Residential Colleges

molliegym · 03-10-2009, 11:03 PM

So I just got in to Case (yay!) and I'm wondering about the residential colleges for freshman. It seems like a great program and good for easing students in the transition from high school to college. Can any current or former students at Case (or parents of current or former students) comment on what life is like as a freshman in a "residential college"? Did you enjoy the experience? Also, do you get to choose which one you live in, or is it chosen for you?

aphoticmelody · 03-11-2009, 06:28 PM

You get to pick your actual room over the summer, online. So yes, you can decide which residential college you'd prefer.

The programming offered by the different RCs is a nice way to meet new people/hang out with your friends. There are all levels of participation. I definitely enjoyed my experience in Cedar. My understanding is that Cedar & Juniper are more tight-knit than Mistletoe.

If you have more specific questions, I'd be glad to try & answer them for you.

desilu · 03-11-2009, 07:01 PM

Is there any reason why the res. coll. program only lasts one year?

CaseSpartan10 · 03-12-2009, 02:58 PM

Most people pick based on the dorm style they prefer. I was in Juniper, which has traditional halls, with a common common bathroom. One of the other res. colleges (can't remember which) has quad style dorms. It seemed that students living in the quads tended to become much closer friends with those living around them.

aphoticmelody · 03-13-2009, 09:26 PM

@CaseSpartan10, I would argue that the friendships you acquire has more to do with the people on your floor than the layout of the building. My dorm had the traditional square layout, but our floor was, with a few exceptions, extremely close. We weren't limited.

@desilu, I'm not entirely sure. Sophomore year you generally room with your friends. Housing for sophomores is suite-style, meaning groups of 6 live together in a suite, sharing a common room and bathroom. Each person has their own single (unless you're unfortunate enough to get stuck in Clarke Tower; there are a few doubles there).

oliver2 · 03-14-2009, 11:05 AM

I hear Mistletoe (the quad style housing one) is sort of the party one too. I haven't really heard too much about Juniper although I assume it's not too bad. Personally I like Cedar, it's the closest to classes and the buildings have some of the nicer study rooms, although maybe my knowledge comes from a bias as the only Case kids I know live in Cedar.