UF.

That's short for University of Florida for non-Gator fans. I've been a Florida Gator since 1994, and have lived in both the dormitory and family housing, hence the title of this review. Overall, my experience with campus housing at UF has been positive. Not exactly anything to rave about, but not unpleasant. I much prefer the family housing conditions to the dorm, so it looks like getting married worked in my favor. <grin>

I'll begin with the dormitory experience. I actually applied late for housing before coming to UF as a freshman, and although space was limited, they were able to secure a spot for me which saved me the costs of renting an apartment. My destination was to be Thomas Hall, one of the oldest dorms on campus, completed in 1906 and an original location of classrooms and residences for the University of Florida.

My first impression of the dorm, besides noting its age, was that it had a certain charm with its majestic red brick and artwork decorating the doorways (gargoyles included, meant to ward off evil spirits). The inside was not overly easy on the eyes, the decor a conglomeration of styles across the decades, and leaning towards that uncomfortable institutional feel, with the word drab being a good fit, but somehow I was able to make it home for the three years I resided there.

It became immediately apparent that Thomas Hall was closed off to the point that it didn't encourage residents to feel like a "family". Each of the hallways were secured by a door which you had to enter with via a key, and although this was a necessary safety measure, it made it difficult to get to know your hall-mates. Fortunately, the resident assistants (students like the rest of us living there) made an effort to organize regular activities to unite the residents of our section of Thomas Hall. The involvement was there if you were motivated to participate. Also, our area, Murphree, made a regular point to get students out of their rooms and active with organized activities occurring frequently.

During my residence there, there were a total of three (successive) resident assistants, and each of them were easy to approach and concerned about the residents, which was a plus. I wish I could say that my experience with roommates was as positive, but unfortunately it wasn't. I had a total of three roommates, and then wised up and opted for a single room. Two of the roommates were satisfactory, one never there and the other relatively clean and easy to live with, but the other was a nightmare to live with. We totally clashed and the Inter-Resident Hall Association, the on-campus housing organization, did not handle the situation in the most effective manner. I did, however, chalk it up as experience, and realized that there are some people that just aren't meant to live together, and moved to another room as a result.

There are approximately ten dorms on campus and I have to say that Thomas Hall was in the prime location. No more than five minutes away from dining, classes (by bike), and shopping, I was highly satisfied with the location. The only major frustrations (besides troublesome roommates) were parking and the absence of air conditioning, but the cost of room and board was the lowest of any of the dorms (excepting the other dorms in Murphree Area, which were comparable in cost).

Each floor of Thomas Hall had a bathroom and kitchen, laundry facilities were practically on the doorstep of the dorm, as were mail boxes, and there were ample soda and snack machines to access. The area felt like a community and it was easy to get to know other residents that frequented Murphree Area. I actually had the chance to move to another dorm after my initial stay in Thomas Hall and maybe because I'm a creature of habit but probably because I became accustomed to the living experience, I opted to remain loyal for three years to Thomas Hall even without air conditioning, so it really wasn't that bad. I kind of miss those days.

After taking a year off, I found myself back in campus housing, this time married and living in family housing, Corry Village, where my family and I currently reside. My husband, son, and I have been quite happy in this environment. While the apartment is small, it suits our needs just fine. We have more freedom here than I used to in the dorms in that we were able to install our own air conditioning units (some family housing residences have air, some don't. I wasn't picky since we were able to get in on relatively short notice). We live in one of the older villages, built 1959-1960. They have done a fine job of maintaining the apartments and living area, and respond quickly to maintenance/custodial requests.

I love Corry Village because it has abundant trees and greenery, ample play areas for children, and is a wonderful family environment. The people are friendly, even if many of them choose to stay to themselves for the most part. There are regular family activities to become involved in and the area manager and staff makes a point to keep residents informed. They are sticklers for rules, carrying them to the point of excess, such as what you can and can't have in the breezeways, but that comes with the territory. Parking is relatively headache free although you have to park in the lot and this means that there is some distance to walk to your apartment (makes grocery unloading fun).

The laundry facilities have recently been remodeled and the area office allows residents to check out movies, games, sports equipment, and more which is a welcome privilege. There isn't a pool at Corry Village, but we are able to access the pools at other villages, and have access to Lake Alice, a short walk away, not for swimming as there are alligators but for kayaking. There are plenty of garbage disposal areas and recycling bins. The mail boxes are centrally located for easy access.

The apartment was not furnished when we moved in (we were aware of this), and there are one- or two-bedroom apartments available for graduate students and families. I believe Corry Village has a total of 108 apartments. There have never been any problems here aside from the occasional noise violation. In fact, we are encouraged to call campus police if any arise. There is a degree of trust between the residents in that we leave items outside our door in the hopes that they will be respected (such as my son's outside play toys, for instance.) I am pleased to say that our property has never been bothered with.

I'll be graduating in December and soon my experience with UF campus housing will be but a memory. I am thankful that for the most part that memory will be a positive one and would recommend campus housing to others for its affordability and convenience above all else. I believe the dorm experience makes the transition for freshmen so much easier and would highly recommend a dorm stay for at least the first year. Family housing is a blessing and accommodates families from all over the globe. What would make the dorm experience disagreeable is if you don't get along well with others (specifically roommates) and don't thrive on communal living. If you hide away in your room, it can be rather lonely.

This review was part of the 2nd Education Write Off aka Quality of Life Write Off, organized by Kinganamort (Good job, Kim!) and participated in by the following talented writers (don't miss their contributions!):

basilisk4, catherine_james, Kinganamort, Smussyolay, Shan1, Bigjack, Chicknyell, and Elorraine

Go Gators!






Recommended: Yes