it’s anti-social at all, just not The Dorm for activity. I believe that is McCormick. : ) </p>
<p>S says so far the engineering floor has had little impact in regards to study groups, etc. Mostly just comparing profs and test results-commiserating, basically. And that’s okay, too, but it’s early in the year and that may change. As Mom, I do like him on a floor with kids who most likely take academics as seriously as he. So if it’s a little quieter, that’s fine with us. </p>
<p>There may be hall get togethers and social activities planned, I know there are always posters up about different activities, but S has really needed to crack the books, so I can’t share much on that. The floor lounges are neat and clean, laundry and a nice rec room in the basement. I believe there is also a computer lab/quiet area just off the laundry downstairs as well. </p>
<p>Hope that helps–at least it gives you a basic idea of at least one of the dorms. </p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>I do want to make one comment on all these dorm threads - at the end of the day, the student puts in choices, 1st, 2nd and 3rd, and after that, it’s a lottery. My sense is that McCormick and Abbottsford are the favorites (for the partying in McC and the large triples in Abbotts), but many of my S’s friends are NOT where they requested but are still loving it.</p>
<p>I agonized over the dorms too, and S ended up in O’Donnell. He’s having a great time, the guys are all buddies, and what really matters is the roommates which is totally out of our control. S and his two roommates get along very well.</p>
<p>Montegut, I share your concern about the going-home syndrome. I suppose it can’t be helped - it either happens or it doesn’t - so I’m really encouraging my son to IMMEDIATELY hook up with the student organizations that are of interest to him as I think students need at least two means of engaging socially with others (the dorm being one, of course).</p>
<p>1tgmom, thanks a million for that description of Carpenter. Your blurb and a couple others give me a pretty good idea of what to expect.</p>
<p>And cpeltz, thanks for describing the lottery. I knew there was something of this sort at play but didn’t know the details. So it sounds like the prudent thing to do is develop a list of 3 top choices and hope for the best.</p>
<p>Hey guys! (Yes, yes, like Michael Jordan, I am back from retirement – darn addictive site!)
Marquette does not ever feel empty on weekends. Yes, on any given weekend, someone might be going home, but it is NOT a suitcase school at all.</p>
<p>Beastman, that’s what we did–learned as much as we could, find the best match we thought possible, sign up for that dorm and just hope for the best!</p>
<p>First choice for us was a private in Carpenter, so we thought we did all right in the lottery. Wishing you the best of luck!</p>
<p>I went to Marquette back in the '80s, so my personal experience isn’t quite as relevant, but between my daughter visiting for next year, and my alumni involvement, here is what I know:</p>
<p>dbwes is right. Marquette does not feel empty on the weekends. Even the relatively close kids from Chicago normally don’t go home except for when there’s a long weekend. I have been to campuses that are positively deserted over the weekend. Not here. There’s too much happening on campus, and you don’t want to miss it. Who is going to go home on a weekend where there’s a basketball home game? I saw the most shocking thing ever last year when I drove from Chicago to attend an alumni function, and at 9:00 on a Saturday morning, I saw dozens of students standing in front of the union. Believe it or not, they were all meeting up to pick up trash off the streets in the neighborhood.</p>
<p>When I went to Marquette, the more serious engineering students chose rooms on the study floors. I would recommend it if you are worried that your son may get distracted too easily. And on the weekends, it is not hard to find people having fun , no matter where your dorm room is.</p>
<p>Where are the study rooms? Are you talking about the engineering floors in Carpenter, or is there another place we’re not aware of? </p>
<p>Glad to hear Marquette is not a suitcase school. We’ve done some nearby college visits, and most have been empty on the weekends. Not what we’re looking for.</p>
<p>They are probably not the same as when I went to school there. I believe they are mentioned in the dorm descriptions. I know there is a nursing study floor in Cobeen. That’s where I am encouraging my daughter to live if she is accepted there.</p>
<p>OK, here is D’s take on this:
If you think you want McCormick (which she loved and she met a lot of people) – put it first. Even though it’s big, it’s very popular. Everyone likes Abbotsford, but don’t put Abbotsford first and McCormick second, thinking you’ll take McCormick if you don’t get A – McCormick goes to those who put it first (and not everyone either.)
Abbotsford is great, but so small that if you put it first, be prepared to love your second – usually O’Donnell or Cobeen or Carpenter.
None of the kids think they want the single sex dorms but if they end up there, most really like it, as cpeltz reports. They make good friends and they still go out and socialize.
Honors housing is in Straz and I think is pretty much guaranteed for those in the Honors Program.
She had friends in every dorm, except Carpenter, so I can’t really give you her impressions of that. One of her current best friends actually got placed in Mashuda last year, which is a sophomore dorm, because there were so many freshmen who wanted housing that year.<br>
Campus just isn’t that big – your child will make friends in class and in activities with people who live all over.</p>
<p>Thanks to everyone for responding to this and for providing additional insight into the social dynamics. I have to admit being a little concerned about this after references to large chunks of kids going home on the weekend. Glad to see that’s maybe not true, and it did serve as a nice opportunity to talk to my son about the importance of Joining Something right off the bat so as to not be too dependent on the dorm floor for social stuff. In his case, that’s apparently ultimate Frisbee, which should be a good, social sport.</p>
<p>We live two miles from campus and my sons rarely came home for the weekends. I asked them and they said while students go home on occasion there is never a mass exodus except for breaks. My oldest son’s roomie was from Philadelphia and didn’t go home for the fall break or Easter break and he would come to our house. My son said alot of kids from farther away hooked up with those who lived closer to school.</p>
<p>We’re from California, and son is in a triple with a kid from a Milwaukee suburb and (surprisingly) another boy from Southern California. His roommie from Milwaukee goes home occasionally, but MU is definitely NOT a suitcase school. </p>
<p>This past weekend was a four day midterm break, and son said it was pretty dead around campus and that even some restaurants were closed. He caught up on sleep and studying, but four days is VERY different from Friday and Saturday.</p>
<p>As for studying, he’s in O’Donnell and goes to Raynor (the library) to study. I think that might be the norm…if you haven’t visited yet, it’s a great facility. </p>
<p>The campus is surprisingly compact, maybe 10 minutes from the further corners. </p>
<p>My son was not excited about MU, but it was his best option. He was afraid it was too “sporty.” The result? He’s thriving there, following sports teams, and hopes to be the “Q” on the body painted MARQUETTE bodies at the BB games!</p>
<p>Parents, don’t worry - the school is fabulous for the kids, and it won’t matter where they end up in the dorms.</p>
<p>Dbwes, thanks for your input, and welcome back!</p>
<p>^ wants to the Q?? That’s great! My son would think that’s the coolest thing in the world. How do you , ummm, get this job? :)</p>
<p>My son is a first year student at MU and lives in Abbotsford which was his first choice, McCormick second. He is there to study first and have fun second. He studies in the library not in the dorm. His room is very big, but the building is very old and not very modern compared to schools with new dorms. He has been home three times (Chicago suburbs) since August. The same for his roommate from Chicago. Another roommate is from the area and goes home several times a week and every weekend, which is not a bad thing. About 25% of the floor is gone every weekend, but first year students like to go visit their HS friends at other schools, so that is not uncommon. It will settle down once it starts to snow and basketball starts. If your student is into sports, especially football look for another school. MU is very lean on big time athletics except men’s basketball. Only women’s basketball and volleyball is played on campus. </p>
<p>The food is average. My son will go off campus to JJ or Subway some times to get away from the food. We will be reducing his meal plan at the semester. </p>
<p>The students do study during the week, but will go to off campus parties on weekends. There is never a shortage of off campus parties and MU Public Safety is good about making sure everyone gets home safely. Water St is where all the bars are and from what I understand are pretty nice if you have a fake ID or are 21. </p>
<p>Before your student arrives look into the Jesuit tradition. Drinking the Jesuit koolaid is part of the orientation in August. There are plenty of chances to do community service through the many organizations at MU. Like anything else it is what you make of it.</p>
<p>Many “local” students go home for the weekend at any school. Marquette is no different. The students who are from outside of the midwest are stuck in Milwaukee. Without a football team, there really is not much to get up for on weekends on the MU campus but to rest up from the house party the night before. It will be different once men’s basketball starts. Basketball is the only spectator sport at MU and it is very popular with the students especially during the Big East Conference season.</p>