The boy has decided to go to ISU in computer engineering. We didn't research dorms at all since he was going West or East coast until recently. I lived in Friley so..... He is looking at Martin but really doesn't have a clue. He needs to fill out housing asap of course- Cheers!
Best Dorm?
- Thread starter Cyfan1965
- Start date
Helser 4 lyfe unless you want a boring luxury-suite-style
My daughter stayed in Geoffroy her Freshman year and absolutely hated it. Her floor was part of the WISE Community (Women In Science & Engineering) so half the girls got to their rooms and shut their doors and the other half were sorority girls who didn't interact with non-greeks. There were no social activities and she didn't have a roommate. She wished she'd been over around new-Helzer or a quad-room with in-room bathrooms.
She was so down on things her freshman year that I thought she was transferring to TCU. But after Spring Break she chose to get an off-campus apartment with friends and its made all the difference. She's 180-degrees from where she was last year and absolutely loving ISU.
Friley or Helser if you want them to build character. MWL if you want them to party all the time.
In all seriousness, if he’s going for engineering I’d recommend something in the Union Drive neighborhood (Friley, Helser, Martin, Eaton)
In all seriousness, if he’s going for engineering I’d recommend something in the Union Drive neighborhood (Friley, Helser, Martin, Eaton)
BWR or die. It might be an all male dorm but then you don't have to deal with all that drama from co ed dorms. Plus it's not like women weren't allowed in the building.
I lived in Eaton my freshmen year (2006 - 2007). It was ok, I met some people that I hung out with a little. However, looking back at it, and even in my later years of college, I would have preferred Friley. To me, the people that lived there seemed to have formed a more tight-knit group than what I saw at Eaton. I also viewed Friley as something you would expect a dorm to be.
Everyone shoots for Martin and Eaton I feel. People who were in Maple-Willow-Larch that I knew seemed to really enjoy it, and you have Seasons dining in the building. I was in Birch-Welch-Roberts and like it for a freshman year dorm, those are the older dorms but had a lot of room compared to some of the other styles, it is all male but there's no restrictions on people coming over obviously, so its not a bit deal. UDCC area dorms seemed to be a good time, but I never went over there much.
I lived in Maple in 2011 so I can really only speak for MWL. It had a really nice cafeteria and was right across from Hilton and Jack Trice which was amazing on gameday. 7 years ago it was pretty much like this:
Maple-Definitely the most quiet of the three. Very few parties. The nicest/cleanest. Strict no alcohol policy. Probably the best for someone who is going to take their education really seriously.
Willow: Combo of Maple/Larch. Had some recent updates to the interior. Best for someone who wants to have a good time, but hit the books at the same time.
Larch- Party central. Very old interior. Looking back they were really gross. Also the most fun. Best for someone looking to beer bong Keystone on a Tuesday night.
Maple-Definitely the most quiet of the three. Very few parties. The nicest/cleanest. Strict no alcohol policy. Probably the best for someone who is going to take their education really seriously.
Willow: Combo of Maple/Larch. Had some recent updates to the interior. Best for someone who wants to have a good time, but hit the books at the same time.
Larch- Party central. Very old interior. Looking back they were really gross. Also the most fun. Best for someone looking to beer bong Keystone on a Tuesday night.
BWR and rest of Old RCA is similar in that regard.
Not that it really matters that much because the ISU campus is compact enough where it really doesn't matter, but if you're going to be an engineer it's best to live in UDA - you'll spend the vast majority of your stay at ISU on that side of campus.
MWL had nothing on Knapp and Storm...RIP.
The Richardson Court dorms are usually overlooked, but I stayed in Freeman my first 2 years of school and liked it quite a bit. They are quieter than Friley or Helser, though further away from the Engineering buildings. They are a little roomier than MWL. And if I remember right, most of the Old RCA buildings come with a lofted bed, a dresser, and a desk.
I love it, this thread is literally all over the map.
The Union Drive dorms are closer to Coover, but your freshman classes will be all over campus. Math in Carver, Chem in Gilman, Physics in Physics. Most of the time big lectures (i.e. fresh/soph gen eds) are put into whatever available "University Lecture Hall" there is, which are in random buildings.
I lived in Larch in '05 (13 years ago? what the ****) as a CprE and had a lot of fun. As long as you're on the Orange circulator you don't have anything to worry about. The nice thing about the Woods (MWL) buildings is the hanging lofts give you a lot of room that bunked lofts take up. Especially on the top floor, 10' ceilings means your bed is 8' off the floor
I lived in Larch in '05 (13 years ago? what the ****) as a CprE and had a lot of fun. As long as you're on the Orange circulator you don't have anything to worry about. The nice thing about the Woods (MWL) buildings is the hanging lofts give you a lot of room that bunked lofts take up. Especially on the top floor, 10' ceilings means your bed is 8' off the floor
Also, I love the Campus Life threads. I miss college.
Helser's a ********. Lived there one year and could not get out fast enough.
That building shouldve been knocked down 15 years ago when they kicked us all out of there because they were going to knock it down.
I lived in Willow my freshman year in 2011. At the time I was Computer Engineering, and it is NOT the place to be for that major. I was an avid partier yes, but besides that..in the winter time when you're working till 2-3 AM on campus and you have to walk back to MWL, it sucks. Willow was also 10 times crappier than it is now, so maybe it improved. I know that there are a ton of learning communities in Union Drive area. I think the Comp E learning community is on the 5th floor of Friley. I lived on a Co-Ed floor in Willow, and it got wild even during the week. I guess it depends on how well he can handle "distractions"...
