Deciding which dorm style to live in as a freshman can seem daunting. Especially with so many options offered, it can be quite overwhelming and difficult to know which dorm option best fits one’s lifestyle. As someone who lives in Gardenia, a deluxe triple room with a communal bath, I remember how worried I was about having to potentially change any of my living habits to better adapt to my new environment. To help incoming freshmen have a better idea of the various housing options, here is a real breakdown of what to anticipate and which option may be best for you.
Let’s talk about different on-campus housing options. These options are located on the “Hill” and are separated into classic halls, deluxe halls, plazas and suites. Classic halls are the standard option with a small square room, no air conditioner and a communal bathroom — popular amongst freshmen looking to have the traditional freshman experience. Next are deluxe halls. They are bigger in room size compared to the classic, but still have communal bathrooms. Next up, plaza rooms have an adjacent room with a shared bathroom. The rooms themselves are slightly bigger in size than the classic but not as big as the deluxe. Lastly, there are suites, which are famous for their apartment-style layout with shared living rooms and a bathroom shared between two rooms. However, a downside to this option is that there are no air conditioners. The suites are in high demand, which can make them difficult to be assigned, especially as a freshman.
Living in Gardenia, a deluxe hall, I personally enjoy the upgrade for the bigger room as it provides a lot of floor space, making it feel more open. I especially like the wall-to-wall windows that welcome tons of natural light into my room. However, I’ve found the downside of this housing option to be the communal bathrooms. It can be burdensome to walk all the way down the hall just to use its facilities for something as simple as washing my hands. But I’ve found that if your floormates are decent and clean up after themselves, there are no issues with any of the facilities like the toilets or showers. Gardenia is the residential building located closest to frat row, which may sound like a potential distraction, but from my experience, I have never felt the noise as bothersome and honestly can’t hear any noise until I am outside of my building. I really like the location because it is right next to the street that leads directly to the University Apartments and Westwood. However, a downside for this location is that it is isolated away from the rest of the residential buildings, making it feel quieter and less community-oriented.
Whichever housing option you settle on, you are sure to enjoy your experience living on the Hill at UCLA. At the end of the day, the dorming experience only takes up a part of your day because as a Bruin, most days are spent outside, on campus or out with friends. So regardless of your housing choice, the people you surround yourself with will shape your college experience more than the location you reside in.
