I have spent the last four years living in nothing but campus provided housing. Some experiences were good. Some were bad. Others were interesting. Things could have been better, but that then again, they could be much worse. I'm going to first list your choices in living, the condition, and what I think of it.

Freshman Dorms

North Quad: North Quad is the newest of the lot. Four separate buildings comprise North quad - Scheffries, Gordon, Reitman and Cable. Cable is generally reserved for sophomores, and the random juniors. They are pretty much identical to one another. There's a gray feeling, but at least the conditions of the rooms, and bathrooms are great - they were recently renovated.

Massell Quad: This quad is situated closest to Sherman dining hall. There is a small, rather disgusting pond situated in the center of the quad. This area is often inhabited by Canadian geese, and they LEAVE their mark. You must really watch your step - it is never cleared. The condition of the dorm is decent, it could be better. Massell is composed of Shapiro, Deroy, Renfield, and Usen (designated for sophomores, occasional juniors). Not the newest, but by far not the worst.

East Quad: Ouch. This is a sore spot. I lived here my first year. East has very narrow halls. It is very dark. The conditions of the room range from acceptable to poor. The bathrooms need serious innovations. I had a friend who had a pipe burst in her room while she was away. Suffice it to say, the water, destroyed her computer, and her microwave, amongst other things. East is also prone to many, many insect infestations. At least on my floor, which is partly underground. Ants, Bees, and "East Bugs" - centipede like insects, have all graced my room.

Upperclassman Dorms

Rosenthal: Houses sophomores who want to live together in eight person suites. The condition of the rooms are comparable to Massal. The buildings are North, South and East.

Ridgewood: One of the oldest housing available on campus. There are 10 person, and 4 person apartments. They come equipped with kitchens, and private bathrooms. I lived here my Sophomore and Junior year. The conditions are fair considering their age. I would put them somewhere between East and Massell. Renovation is required, but not as much as East.

Ziv: Ahh, the newest available housing on campus. The conditions of the rooms are excellent, albeit generally smaller. Ziv houses both juniors and seniors, and are separated by four separate numbers instead of names. Here's a kicker. Ziv's were originally suppose to have their own kitchens, however, they ran out of money. Ziv 130 is a prime indicator of this. It has only 4 stories while the other three buildings have 5. It's pretty funny, but so is Campus Life. At least they have two private bathrooms each.

Charles River aka Grad: Grad is located a good half mile or so off campus. Everyone, freshmen aside, can live here if they so choose. Just like Ziv, Grad buildings are disignated by number. They also come in four different varieties - 5 person, 3 person, 2 person, and 2 person without common room. Each Ziv apartment has a kitchen and private bath room or two. Conditions are comparable to East Quad. I wouldn't want to live there, but if you don't get your first choice, you can either hope that a space in another dorm opens up, move off campus, or move to grad.

Foster Apartments aka Mods: Ahh. This is where I lived my senior year. The Mods are designated wet, allowing alcohol, because only seniors can live here. They are set up like town houses with two bathrooms, a kitchen, and either four or six bedrooms. The conditions are between Massell and North. They could be better though, but I really enjoy living in the Foster apartments.

This is my assessment on campus living. Conditions aside, I enjoyed living in East my freshman year. It was very social, and cozy. Ridgewood was fun because I lived with my a bunch of my friends and the idea of not having an RA several doors away was also good. The Mods are great. Especially my senior year. There is always something going on during the weekends. The first weekend here, four parties attracted a ton of people. Many of whom found their ways outside.



Recommended: Yes