Best Dorm?

[BMWallace]

I will recommend avoiding Towers (Wallace & Wilson). Being off campus as a freshman sucks.

 

[Cyfan1965]

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"...

His mother has chosen Friley learning community for him for now but keep suggestions coming he can always change.

 

[CYdTracked]

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.

BWR alum here and was my favorite dorm out of the 3 I stayed in. Linden is a close 2nd for me and my other stay was Towers and my building (Storms) was imploded years ago. BWR my freshman and part of sophomore year. The old RCA buildings have some huge rooms you can't get in some of the other cookie cutter sized dorms but you either luck into one of those rooms as a freshman or request one when you re-enroll the next year. Still though even that standard sized rooms in the old RCA area usually were bigger than most rooms on campus. Being all male dorm didn't bother me, Oak-Elm is right around the corner and all female and most of the floors usually wound up doing a brother/sister floor arrangement for social activities.

The other 2 places I was an RA in, ironically I had one of the better behaved floors at Towers in what usually was a big party complex then my last year was RA in Linden and got stuck with a horribly behaved floor in what was a really tame building otherwise. Not familiar with the newer dorms that went up after I graduated in 2002. I think I saw that all the lofts are now provided in all the dorms now? In BWR some of the lofts basically stayed with the rooms because someone custom built it to maximize space in a lot of those odd shapped rooms. The best room on campus I thought was the 3 person room on 2nd floor Birch right inside the main entrance. It was 2 rooms, someone built a loft that went in the smaller room that lofted all 3 beds and had enough room to put all the desks and dressers underneath it making the larger room pretty much a living room. Needless to say it was usually always occupied by upperclassmen and made for a popular hangout area on the floor. 2296/2298 was the room: -https://apps-housing.sws.iastate.edu/images/floorplans/Dana_2296-2305.gif There were a couple other larger 2 and 3 person rooms in BWR too I recall. Won't lie but the more I go through Ames and campus these days the more jealous I am of all the new stuff students these days have available to them that we didn't. Granted I'll trade that for lower tuition costs too.

 

[cstrunk]

I lived in Friley for 2 years, and that's my vote. The social aspect is great, there are learning communities, and it's close to most of the engineering buildings. I'm pretty sure there were times when I woke up at 7:40 AM, showered and dressed, walked to class, and still made it to my 8 AM class on time.

 

[ISUCyclones2015]

The best room on campus I thought was the 3 person room on 2nd floor Birch right inside the main entrance. It was 2 rooms, someone built a loft that went in the smaller room that lofted all 3 beds and had enough room to put all the desks and dressers underneath it making the larger room pretty much a living room. Needless to say it was usually always occupied by upperclassmen and made for a popular hangout area on the floor. 2296/2298 was the room: -https://apps-housing.sws.iastate.edu/images/floorplans/Dana_2296-2305.gif There were a couple other larger 2 and 3 person rooms in BWR too I recall. Won't lie but the more I go through Ames and campus these days the more jealous I am of all the new stuff students these days have available to them that we didn't. Granted I'll trade that for lower tuition costs too.

Yea I lived on Birch Dana my sophomore year. The biggest single in BWR I believe and had two walk in closets plus it definitely could've fit two lofts. I deserved it after living in the smallest double the year prior on Roberts Franklin, it was just like 10 sq feet larger than my single.

That triple bedroom with it's own bathroom was the bees knees. They did the living room setup as well when I lived there. Though they didn't hang out with the floor much.

The 4218 and 4219 on Franklin was also crazy. You had like a foyer with the "living room" directly ahead and two separate rooms on either side.

 

[BCClone]

A Dana guy, but I would request oak elm if I was him.

15 did your room face the east and you took a right when coming in the main doors?

 

[Sighclone Fan]

MWL baby!!!

 

[k123]

I would strongly recommenced Richardson Court area (aka Old RCA - Birch-Welch-Roberts, Barton-Lyon-Freeman) etc. You get the nice courtyard, trees, quintessential college feel, the hallways encourage interaction, the dens feel like old school college dens. Boys dorms are close to girls dorms (building by building, e.g. Oak-Elm, at least in past) but avoid the co-ed-floor weirdness effects to male group psychology.

Not as far away as Maple-Willow-Larch, not as much of a mole-burrow as Deep-Friley I would advise against the new Martin/Eaton suite where the doors are heavy and close automatically, and everything is far apart and non-conducive to organic socializing. Sure it is a bit more of a walk to engineering buildings but as a freshman your classes are scattered and that walk takes you through the creek/Knoll area and central campus.

Wherever you end up you get out what you put in, but the spatial arrangements can help or hinder...

I mean look at this place! If "aesthetic truth" is lost on him, and if you don't think it will be awakened by the springtime dogwood blooming along College Creek between the Union and the dorms, trees then maybe leave the spot for someone else, but otherwise...

 

[NDMARTIN2015]

I would strongly recommenced Richardson Court area (aka Old RCA - Birch-Welch-Roberts, Barton-Lyon-Freeman) etc. You get the nice courtyard, trees, quintessential college feel, the hallways encourage interaction, the dens feel like old school college dens. Boys dorms are close to girls dorms (building by building, e.g. Oak-Elm, at least in past) but avoid the co-ed-floor weirdness effects to male group psychology.

Not as far away as Maple-Willow-Larch, not as much of a mole-burrow as Deep-Friley I would advise against the new Martin/Eaton suite where the doors are heavy and close automatically, and everything is far apart and non-conducive to organic socializing. Sure it is a bit more of a walk to engineering buildings but as a freshman your classes are scattered and that walk takes you through the creek/Knoll area and central campus.

Wherever you end up you get out what you put in, but the spatial arrangements can help or hinder...

I mean look at this place! If "aesthetic truth" is lost on him, and if you don't think it will be awakened by the springtime dogwood blooming along College Creek between the Union and the dorms, trees then maybe leave the spot for someone else, but otherwise...
View attachment 59244 View attachment 59245

I loved walking through Old RCA and the Creek/Knoll area. Best looking dorms on campus.

 

[k123]

BWR alum here and was my favorite dorm out of the 3 I stayed in. Linden is a close 2nd for me and my other stay was Towers and my building (Storms) was imploded years ago. BWR my freshman and part of sophomore year. The old RCA buildings have some huge rooms you can't get in some of the other cookie cutter sized dorms but you either luck into one of those rooms as a freshman or request one when you re-enroll the next year. Still though even that standard sized rooms in the old RCA area usually were bigger than most rooms on campus. Being all male dorm didn't bother me, Oak-Elm is right around the corner and all female and most of the floors usually wound up doing a brother/sister floor arrangement for social activities.

The other 2 places I was an RA in, ironically I had one of the better behaved floors at Towers in what usually was a big party complex then my last year was RA in Linden and got stuck with a horribly behaved floor in what was a really tame building otherwise. Not familiar with the newer dorms that went up after I graduated in 2002. I think I saw that all the lofts are now provided in all the dorms now? In BWR some of the lofts basically stayed with the rooms because someone custom built it to maximize space in a lot of those odd shapped rooms. The best room on campus I thought was the 3 person room on 2nd floor Birch right inside the main entrance. It was 2 rooms, someone built a loft that went in the smaller room that lofted all 3 beds and had enough room to put all the desks and dressers underneath it making the larger room pretty much a living room. Needless to say it was usually always occupied by upperclassmen and made for a popular hangout area on the floor. 2296/2298 was the room: -https://apps-housing.sws.iastate.edu/images/floorplans/Dana_2296-2305.gif There were a couple other larger 2 and 3 person rooms in BWR too I recall. Won't lie but the more I go through Ames and campus these days the more jealous I am of all the new stuff students these days have available to them that we didn't. Granted I'll trade that for lower tuition costs too.

We lived in two big BWR big rooms like you note, a 3-person and 2-person, and custom-lofted all five beds and closets in the big 2 person room leaving the 3-person "Living room" with courtyard bay windows. Ahh, memories!

 

[MNCYWX]

Welch - Cassell myself back in early 2000s. Had a great time socially with the floor despite having the smallest double room on the floor... which also had a giant peni$ drawn on the ceiling.

 

[throwittoblythe]

I loved walking through Old RCA and the Creek/Knoll area. Best looking dorms on campus.

Spring-time sun bathers in the courtyard were also a nick perk.

 

[ISU85]

My experience from the early 1980's won't be too relevant anymore, but I lived in Friley and thought that was the best location. The porno theater was right across the street on Lincoln Way, and Friley was the shortest stagger home from the bars on Welch.

As an extra bonus, Zevs Cosmos hung around Friley quite a bit. If you're too young to remember him, you missed a fascinating chapter of ISU history and its role in the Nudist Christian movement.

 

[Deleted member 8507]

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.

Hey, Hey, Hey, They were practically new when I lived there . . . .

 

[Deleted member 8507]

My experience from the early 1980's won't be too relevant anymore, but I lived in Friley and thought that was the best location. The porno theater was right across the street on Lincoln Way, and Friley was the shortest stagger home from the bars on Welch.

As an extra bonus, Zevs Cosmos hung around Friley quite a bit. If you're too young to remember him, you missed a fascinating chapter of ISU history and its role in the Nudist Christian movement.

I used to get into discussions with Zevs. He claimed he used Wild Turkey for the wine at his "church" services.

 

[ISU85]

I used to get into discussions with Zevs. He claimed he used Wild Turkey for the wine at his "church" services.

Yes, he usually smelled of Wild Turkey and many other things.

 

[NickTheGreat]

LOL when I started in 2001 Maple was one of the newer, nicer dorms. I enjoyed it, and it's very walkable to campus. I had a 8:00 at Moly Bio which was a bit of a hike in February, but still doable.

My sister was a CA in Martin a few years later (right after it was built) and she didn't really like the vibe there, compared to the New or especially old RCA. A little more closed off and secluded, read anti-social.

 

[WhatchaGonnaDo]

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.

Yes but it was OUR ********

 

[JP4CY]

My experience from the early 1980's won't be too relevant anymore, but I lived in Friley and thought that was the best location. The porno theater was right across the street on Lincoln Way, and Friley was the shortest stagger home from the bars on Welch.

As an extra bonus, Zevs Cosmos hung around Friley quite a bit. If you're too young to remember him, you missed a fascinating chapter of ISU history and its role in the Nudist Christian movement.

I'm not old enough for Zevs we had God Socks.

 

[TXCyclones]

My experience from the early 1980's won't be too relevant anymore, but I lived in Friley and thought that was the best location. The porno theater was right across the street on Lincoln Way, and Friley was the shortest stagger home from the bars on Welch.

As an extra bonus, Zevs Cosmos hung around Friley quite a bit. If you're too young to remember him, you missed a fascinating chapter of ISU history and its role in the Nudist Christian movement.

Somewhere in a box in storage I still have my Nudist Christian church t-shirt from Zevs. I got in an argument with Zevs about the irony of a Nudist Church selling shirts. I wonder where he is today?

Edit - ... awesome! Zevs has a Wikipedia page! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zevs_Cosmos