houston hall and tilton hall

bluirinka
Fri, 04 Aug 2006 08:44:34 +0000

Oooookay. Here we go.

Hill was all-freshman last year, and I think only the 5th floor was HL, but it’s like 6 singles or something.

The fact that you requested all-freshman doesn’t by any means mean that you got it, though - you lucked out in getting Hill, but there are tons and tons of people who requested freshman housing and ended up in mixed. After all, Tilton is 100 something, Houston is 200 something, I forget how big Hill is, but in the end your class is 1200ish people. For people who had their heart set on freshman housing and got mixed, trust me, I’ve been there, and there is a LOT to say for mixed housing. There are still lots of freshmen around, and the upperclassmen are by no means off-limits - talk to them, make friends with them, you’ll find that often they’re just as willing to add someone to their group, and if not they’re GREAT for advice when you’re confused about the way something works at Tufts.

Phew. Now that that’s done - the people I knew from Metcalf last year were a great group and decided to live there again this year. They were really close and had dinner every day together at the exact same table. I think Metcalf has the biggest singles on campus but the smallest doubles. They also have some triples. Personally I think Metcalf has THE best location on campus, so smallish rooms are a small (no pun intended lol) price to pay. You’re right on Professor’s Row, basically the center of campus. The closer dining hall is Dewick (in my opinion, the MUCH better dining hall) and also close to Hodgdon Good-to-Go. The library is across the street, the campus center is to your left, and it’s a much shorter walk uphill than it is for the majority of the downhill dorms. You’re also much closer to Health Services and the frats. The only thing that rivals Metcalf by location is probably Richardson, but it’s all-girls’. I’m sure you’ll take advantage of it!

Lewis - I know a bunch of people who lived there and really liked it. As an outsider, I thought Lewis was confusing as hell in terms of layout, but I’m sure it’s easier for residents. Lewis is interesting b/c it has doubles, singles, and a few apartments too. I know some of the wings are single-sex, not sure if this is true for the whole building. There’s a nice big lounge on the ground floor and the Craft Center as well. But I’ll warn you, people have said that every corridor of Lewis has its own unique, repulsive smell, lol, so maybe once you get there you’ll invest in some air fresheners, haha. The rooms are pretty nice, unless you’re in a forced triple. I know people who were in forced triples in Lewis, but the room in Lewis was HALF the size of a double in Hill, which made no sense. Anyway it’s a good spot b/c you’re right across from Hodgdon.