Hey! Okay, I just graduated from UCSB. First, I should say, EXCELLENT school choice. UCSB is amazing and as long as you go in prepared to get involved (socially, through the school, etc.) you're going to have the best time of your life so far
. So, I worked as a peer advisor and have therefore talked to tons of students about dorms, so hopefully I can break it down a little.
There are 7 dorm halls:
On the IV side of the lagoon:
-San Rafael isn't for freshman, so don't worry about that one.
-Manzanita: Some love it, some hate it. It's probably the quietest and cleanest of the Freshman (and upper classman) dorms. If you get on the honor's floor in it, they have a huge kitchen that's better than anything else you'll come across. They have balconies in their study lounges, the lounges themselves are beautiful. It's pretty. BUT, it's also very isolating in a way. Some people don't like it because they say it's more difficult to make friends (the "floors" aren't as long, etc.). I've had several friends live there, and if you put yourself out there and really try, it's definitely doable to have an active social life, but it's not as easy as some of the others. There is also a pool right near these dorms.
The different dorm:
FT (um, they may have changed the name, but I'm not sure to what. This was done because everyone nicknamed it F**k Towers): FT is a dorm people will LOVE or they will HATE. It is a mile off campus and is more isolating than any other hall. All activities for FT will only be with FT, while other dorm halls often get together for bigger festivities. Some love the strong community it makes, about half the people hate it with a passion b/c it's so isolated. Also, the mile bike ride is great on a nice sunny day, UCSB is often under heavy rainstorms, in which case everyone jumps for the bus...which cannot fit all the residents of FT (obviously) and thus, even if you're on time, you may not be allowed on. It's more of a hassle than a crisis, from what I hear. Let's just say of the people who live in FT, half LOVE it, half HATE it (often even switching out when possible...which is most often not possible). Of those who don't live in FT, I've never met a single person who would want to have lived in FT. I personally would not advise it, but I didn't live there so maybe it's not as horrible as I imagine it to be. They do have their own pool (but there are also pools near Manzanita/San Raf and at the gym).
The library side of the lagoon:
The two towers:
San Nicholas and San Miguel: Haven't heard too many complaints here. People generally like them. San Miguel was at one point nicknamed "San Mi-ghetto" but I think they made some renovations and I believe it's now in better shape than San Nic. The only negative sides to these buildings are:
1. move in day if you're on a top floor: plan on hauling your things up the stairs b/c the elevator's going to be packed.
2. the elevators: they sometimes get stuck, I've heard, so once again, if your'e on a high floor, you're stuck with the stairs. I personally don't like elevators, so these wouldn't be for me, but I've heard the view at the top can make all the issues worth while. (of course, with the towers, you have no control over what floor you get on).
The shorties:
Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, Anacapa (they get together for the best named festival: AnaCruSa Palooza) I lived in Santa Rosa my freshman year and LOVED it, and all of these three dorms have pretty much the same atmosphere. They're two stories each, bonus being that move in day is never too difficult. They also tend to be very social because people are always walking through, though I would say it's most social on the first floor wings near the end doors , because that's where people are usually trekking through. When I was there, everyone kept their doors open most of the time when they were in or would sit in the halls and chat. It could get noisy, but not as bad as you'd think. Weekdays, people generally quieted down b/c they all had class and homework, and weekends were often even quieter because everyone left and anyone who was drunk had to be extra quiet to avoid being cracked down on by RAs. It actually, and unfortunately, usually got loudest halfway through finals weeks b/c those done would be ready to go wild, but that's true of the campus in general and probably is true of all the dorms (maybe except Manzanita?). But there's always other places to study if it gets out of control and if all else fails and there are people being loud outside your window at 3am, a call to the campus foot patrol (students that are basically trainee cops) will do the trick. (They won't get arrested, no worries, but they'll be told to move along since finals week has pretty strict quiet hours around the dorms).
The five on the library side of the lagoon offer probably the more "college" like atmosphere, with larger dorm halls, more people milling through, and lots of people sharing bigger bathrooms. I believe in the towers, it's usually one floor girls, next floor boys, and in the shorties, it's with every corner you turn as you walk down the hall, it changes sex (though I was on the end and we ended up with a mixed hall b/c the numbers didn't quite fit). But just because it's more social, doesn't mean you're going to be alone if you don't drink. The "party" floors, change from year to year based on residents, so you never know what you're going to get, but I was in one of the "trouble" halls (mostly just because people walking through there were loud) and probably 1/4 of us didn't drink. We had movie nights or would run around the beach or would hang around listening to music and talking, and I had plenty of people to do that with, while those wanting to drink had plenty of people to do that with.
Personally, if I was doing it again, I would rank my choices: the shorties, the towers, Manz and not even put FT on the options. I think people are generally happy with the library side dorms, then there are mixed reviews on the other two, but keep in mind, some people do love it (though why take the risk on FT?). Oh, if parking's an issue and you want to bring your car, FT is not your only option, though is probably the easiest. What I would suggest is parking your car in IV, which I did all the time when I lived in San Raf. It can be frustrating at times finding a spot, but I always found one within the first two streets away from campus. You can park on campus on weekends, so if you go out Friday night and are too tired to look for a spot, you can park on certain campus lots and not worry about it until Sunday. I paid for a parking spot freshman year, but it was further away than any parking spot I found in IV was, so I don't recommend it. Even if you end up getting a few tickets for forgetting to move your car from the campus lots, the cost won't end up nearly as much as paying for a parking space.
I would say also to get on your hall council if possible, even as just a hall representative, b/c not only do you get to vote on activities and such, but you get to go on a "retreat" (make sure to save hall funds for it) and get to know people from other parts of the dorm hall.
As for room size, they're all pretty tiny. FT, some say, has slightly bigger dorm rooms, but I've been inside and didn't see a big difference. Some think Manzanita has bigger ones, but once again, I've been inside and think it's more a matter of shape than actual size. It will be a bit crowded, but you'll get used to it fast and everyone's in the same boat. I was in a double sized room but with three people and it just wasn't a big deal. I don't think I ever heard people complaining about the size and if you want to maximize your room, you can just loft your beds for the extra space.
As for the rec cen, UCSB has a kick ass gym. I suggest getting certified and doing the rock climbing wall. They also have a pool, a new hot tub, courts of different kinds, tracks, a skating rink, etc.
I hope that helps, even if it's a little late.
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