Hey I'm heading to Iowa State and was just wondering what the best dorm is? For a standard double. Right now, my #1 option is Friley. I was just wondering if the huge size of it might be a bad thing possibly? Not sure what to think. I'd like to know some thoughts on Friley and/or other dorms. Thanks.
I only lived in Friley during my dorm days (two years), but Friley is massive. I honestly think it depends on what you're looking for and the "house" you get in.
My experience: First year I lived in one of the oldest sections of Friley with probably the smallest room in Friley (yeah, I looked at floor plans of Friley to figure that one out awhile ago). It was pretty comparable to the worst rooms in Helser that I saw. It was a piece of **** floor and old. Furthermore my roommate didn't wear deodorant and my small room constantly smelled of BO. However, my house was ******* awesome because of a lot of the people and I had an amazing time. The next year, I moved to one of the newer parts (I even had A/C!) and my floor was a bit more anti social and I had less fun.
So, yeah from my experience..the dorm experience is only as good as your neighbors and how tight you get with them. Honestly the 1st year was unforgettable with all the awesome neighbors. I'm still in weekly contact with probably 5 of those guys. The second year, on a top floor with AC..meh. Nothing big. Big deal. My neighbors blew and only a few actually talked to one another. It was lame.
About the size, it's not really an issue. At first, I got lost. I mean that's expected because Friley is massive with weird hallways in a few places. However, after awhile I learned my way around really well without much effort. All the shortcuts and stuff.
Tip: If you end up in Friley and don't live on the north side of it, and it's cold out..it is a really, really good idea to learn your way through the hallways to escape a few blocks of cold everyday.
I have been in a lot of other dorms too, like those suite ones near UDCC which were pretty new when I was there. They are "nice" but not luxurious by any means. For a college kid it's nice, but worth the money? IMO not really.