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stepherzzz · 05-31-2009, 11:42 PM

Hi Eidda. I've been at Grinnell for a year now and I personally think you're probably not missing out on anything in not opting for sub-free living. The dorms are not necessarily nicer (AT ALL): one is on South Campus (James) and is fairly popular because of its location, Hannibal Kershaw is just like any other East Campus dorm, and Smith is pretty well-regarded but is not widely considered the nicest North Campus dorm by any means, but that's probably because most people don't opt for sub-free housing and therefore don't consider it.

The dorms do vary a lot. IlikeDice's descriptions are accurate. Whether or not a dorm is "good" is all a matter of opinion. Specifically, though, here's how I feel about the dorms at Grinnell:

- I lived in Norris last year. First years get put in every dorm on campus, but because Norris is typically pretty disliked, a lot of us ended up there. Now, Norris is disliked because of the BUILDING, not because of the atmosphere. It is unattractive and the hallways are incredibly skinny because the dorm was constructed to be riot-proof. The walls are also paper thin, but the doubles are pretty nicely sized. I enjoyed my floor immensely because of the awesome community we had. So, even though I was in what most people consider the "worst" dorm on campus, I enjoyed it. (Also, like all of the East Campus dorms, it had air conditioning, which was nice for about 2 months of the year.)
- Other than Norris, there are no really "bad" dorms. Personally, even though East Campus is new, I would NEVER want to live there. I find the dorms sterile and hospital-like. A lot of people on campus feel the same way I do, but there are many people who enjoy the air conditioning. Of the East Campus dorms, Lazier is especially popular because it's central and has tons of windows. Rathje is the least popular because it's farthest north.
- South and North Campus are both pretty popular in general. South campus does tend to attract the hippie crowd. I like the South Campus loggia and Main Hall in general, so that's where I chose to live next year. Actually, there are a lot of reasons I chose Main (I had a fairly good room draw number): laundry in the dorm, Bob's Underground Cafe, Gardner Lounge, and proximity to town.

You just get placed in a dorm your first year, so you can't really choose. But there are definitely positive things about every dorm on campus, and I REALLY enjoyed residential life my first year.

If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask.

Edit:: There are a few male-only and female-only floors, but most are coed. Starting next year, there will be gender neutral housing in both Younker and Loose. This means that guys and girls will be able to room together.

05-31-2009, 11:42 PM	#10
stepherzzz Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 79	Hi Eidda. I've been at Grinnell for a year now and I personally think you're probably not missing out on anything in not opting for sub-free living. The dorms are not necessarily nicer (AT ALL): one is on South Campus (James) and is fairly popular because of its location, Hannibal Kershaw is just like any other East Campus dorm, and Smith is pretty well-regarded but is not widely considered the nicest North Campus dorm by any means, but that's probably because most people don't opt for sub-free housing and therefore don't consider it. The dorms do vary a lot. IlikeDice's descriptions are accurate. Whether or not a dorm is "good" is all a matter of opinion. Specifically, though, here's how I feel about the dorms at Grinnell: - I lived in Norris last year. First years get put in every dorm on campus, but because Norris is typically pretty disliked, a lot of us ended up there. Now, Norris is disliked because of the BUILDING, not because of the atmosphere. It is unattractive and the hallways are incredibly skinny because the dorm was constructed to be riot-proof. The walls are also paper thin, but the doubles are pretty nicely sized. I enjoyed my floor immensely because of the awesome community we had. So, even though I was in what most people consider the "worst" dorm on campus, I enjoyed it. (Also, like all of the East Campus dorms, it had air conditioning, which was nice for about 2 months of the year.) - Other than Norris, there are no really "bad" dorms. Personally, even though East Campus is new, I would NEVER want to live there. I find the dorms sterile and hospital-like. A lot of people on campus feel the same way I do, but there are many people who enjoy the air conditioning. Of the East Campus dorms, Lazier is especially popular because it's central and has tons of windows. Rathje is the least popular because it's farthest north. - South and North Campus are both pretty popular in general. South campus does tend to attract the hippie crowd. I like the South Campus loggia and Main Hall in general, so that's where I chose to live next year. Actually, there are a lot of reasons I chose Main (I had a fairly good room draw number): laundry in the dorm, Bob's Underground Cafe, Gardner Lounge, and proximity to town. You just get placed in a dorm your first year, so you can't really choose. But there are definitely positive things about every dorm on campus, and I REALLY enjoyed residential life my first year. If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask. Edit:: There are a few male-only and female-only floors, but most are coed. Starting next year, there will be gender neutral housing in both Younker and Loose. This means that guys and girls will be able to room together.
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